Project Vision 12/2012 - Step One: Get Organized and Decluttered

By Tina

I'm renaming Project Self-Reflection 366/2012 -- Project Vision 12/2012. It's about doing something THIS YEAR with your goals and vision.    It's a work in progress.  Inside and out.

Step One: Get Organized and Decluttered
One of the biggest things I greatly needed to tackle was getting a handle on my clutter.  Last year I wrote a post that got a bunch of wry comments called, "What's the Big Deal about a Messy House?"   There are a LOT of neat freaks out there who did  not appreciate my clutter-filled essay that was written tongue in cheek.

But they were right about one thing.  The clutter was getting to me.  It was affecting my mood and ability to think clearly. I should note that I had a reason for all that clutter.  I was going through a difficult and emotionally draining period in my life.  I stopped cold from my normal duties and chores.  Thank goodness my kids are older and self-sufficient.   They picked up the slack and helped out wherever they could.  Again, thank goodness.

Here's a BEFORE and AFTER photo. From Clutter-filled to Clutter-free.

A clean and uncluttered house makes a big difference in how you feel.  Inside and out. Spiritually and mentally.

How do you feel just looking at the two photos?  Does the top photo make you cringe - and for you neat freaks - are you freaking out?

Does the bottom photo make you feel more serene and calm?

The clutter was out of control. It made me feel out of control, and stressed me out.

By the end of last year I was on a cleaning frenzy.  I had to get my life back in order.

Everyone in my family knew the only thing I wanted for Christmas was a clean house. They were not looking forward to it, but once we started  the process we ended up cleaning the WHOLE HOUSE.

It was extremely cathartic to go through all of the clutter and toss, giveaway, recycle, and store things in their proper place.  Somehow things don't find their way to their "homes" and end up on the counter top.

The clutter was mostly an accumulation of the daily paperwork that adds up and multiples faster than rabbits.  School work, mail, newspapers, bills, magazines, catalogs - and just junk!
To solve my paper problem I found this great piece of build-it-yourself furniture from Ikea.  It happens to fit like a glove in a small alcove we have.  It's meant for shoe storage, but this is perfect for all of our paper clutter.

It looks like a built-in custom piece of furniture with the lack of back legs and butted up against the wall.  There's a compartment for each of my kids and one for all of the paperwork my husband and I receive.  This system keeps our kitchen island from being filled with piles of junk.  If I see items that belong to one of the kids, I place it in their bin.  They do likewise when I ask them to get the island ready for dinner.

A place for everything and everything in it's place.  I love when things come together and life is organized.

Check out Ikea for build-it-yourself shelves, organizers, consoles to help organize your home.
Next week I'll show what I've done to organize my photography area.  Now that was a tough cookie to tackle.

Project Vision Posts:
Step 10: Achieving your Dreams
Step 9: Take Risks
Step 8: Seek a Mentor
Step 7: Take a Class
Step 6: Listen to your Heart
Step 5: Gratitude Attitude
Step 4: Creative Workflow
Step 3: Prioritizing Lists
Step 2: Discovering your Passion and Setting Goals
Step 1: Getting Organized and Decluttered