I'm such a free spirit.
This is code for....I tend to work in a big circle and not clean up after myself until I can't see the floor.
Anyone? Anyone?
Yesterday, I took a little bit of time to go through the mess of clutter and paraphernalia. Within sixty minutes, the mail was opened, lots of stuff was deemed unnecessary or uneeded and subsequently tossed.
A picture and a few paintings hidden in one of the boxes were put on the wall. The stack of important but not urgent papers was put inside a box where they can stay organized but be retrieved quickly.
The painting sketches and ideas were organized, sorted and eliminated. Painting supplies were put back into their boxes.
The result?
This morning I can breathe better. It looks better (and prettier).
I can see the floor.
I didn’t think the cramped quarters were hampering my creative and mental flow but now I think it was. I can focus. I can find things because they are in the right place.
Amazing.
Fellow free spirit, if the sprawl has become a daily disaster and you need a quick fix, here is a 5 step guide to Organize Clutter in 60 minutes.
5 Steps to Organizing Clutter in 60 Minutes
1. Eliminate the unnecessary with the one month rule. (20 minutes)
Quickly open mail and go through the things that have been set aside as “I’ll get around to them.” This includes magazines, mail, articles, etc. If you haven’t gone through it in the last month toss it or you have no plans to buy it, toss it out!
2. If you don’t have a file box: make one! Create a file box and file the items left after eliminating the unnecessary. (15 minutes)
If you don’t have a filing system this is a good time to start one. Choose a few topics that you want to keep a file on for the articles, stories, quotes, ideas, etc. that come your way. WARNING: don’t make too many files or it defeats the purpose.
Note: I have files for receipts, bills, reminders about subscription renewals, etc. (Don’t forget to check this file if you put bills here!)
And I use sticky notes to mark my dividers. It is not really cute but isn't complicated either 
While there are many good topics, it is better to become deeply knowledgeable about a few things than have interesting information on many. This will help you and those who want your help. After all, it is easier to go back and look into a few files for a particular story than to search 100 file folders for something that may or may not be there.
3. Don’t delay, file right away. Now that you have the file box (whether it is cardboard box or a fancy file cabinent) use it! (10 minutes)
The best time to get organized is right when the papers come in.
Commit to eliminating pile-syndrome. (It’s a reoccurring problem for me so I can sympathize if you struggle with this!) Don’t create a pile “to be filed,” file it right away.
At all cost, avoid making another stack!
4. Put things away that will not capture your attention in the next month. (10 minutes)
O.k. what else is left?
If you are like me, you probably have a few stacks of projects that are waiting for your attention.
Can they be put away in a safe space until the summer?
Storing things in a closet or a box is a way I tell myself- “It’s o.k. that you can’t get to it this month. I’m going to put it away and re-visit this in three months. I’m choosing not to do this this week to free up time for Priorities A & B.”
This brought more relief to me than I thought it would. I don’t have to stare at a pile (It was a stack of business-related articles, newsletters and reports that I wanted to organize into a binder instead of having them loosely all over the room).
We can’t do it all. Sometimes we need to put something out of sight and give ourselves permission to focus on what is best in this season of our lives.
5. Make it pretty (5 minutes + plus any time leftover from being super speedy on the other items!)
This is the cherry on the ice cream sundae. Hang a picture that has been laying around. Grab the empty flower vase and stick some spring flowers (real or fake) in it next to your desk. Do something that makes your creative space pretty and fun!
The Unexpected Outcome of Organizing Clutter in 60 Minutes
The hardest thing for me to do is to be honest about what I really can get done. It's easy for me to try to do too many things at once but that leads only to frustration.
Spending a little bit of time getting organized prepared me to greet Monday with a smile and a fresh space to begin the week's work.
I didn’t realize that spending a small amount of an afternoon would not only help my floor look better, it would make my life feel better!
How about you? Do you have any tips to maintain the creative clutter, either yours or someone else who lives with you?
