1 April 2008
273 views
12 Comments
Book Review: 10-Minute Clutter Control
by Rebecca Laffar-Smith
| If you’re anything like I am then your home is filled with clutter. You’ve a desk covered in books, papers, and lolly wrappers, shelves of books you’ve never seem to have time to read, children’s toys in various places best designed for tripping, a dining table that isn’t really designed for dining upon at all, and a bedroom that looks more like a library.
Ok, well perhaps you aren’t nearly as bad as I am but for some reason writers tend to be creative clutter collectors. Strangely enough however, I’ve found that clutter isn’t particular productive. I feel stifled when my desk is a mess and procrastination goes wild on all these little jobs around the house that really do have to be done first. |
I gave thanks when I found this brilliant little book on the desk of a client. I begged to borrow the book so I could learn to control my own clutter. To my amazement I learnt not only fantastic tips for bringing order and structure to my surroundings but also empowering Feng Shui tips that transformed my energy levels and revitalized my living space.
Some brilliant tips for writers include:
| “Furnish bedrooms with even-numbered items. Odd numbers are associated with change, movement, and activity. If you place three or five pieces of furniture in a bedroom, you may generate restless energy that can disrupt sleep.” |
 |
We need solid hours of rest so this tip is vital. There are other bedroom rules as well that can reform your sleeping quarters to provide an ideal environment for rest, relaxation and intimacy.
 |
“Hire help when you need it. Although you may prefer to do everything yourself (or feel that you should) sometimes it pays to hire other people to help out. Overloading yourself with tasks can cause stress and burnout. It may not even be cost-effective if low-level functions are taking up time and energy you could be devoting to more important ones.” |
So if you’re always distracted trying to keep up with your receipts or spend more time scrubbing floors than writing it could be a fantastic investment to delegate tasks to others and employ staff to cover areas of your home or business life to free time in your busy day.
10-Minute Clutter Control is full of brilliant little ideas like this and it is arranged in a way that makes it a breeze to read and consume. Find a copy of this book and begin putting these tips to use right away. Let me know what a difference it makes to your own life. Do you have any other clutter control tips to share that will help writers? If you write a post on the subject please drop a link in the comments. I’d love to read about other time and money saving techniques I can adopt in my own life.
No related posts.
I have a new blog called the Cheeseparer with money saving tips that I glean from the Internet.
My best advice about clutter is: pick up as you go. Hang up your clothes (or toss into hamper) at night. Don’t go to bed with dirty dishes on the counter. Hang up your coat when you come into the house. Put the mail, groceries, whatever away immediately. The few minutes a day you spend have a huge payback of your not having to face hours of pickup and putaway in the future.
I clean off my desk a couple times a week, not daily, and my nightstand somewhat less often. Nice neat piles are better than big messy piles.
Once a “project” has several pieces of paper, create a manilla folder (with a label) for it, and find a spot to put the folder. In a time management class I once took, we were told to handle a piece of paper once. Either deal with it, file it, or toss it. Still good advice.
http://cheeseparer.blogspot.com/
JudyinBoston
I have this problem. Before I came online I set my timer for ten minutes and started to declutter my living room. Ten minutes can really go a long way!
I just read this book last week. Feng Shui is a strong personal interest, and I loved the little tips to improve the energy flow of my environment. Bonus points that the book is easy to read and the tips are easy to apply.
Organizing is such a individual activity. What works for one may not work for someone else. I agree that putting things away once you are finished with them is a workable strategy for a lot of people – but not for everyone. For the latter group try a set clean-up time of 5 to 10 minutes once or twice a day. Just before bedtime is a great time to pick up.
As Katherine pointed out – you will be amazed at what can be accomplished in 10 minutes.
I post my organizing column monthly if you are interested: http://www.clear-spaces.blogspot.com.
The only other sure-fire clutter control tip is to sell my husband to the trash company … LOL!
Hi, Rebecca. VERY glad to find you again.
)
I have been applying some of the tips mentioned here already for a longer time. All I could say is – it does help, and it is making you feel better. Even if one’s life is full with emotional, professional of personal clutter – simple uncluttering of home or an apartment could improve things dramatically.
Great blog, thanks for sharing.
Very nice suggestions and blog post. You have a very quality blog.
NathanKP – Inkweaver Review
Boy oh boy, could I use this! I’ve decided to spend this weekend decluttering the office. Granted, I make that decision every weekend, but I think I might mean it this time!
kk
Feng shui is too hard for me. But it is intserting.
Sorry for taking so long to respond to these comments.
@ Judy: These are some fantastic tips. The point about them all is you have to develop them as a habit or they won’t stick.
@ Katherine: Setting 10 minutes is a fantastic way to motivate action. When you know you’ve limited time it is easier to create focus on small tasks.
@ Denise: I’ve taken a real interest in Feng Shui and I’m learning more about it every day. It is interesting to see how small changes to our environment and the way with think can impact our lives. Thanks for sharing your tips and your link!
@ Lori: *chuckles* I certainly find it easier to keep the house tidy now I’m single. Of course, most days I’d love to be rid of the children too. Imagine how easy it would be if we only had ourselves to clean up after.
@ Jasko: I can’t agree more, Jasko. I’ve found when my home is in a state the rest of life is in a state. By putting my home into some semblance of order I can reach into other areas of my life and find a calmer environment also.
@ Nathan: Thanks for the compliments, Nathan!
@ Kristen: I hope you’ve been able to gain control of your office. It’s important to schedule a regular spring clean (more often than once a year)
@ chinardf: It sure can be hard in the beginning. I’ve found implimenting small changes helps. You can’t learn it all at once but you can develop your environment and your way of thinking one small step at a time.
Thanks, that must have taken a loads of work to put that together. This is a great summary.
Thanks, that must have taken a loads of work to put that together. This is a great summary.