Decluttering and Organizing: In the Beginning

This Better Living Tips article about organizing and decluttering is the first in a series of four articles. When I met my future husband, I was struck by the sparse atmosphere of his home. The bare walls were light gray and the floors were covered with large white tiles separated by gray grout. A small, round glass table with four chairs almost suggested he might eat here.  Passing through the kitchen toward his office in the back, not one implement of cuisine destruction was in sight. A lone coffee pot graced the long counter top. Cigarette smoke filled the house.

My first thought was, “This man does not live here. He must work here only.”  But indeed, he did live there. And I had just entered the home of a dyed-in-the-wool neat freak. Everything was in order. Nothing, not one thing, was out of order because there was nothing there that could be out of order.

Mr. Sparse Meet Ms. Pack Rat

In the ensuing years, we would throw our lives and habits together, marrying and doing our best to raise our daughter. Mr. Sparse continued in his monastic ways thwarted only by my hoarding, pack-rat nature. Away went the gray walls. We painted the house a vibrant yellow. Inside, varying shades of yellow graced the walls of the bedroom, dining room and kitchen. A daring cross between deep salmon and coral made its way into the Florida room; it’s bold and beautiful. The white tile floors were replaced by a light colored Pergo. The house had been turned into a warm, inviting home.

Books lined the bookshelf he built for us. Paint, brushes, old photos, scrap booking paraphernalia and some useless junk filled the cabinets underneath. Pots and pans, jars with and without lids, utensils and baking ware occupied the drawers and counters of the kitchen we designed and he constructed. Nic-nacs took over shelves. Cables, computer hardware, papers and receipts filled the office.

Clutter crept in and along with it an unsettling lack of relaxation.

Every now and then, my Husband would make a gentle suggestion. Occasionally, he’d outright complain, almost pleading that I get rid of the junk.  And in response, he’d hear…

But I need that! or…
I use that! or…
I’m going to read that!

Meanwhile, the piles grew. And I began to lose my ability to concentrate.

I’d make halfhearted attempts to clean our home and clear my desk going so far as to pick up a couple of (popular) books on getting organized and getting things done.  I did read one of them.  The result was a filing cabinet full of labeled folders that I filled with enthusiasm and never looked at again. Yes, my desk was clean…

But the clutter came back.

I tried implementing The Fly Lady’s system of housekeeping. Her suggestions are very good. And most people will benefit from her teachings.  But I could not keep up with the regimen because my pack-rat mindset had not yet changed.

So the clutter came back. And it would continue to slowly make our lives miserable until I had an epiphany.