| |
| |
|
Organizing Information |
|
|
|
The Clutter Factor: From Packrativity to Productivity
? Are you embarrassed when you walk into your home or office? If so, you're not alone! Research shows the average person spends 150 hours per year looking for misplaced information, while eight out of ten people have at least one area of their home or office they would prefer that no one ever see! The word "clutter" comes from the same root word as "clot". Webster's Dictionary defines it as "to run in disorder, to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness." Clutter affects our society at every level - our personal lives, our families, our work, our businesses, and the world in general. It seems easy enough to eliminate - just throw it away. If that were true, more people would do it. So what's the problem? Frequently clutter is an emotional issue. Ironically, many of us have clutter because we were forced to give us something we considered valuable earlier in our lives, and now we can't even get rid of the junk in our lives. People who lived through The Great Depression, for example, cling to every minute object in the extreme fear that someday they might need it. A 25-year-old man, describing his home in which no friends or family had been for months wept as he recalled the death of his mother when he was four. A woman who shared her bedroom with four sisters at the age of eight now hangs on with desperation to everything that comes in her space at the age of 80. A gentleman shared that the dates of his clutter began the year he retired. Slums are filled with junk. The poorer we are - in body or spirit -- the more we hang on: "It might be useful some day." The irony is that the more we hang on to what is not useful, the less room there is in our lives for those things which encourage us to be productive! After spending 20+ years in the homes and offices of America, I have concluded that there are five components to a clutter- controlled environment: 1. Vision. It is impossible to even define our own clutter if we do not hold a clear picture of who we are, or what we are about. A photographer had on-going dreams about living in a tall, white tower with glass windows, while her real home was buried in clutter accumulated over 30+ years. When we focused on her love of the arts and what was aesthetically beautiful, letting go of the unsightly clutter became less painful, and even freeing. 2. Attitude. A book agent discussing the idea of a book on the subject of clutter commented, "Some of us are just slobs." Only if you want to be. Creating a pleasing and productive environment requires a process. If you honor the process, you will succeed. 3. Time. "How long is this going to take and how much is it going to cost?" is the first question asked by potential clients. My answer: "It doesn't really matter, but the longer you wait, the longer it's going to take and the more it's going to cost." 4. Tools. Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, my father taught me "Half of any job is having the right tool." The amount of effort required to control the clutter in your environment is directly related to the tools you use. One woman eliminated her struggle with scraps of paper on which she had scribbled phone numbers and appointments when she discovered that the only thing that mattered to her about her calendar was that it was beautiful. 5. Preservation. People often say, "Oh I can get organized. I just can't maintain it." Clients have taught me that if they can't maintain the environment we create with relative ease, we have to return to the one or more of the first four steps. Your ability to enjoy your life, or to accomplish any task or goal is directly related to your ability to create and sustain a productive environment in which you can live and work. © Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Organizing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Have an Ugly Day "Do something every day that you don't want to-do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain." --Mark TwainHave you ever had one of those days (or weeks) where everything on your plate was something you didn't look forward to-doing? I faced such a week this past summer. Get Organised Before Its Too Late Last year I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and well-known author, Stephen Biddulph on "Raising Boys". As I have an 11 year old son, I was interested to hear what Stephen had to say. 8 Signs Your Home is Out of Control -- and What to Do About It It happens without warning. One day you notice your home has turned into a collage of papers, junk, and stuff - everywhere. What Clutter Clearing Can Do For You You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits of clutter clearing simply by imagining your life free of all the negative effects of clutter: lack of focus and clarity; feelings of being professionally, creatively, spiritually, and/or romantically stuck; insufficient time and attention for self and family; increased stress, irritability and depression. Wouldn't it be great to be free of all these?No matter what other factors may be dragging you down, I guarantee you that clearing your clutter will dramatically improve your mood and energy. 25 Tips and Tricks for an Organized Move Worried because you're moving soon? This really doesn't have to be a stressful, chaotic time. Here are some tips to help you achieve a successful, organized move. How Long Do I Need to Keep This? - A Guide to Receipts, Statements and Financial Clutter at Home In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to mysteriously multiply by itself. Introducing the Power Hour Concept to Plough Through Mountainous Tasks Have you ever been totally overwhelmed by a massive task confronting you? Ever felt daunted by the thought of even making a start on such a massive quest? I thought so. Read on. Files vs Piles I recently read an article that had some interesting but not surprising statistics. Harte-Hanks published a survey in December, 2001 which reported that 96% of businesspeople interviewed were frustrated by their companies' information management. Clutter-Clearing and Your Authentic Self Have you ever felt so discouraged, your life so out-of-control, the universe so unresponsive to your needs and desires, that you couldn't help it: you just had to clean up? By paying attention to these impulses we recognize the deep connection between our personal environment and our innermost selves. It's as though by shifting the arrangement of our belongings we hope to rearrange the molecules of our emotional lives as well. Simplify Your Life! No Really...Simplify Your Life! We hear it every day."Buy this product, and simplify your life!"Now really, how can buying and having more stuff make your life simpler and easier? I hear it from women all the time, "I have everything I've ever wanted, but?"I don't have time to enjoy it. Clutter Campaign - Maintain Your Success To want in one's heart to do a thing for its own sake; to enjoy doing it; to concentrate all one's energies upon it-that's not only the surest guarantee of success. It is also being true to oneself. It's Spring Cleaning Time? Let's Make Room For Abundance! I gathered some things you can do this spring while you take a minute to smell those roses. There are things we need to do to clear our space and to reflect on what exciting things we'd like to bring in. Does Your Storage Make Sense? What do your storage spaces look like? Do you know exactly where to go when you are looking for something? Is your system logical? Designing a meaningful storage space requires a lot more than just putting stuff in a closet, drawer, or cabinet. You need STRUCTURE -- some proven guidelines to follow while setting up your storage spaces. Spring Makeovers: Organizing Tips for the Home and a Virtual Makeover for You Winter is starting to retreat, and hints of Spring are everywhere. Time to clear away the clutter and get you and your house in order. 10 Tips to Get Organized and Clutter-Free- Now! 1. THE LOVE IT OR LOSE IT PRINCIPLE: Every item around you represents a choice you made. Stress Management: 10 Universal Laws to Get and Stay Organized 1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step in getting organized is to 3-pile everything:pile one is for those things to throw awaypile 2 is for those things that need immediate actionpile 3 is for those things that can be taken care of later, or filed, or both. Declutter Your Home in 11 Easy Steps Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start on a smaller scale instead and it will be a whole lot easier.For example, instead of starting with the entire house, commit to starting with one room. 5 Reasons to Organize Your Home Today Home organization isn't just for neat-nicks or those drawn toward organized living. Even if you don't fall into those two stereotypes, you should consider learning and implementing some home organizing techniques. Clutter is Postponed Decisions? Do you ever sit down at your desk buried in paper and say, "OK! Today's the day - I'm going to clean up this mess?" You pick up the first piece of paper - and immediately think of any number of reasons why now is not a good time to deal with this particular piece of paper. You pick up the second piece. Everything Fits Together Perfectly! Here's a little lesson I experienced while packing boxes for my move to Victoria, BC.I decided to pack my own belongings so that I would have more money to set up my apartment once I'd moved.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
