Summer ends
As the summer season comes to a close and autumn approaches, seasonal events such as a new school year,Autumn festivals, Halloween and even the December holiday preparations come to mind. For many of us, this seasonal change marks a move from the exterior world to the interior one. In my case, after having spent much of the past 5 months working in my garden and enjoying outdoor activities, I need to give some attention to my home’s interior.
I try to approach this exercise with a positive attitude rather than thinking of it as a chore, so I have developed a little exercise to help me do that. The first thing I do is to arm myself with paper and pen and then go from room to room, identifying areas that need to be addressed. I take stock of those areas that need attention, as well as how I can make my home more comfortable and better organised overall in the process.
I am particularly sensitive to those places, which seem to draw clutter, such as the kitchen counter where the mail gets dumped. I am sure you know what I am talking about. Areas such as the garage, closets and storage spaces need to be addressed regularly and that usually entails a little cleaning and de-cluttering of the things I no longer need. Afterwards, I decide if the unused items are destined for the garbage, the Salvation Army or even eBay.
Next, I address my problem areas. These areas for whatever reason -- be it a lack of space, bad habits or a mixture of both -- seem to be eternally cluttered and messy. I write down what I think is the root of these clutter issues and then begin to brainstorm how I might resolve them.
For example, in the case of the unsightly pile of mail, I might opt for a recycle bin and bill sorter. That way, when I bring my mail in from the mailbox, I go through it immediately dropping junk mail, circulars and envelopes into the bin and filing bills and other important mail in the sorter to be dealt with later. Another solution might be to switch monthly utility bills to online payments and avoid the paper bills altogether.
In any case, these are some of my ideas and thoughts on de-cluttering and re-organizing your home. I will say that going through these steps, which often takes a few weeks, gives me such a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. And best of all, it makes me feel better about retreating to the inside as the autumn season begins.