Stop Clutter Before it Starts

Reading time: approximately 2 minutes

Is it possible to stop clutter before it starts?

Yes, but the earlier you start the easier it is!

A while back, I purchased a new phone charger. Because I had experienced cord fail more than once, I wanted to ensure that I was purchasing a cord with a good warranty.

The salesperson assured me that the cord had a lifetime warranty. As he handed me the new cord he happened to say, “Keep the box, you need it for the warranty.”

Hmmm… now that could be a problem.

While I do finally have a system for organizing warranties, there is no system in place to keep (and find) any associated box.

Because I really didn’t have a place to put the box, I decided my junk drawer was the best option, for now 😉.

I wasn’t really surprised to realize the junk drawer wasn’t an option because, well, it is full of other stuff that I didn’t really know what to do with.

Actually, a very quick, less than five-minute visual inventory of our clutter hot spots reminded me that most of the clutter in our house is really the result of only one thing: No real place to put something away.

For instance, currently residing on our laundry room floor is an entire case of snack sized potato chips. Having an entire case of chips is handy for lunches but honestly, I don’t really have a designated place in which to store them.

The answer to stopping clutter before it starts is really simple:

If you are going to keep a thing, be it a small box or an entire case of potato chips, make sure it has a permanent home.

If everything has a place then you will know where to put it away when it gets left out. (notice, I did not say IF. I said WHEN).

Alternatively, if a thing, be it rubber bands or blocks, doesn’t have a permanent home, then that thing is destined to become clutter.

If you really want to stop clutter before it starts, make sure every single tangible item in your home has a designated place where it is considered to be “put away”.

Easier said than done? Yes, definitely!

But you can start small!

Start with the one new box (or widget or appliance) that you just brought home.

By starting somewhere, you are on your way to stopping clutter before it starts!

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