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Clutter free life is a gift to yourself

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF
Published March 24, 2006

When I bought a home and moved a few months ago, I finally purged my life of clutter.

Forever.

Box after box of beloved knickknacks that I mentally labeled "boring and out of date,'' "way too girly pink'' and "hideous but sentimental'' went straight to my favorite charity.

Such an extreme measure was wrought partly by choice, partly out of necessity. My 1970s condo wasn't built during the enlightened age of storage and uber organization, and my options were limited, if not extremely tight.

But even more pressing was my need for mental space, a rest for my tired eyes from the piles of stuff that for years had multiplied like wild vines beneath my bed, futon and upholstered furniture, as well as in my closets, cupboards, medicine chest and even the damp cabinet beneath my kitchen sink.

In the end, I said ciao forever to the junk-heaped life and my existence went from crammed to sparkling, pristine and dust-free.

I never looked back.

I have to say that eliminating clutter has made an enormous difference in the quality of my life. I'm able to clean my Goldilocks-size home top to bottom in less than an hour compared to the day it used to take me. I feel mentally uplifted and I have more time to play outside, read and enjoy our beautiful Florida weather.

I did it on my own because I was forced to, but the whole clean-up-my-life-and-move-on process made me think about how I would have gone about it if I hadn't moved.

So I called Roma Starkey, www.romarooms.com, a Tampa Bay area interior arranger with a gift for helping people make their homes comfortable and clutter-free.

"I love it. It comes as second nature to me,'' Starkey said one day last week as she was on her way to help an accountant do some tax-time spring-cleaning. "My mom was highly organized and I used to stay home on Saturdays just to do it. In fact, I used to spend more time organizing than cooking.''

For starters, Starkey recommends taking a good look around your home and determining whether you need to eliminate clutter and then ask yourself "Do I have a desire to quit living in clutter and chaos?"

If the answer is yes, she offers tips that will make getting started easier.

-- Develop a plan. Are you going to do it or are you going to hire someone to do it?

-- Set a time frame and hold yourself accountable. Give yourself a week and get it done.

-- Edit and purge. "Americans buy way too much stuff,'' Starkey says. "And we buy way too many repeats. We're the land of plenty and we like keeping up with trends. But what you have should fit your home and not the latest trend.'' That means if that Swarovski crystal-fringed lampshade just doesn't work anywhere, get rid of it. Remember that there's someone out there who will really appreciate it.

-- Look around at your possessions and decide whether you've used something in the last year, or "maximum two years,'' Starkey advises. That goes for boxed up accessories and costume jewelry, old pictures, even books you no longer look through.

-- Magazines and newspapers will just keep piling up unless you toss them. If you haven't looked at that stack of Southern Living magazines for the last year, give them away. (I say don't feel like you have to catch up before you can read a new issue - just start fresh!)

-- Look long and hard at your clutter and decide whether it's too overwhelming. Do you need the help of a professional, especially to organize your kitchen cupboards and bedroom closets? It can be money well spent for the ultimate peace of mind that comes from living in an organized space.

-- Send the seasonal stuff packing. Those Spode Christmas dishes don't belong in the kitchen cabinets in March. Make room for your cute summer daisy china by packing up the Christmas plates in boxes and storing them (neatly) elsewhere.

-- Give your home office a good once over. "A lot of people are home-officing these days, and even a professional organizer won't go through your personal papers,'' Starkey says. "Do you really want to spend three days a year going through everything?'' Instead, she recommends setting aside small blocks of time three times a year to go through paperwork and eliminate the excess and unnecessary. As for tax records, follow your accountant's advice and get rid of those decade-old Verizon bills.

-- Finally, reward yourself. "At the end of the organization process buy yourself one (and only one) fresh item and celebrate the space you've cleaned out,'' Starkey says. "Make it something colorful, happy and uplifting, like a new throw pillow or a vase with a fresh flower or a framed family photo that you never had room for before.''

[Last modified March 24, 2006, 10:59:25]