Do It Yourself

DO-IT-YOURSELF Nice-and-Easy 13-Step Declutter Program

1. You are an organized person. If you weren't, the mess wouldn't bother you.
2. Your mess is only an accumulation of ill-placed stuff. You have the control.
3. Inanimate objects have no muscle or brain. You do. Things must go where you put them.

4. It took a while for things to get out of control, so give yourself some time to get them back in order.

5. Don't start in the cupboards or closets unless your rooms are in order.

6. Get rid of anything that looks tacky, tasteless, dingy, dated, boring, blah, ugly or dead from use.

7. Keep only what you use, what you expect to use, and what you love!

8. Don't tackle huge messes all at once. Do them in small, defined sections.

9. The more uniform things look, the more inclined people are to keep them that way. This also allows for better identification and location of things, making it easier to put them back where they belong. What a concept!

10. Name your closets and drawers. This sounds stupid but not doing it is one of the biggest mistakes people make. If closets and drawers aren't given a name, people put everything everywhere.

11. Label shelves or anything else you need to as a reminder to yourself and others not only where things belong but also of your efforts.

12. Do the right things over and over and you'll lose the mess.

13. Don't give up! It works!

Happy Organizing!