The “New” Rules of De-Cluttering

So I’m not as much a slave to women’s magazines as I used to be but I couldn’t help myself with This March’s Oprah magazine. Nothing I’m going to write about is up on their website yet, but there are some good ideas in there to help you in the never-ending quest to be organized which by definition means banishing clutter for good. I won’t go through all the 13 “New” ways to declutter (as some of them are, ahem, old) but also because it’s worth the $4.50 to read for yourself. I will, however, let you know which of these ideas will not work for some PixieTypes and which will work for all or might be a stretch.

 

Rule #3. You Need No More Than 33 Items in your Closet

Oh my goodness this one made me have an anxiety attack! I don’t think this is a good way for big picture types to pare down their closets. Too exact, too brutal. The woman who advocates this has a blog called The Project 333. And she is definitely a practical, detail oriented type. Probably a Classic (SJ). However, we do only tend to use 20% of what’s in our closet so she’s got a point. So go ahead and get rid of stuff you haven’t worn in a couple of years, that doesn’t fit you. (If you DO lose weight, treat yourself to new and fashionable clothes! Have you any idea how short shirts used to be in the early oughts? It wasn’t just the size fours, it was the fashion. Shirts are longer now, period. Who knows what length they’ll be when you lose that last 5 pounds?)

 

Rule #4. You Are Allowed a Junk Drawer

Now this is the one I can get behind. ALL types can benefit from being allowed to have this drawer. Now I don’t want to go ahead and advocate that all Organics (NFs) and Smarts (NTs) have more than one junk drawer, but since it’s probably going to happen on its own, y’know it might be okay to have a junk drawer in every room of your house and when it gets full? Then it’s time to throw out the trash. For you Funs (SPs) and Classics (SJs), don’t feel guilty about your secret drawer. We know there’s at least one. So go ahead and embrace it. I feel like finally these magazines are finally starting to realize that there are other personality types out there.

 

Rule #6. Finish the Cycle: A Peter Walsh Theory

This one bugs me too. It’s true though. Funs (SPs), Organic Freedoms (NFPs), and Smart Freedoms (NTPs) do have trouble finishing tasks and they should know that following this advice is going to be hard for them. What bugged me most though is Mr. Walsh used the dishes as an example. He was like, “if you bring a dirty plate into the kitchen, don’t leave it on the counter — put it in the dishwasher!” Yeah, but like what if the dishwasher isn’t empty? And hello, anyone who wants to get the most out of their dishwasher should put their dirty dishes in the sink and do it all at once so that the dishes get washed properly. So bad example, but good theory. If you start a project, make sure you have enough time to finish it. And so for types for whom this is hard, pick small projects first. 

 

Rule #10. Fork It

The idea that everyone has a place in their house for forks is a good one. This should be true of everything in your house and if it isn’t? Well that’s the definition of clutter. This can be hard for all types, as where that home should be can become complicated. But it’s a good rule of thumb when going through clutter. If you can’t find a home for it then it’s time to chuck it and if you can’t bear to chuck it, then that’s what junk drawers are for.

 

Rule #13. Life Will Always Be Messy. That’s a Good Thing.

Ah, well you just KNOW that this one was written by an Organic Freedom (NFP) or someone very much like that. But it’s true. Life doesn’t stop. The mail keeps coming. Work comes back from the office, and kids keep making artwork, and then bring their stuff home with them after they return from college. Stuff happens and then comes through the door, usually homeless. And this one is about not beating yourself up when clutter keeps happening. We need to keep finding homes for the things that come into our lives and sometimes that’s at Goodwill, the trash bin, or in a drawer for keepsakes, or a beautiful shadow box filled with things that remind you of your dearly departed. Whatever home your clutter finds, never feel bad for having it. It just means your alive and well and very very busy living it.