Do you buy new clothes on a regular basis? Let’s be honest, the vast majority of clothes we buy may not exactly be with the goal of replacing something that is beyond repair, but it is because you want to follow the latest trend or you are simply in the mood for shopping.

Those two reasons usually align with a desire to buy cheap clothes rather than something more expensive that might last a lot longer. Constantly shifting trends and the assumed requirement to follow them is enough of an incentive to buy cheap. The glossy magazines don’t usually show off expensive, well-made items, but they focus on what can be mass-produced and sold in large quantities before the winds of change bring another trend to the front pages.

If you are the kind of person who likes to repurpose things when they have become unnecessary or no longer fit for their original use, you may want to still be careful how you go about this process.

I often work with clients whose desire to repurpose has taken them down a path of hoarding too many thing that are unlikely to ever become useful. There are many reasons for this, the most common ones are “too many projects, too little time”, “big plans, no follow-through”, and a general sense that things are “too valuable to just throw out”.

There is a fundamental connection between sustainability and decluttering. Sustainability means to not overuse resources (which unfortunately we already do), but it also could be seen in the context of being sustainable within your own life, by not holding on to more than you need, stock more than necessary, and reuse/repurpose whatever you can.

So, ultimately, “keeping it down” will keep you from clogging up your space without compromising on luxuries.

We are all part of a massive wave of consumption that has become part of daily life in Western society. There is nothing wrong with consumption as such, but we live in an age of “too much” rather than “enough”. Most of us are blissfully unaware of the sheer amount of things we use without thinking twice, and this behaviour not only affects us, but the world at large. It is time to become aware of our personal impact and what we can do about limiting it in our own way.

There are many ways to save money, but few can turn out to be as beneficial as proper consideration of how you deal with food. We all have to eat, and one of biggest money dumps for anyone working away from home is the overpriced daily sandwich. The better option would always be a meal you bring from home, but many find that too time-consuming and complicated, too. Let’s consider a couple of things that might change your mind.

We all have our own way that informs how we engage with the world of retail, how marketing affects us, if we are swayed by peer pressure, and other such elements. It can be useful to become aware of any patterns that you tend to follow and consider if they are useful ones to maintain.

Do you experience those moments when everything gets too much and you long for a simpler life? Maybe your lifestyle is busy to start with, but what about your living environment? Your home is the one place that is completely under your control, where you can make changes that affect you every day, so why not start simplifying here, before you move to areas that may be more difficult to change?

Now that National Organising Week is over, what will you take away from it?

First of all, I hope that some of my ramblings here made you consider some of the choices you have made in the past. Maybe you were able to look at the status quo in a new light, and perhaps you have adjusted something just a little to make your home more of a happy place that it was before.

You are not done yet, though: the most impactful things you can do going forward is identifying at which crucial point things tend to fall apart and get/remain untidy or disorganised. Determine what you need to do in an ideal world to keep this from happening and try to develop a habit that keeps the momentum going.

And then keep doing this regularly!

My advice going forward is simple: never settle for the status quo, look at things from different angles to get new insight, and don’t be afraid of change.

Some homes – especially rental homes – have been neutralised to a point where everything is a serviceable beige or grey. Owning a home, however, does not mean things are necessarily better: a lot of people keep their homes relatively neutral in colour because “that will avoid clashing colours” or “it’s going to be easier to sell”.

The latter is a bit of a silly one for me as I feel that a home should be a place set up for the person who lives in it, not a potential future owner. I know: controversial!

As for avoiding clashing colours… well, there’s always the option to paint over a wall that looks a bit too garish. It’s a small job to do but it could yield big results, provided the colour you choose is better suited than the old one.

If you feel strongly about the neutral look, you can always accessorise with colourful curtains, pillows, throws, rugs, artwork,… the options are endless. While I don’t want to advertise changing to the en vogue colours each season, it can be fun to mix it up every couple of years, or even change colours with the seasons and reuse them every year.

Another option to spruce up your home could be the use of plants. Personally, I own a selection of orchids, some of which are always in bloom, and a couple of leafy plants that make me smile whenever I look at them. Of course, not everyone has green fingers, but you may just consider a cactus.

Artificial plants are also an option. Forget about the plastic plants from the past: these days, artificial plants come pretty close to the real thing and cannot really be detected all that easily.

Some things can be done easier on your own, especially the ones that need continued focus on one particular task. Organising and learning to more organised are tasks that may benefit from having someone else around to support you and keep you motivated. That other person does not necessarily have to be actively involved in the job that you are doing – just being there is often enough. They may be doing something entirely different while you put things back where they belong. The fact alone that they are there is sometimes enough to keep you from being distracted.

This is partly because it feels like emotional support during your work, but it could also bring out a competitive streak in yourself along the lines of “I can do this and I’ll prove it to you right now”.

It’s part of the professional’s job to enable the client to focus on making decisions and keep distractions at a minimum. If another person is involved in the process of organising, they can take over some of the manual tasks while you keep making the hard decisions, e.g. taking things out of your hands and placing them in the correct container (keep, sell, recycle, donate, etc.).

That other person could be anyone, but family members and friends are often too close emotionally, and also may not have the right tools to actually be helpful. Your ability to stay focused on making decisions is of utmost importance for any organising (or decluttering) task to be finished as painlessly as possible.

Professional organisers may seem like a luxury, but save time and money in the long run. We have the experience that you or your friends may not have. We know when you need a break, and react accordingly.

Support can come in different forms as well. Friends and family can reinforce any changes you manage to make by reaffirming them and highlighting what a difference it makes. It may be a good idea to tell them what you are trying to do, and encourage them to look for changes and talk about them with you.