ClutterHack: Finding 'homes'

We all lose a lot of time looking for things, but that might be a different set of things for every single one of you. So much is obvious, because we are different people and we all lead different lives with different challenges.

I’d invite you to identify the top three things you end up searching regularly. That might be the car keys, your phone, an agenda, that favourite knife in your kitchen, your business card holder, your kid’s favourite toy, … anything really. Once you have identified those three items, find a ‘home’ for them.

What’s a home, you ask? Well, a ‘home’ is a dedicated place where you will ALWAYS place an item when you don’t use it. Sounds easy enough, right? But there is a second part to this: not only should you always return that particular item to this place, but the spot where the item goes should only be used for this item! The ‘home’ remains empty when the item is not there.

That second part is actually the important one! An item only has a proper home if that spot is available at any time to be used. You’ll be amazed how hard it is at first to keep that spot empty. If you are hard put to find space for anything, those ‘home’ spots are prime real estate for any kind of clutter that comes your way. And there we have a definition of clutter: anything that does not have a proper home.

Make sure to keep those ‘home’ spots clear, and you’ll soon realise that your life has become just a little easier. You may even consider finding homes for other things …

If you have enjoyed reading this, you may find these other articles interesting:

• Starting small
• Gifts
• Limiting space