Creating Space for Happiness
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris
Are you overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering and organizing your home or office? It doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In her book Outer Order Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize To Make More Room For Happiness, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin offers a straightforward guide to creating a harmonious environment. She suggests five stages to establish outer order without complicating your life.
Stage One – Make Choices
When deciding what to keep, ask yourself three simple questions for each item:
Do I need it?
Do I love it?
Do I use it?
Also, consider whether you need more than one. Could you take a photo of the object and keep that instead? Who would appreciate this as a donation?
Stage Two – Create Order
Once you decide which items you’re keeping, identify where those items will be stored.
Notice the areas of your home or office that seem to attract clutter - the kitchen island, the dining room table, the corner table, etc. Can you find a solution for this space? Make extra effort to keep these clutter magnets clear.
Create a mystery box of miscellaneous screws, cables, etc. Discard anything unused after a year.
Before you purchase more containers for your items, carefully consider where they may be stored if at all. “If you don’t own it, you don’t have to organize it.”
Stage Three – Know Yourself and Others
Adopt organizational methods that work for you and those you live with. If a particular folding method isn’t something you’ll stick with, find an alternative. By knowing what’s important to the members of your household, you can create an environment that expresses your unique interests and preferences.
If you are offered an item that you know will not be used or treasured, do not accept it.
Stage Four – Cultivate Helpful Habits
Once you decide what system of organization works for you, cultivate daily habits that will help you maintain this decluttered and organized environment. Here are a few of Gretchen’s tips:
Follow the one-minute rule: any task that can be completed in less than one minute should be done immediately – hang a coat, file a document, throw away trash, etc.
Put items “away” instead of “down.”
Take something with you when moving between rooms.
Make your bed daily.
Clean out one shelf at a time.
Create transition routines: For 10 minutes in the evening, go through a quick checklist of things like tossing junk mail, wipe kitchen counters, replace the remote control, fold blankets, put shoes away, etc.
Stage Five – Add Beauty
You may have heard about keeping items that “spark joy.” Gretchen suggests asking the question “Does this energize me?” Add colors and objects that boost your energy and promote fun.
Embrace the luxury of leaving a shelf empty.
By creating outer order, you can create a sense of spaciousness, organization, and energy. These visible improvements in your environment can spark other changes in your life. If it is easy to hang up your coat, you might find it is easy to go to the gym.
Once you create order in your outer environment, take the opportunity to enjoy the inner calm that follows.