By Guest writer : Angie Soles
Many things are fun to shuffle:
Cards.
Songs on Spotify.
Letters in a word or phrase to make anagrams.
Even feet to the beat of a catchy tune.
There is one shuffle that is never fun, however: The Clutter Shuffle.
An item residing in a home becomes “clutter” when it has served its purpose and is no longer useful (or was never useful from the start). These items enter our homes in various ways. Some arrive in brown boxes delivered to our doorsteps, in pretty bags from one of our favorite shops, or even by magic (the items we find one day in a cupboard while spring cleaning, and we know for absolute certainty we did not bring them in!).
The Clutter Shuffle begins when an item arrives in your home and has no designated space to call its own; it then gets placed “for now” on a shelf with unrelated things, then one day is moved into a pretty container that sits in a drawer, then when that drawer is organized the item moves to the darkest spot in the corner of the uppermost shelf in a closet (that is perhaps overstuffed with other clutter already) and then after a few months (or years) the item is “discovered” again, then gets placed “for now” on a shelf with unrelated items and its journey around your home begins again.
The Clutter Shuffle happens in most homes. It’s neither good nor bad. It simply happens. To put an end to this shuffle, when you find an item on such a journey, it’s an excellent indication it’s time to rethink the purpose of that item in your home. If it’s no longer used, let it go. If you’ve never needed it to begin with, let it go. If you think you might need it in some distant future, ask yourself, “Is it expensive to purchase it again? Can I borrow it from a friend?” and the all-important question, “What’s more important, the item or my tranquility?” Ultimately, you have the final say on whether to keep or let it go. If you decide to keep it, give it a designated practical spot to end the clutter shuffle.
Message me if you need help ending the clutter shuffle in your home or getting yourself organized. Enjoy the last month of summer!
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