I am a very junky person. How can I change this about myself?
Now I have a 2 bedroom apartment and for some reason, I can't seem to keep it clean. It's not dirty. It's just junky. And then I get frustrated when I can't find something or when I trip over something.
Can anyone tell me how I can change this about myself and how to be a more organized person. Also, I need some suggestions as to how to go about starting this change and do I just do one room at a time or what?
I get very restless when I start to clean and I go from one room to the next moving stuff around, but not really doing anything. I hate this. I've even had a clean up party and 3 days later my place was junky again.
Answers:
You need flylady. She has helped me organize my entire life.
Take a look at her website, she will help you babystep your way to a more organized life. She even sends you little reminders through e-mail, and tells you exactly what to do.
Now it is set up for people that are working on their whole house, but you can definitely set the routines up, to help keep your room clean. Eventually when you have your own house, the things that you learn will carry over to there.
http://flylady.net/
Other answers:
Its all about what you picture in your mind. All you might be seeing in your minds eye when you leave stuff lying around is the next thing you want to do. Try to stop and think about what you're doing. Then create a very real image of how you're going to feel when you walk into a room and see the thing you didn't put away lying in a heap the next day.
I call this showing respect for your future self. Think in terms of you, a week from now, being angry with you right now.
There are other ways to get yourself there. This is just one that works for me when I need to get into the responsible zone to pick up my place.
Its all about what you picture in your mind. All you might be seeing in your minds eye when you leave stuff lying around is the next thing you want to do. Try to stop and think about what you're doing. Then create a very real image of how you're going to feel when you walk into a room and see the thing you didn't put away lying in a heap the next day.
I call this showing respect for your future self. Think in terms of you, a week from now, being angry with you right now.
There are other ways to get yourself there. This is just one that works for me when I need to get into the responsible zone to pick up my place.
Use the mantra "A place for everything and everything in its place."
STEP 1: One day, come home with the intention of putting this mantra into action. As you put things in their place, keep repeating the mantra. If you have things that don't have a "place," MAKE ONE. Stop everything you are doing, stand in the middle of the room, and think of a place for it (while reciting the mantra over and over). If you need to clear out a place for it, do it (while reciting the mantra). Then, when a place is made, put it in that place (while reciting the mantra).
STEP 2: Do this for everything that is "out of place."
STEP 3: Once EVERYTHING in your living space in "in its place," KEEP IT THERE. Whenever you use something, put it back in its place IMMEDIATELY when you are finished with it. Make no exceptions.
The first time you make an exception, it will be easier and easier to make exceptions later on. Then, things will get out of their respective places in greater and greater number until you place is junky again. If that happens, however, dedicate a day and go back to step one.
just start throwing crap out, ask yourself why you have it, if you need it, if you have not used it since you move out on your own than chance are you don't need it. I was always the same way but just got fed up 1 day with all the crap in my house and started throwing old crap out. I'm not saying that you shouldn't keep any sentimental objects, but if you still have the rock that little billy down the street gave you when you were 3 than its time to clean house
http://www.mymessyhouse.com/
Has great advice for how to get routines in place. The only way to keep your house clean is to develop good habits. If you let things go and then clean all at once you'll get burned out. Start by cleaning just a little each day. Even just get in the habit of making your bed when you wake up.
You should also be taking a look at what is causing the mess. Are your books and things spread out because you don't have a spot for them? Get a bookcase. Do you have stuff that you never wear taking up space in your closet so your good clothes end up on the floor? Donate them. Everyday find a home for or get rid of at least 5 items. Throw away/recycle things as soon as you realize they're trash, no piles of junk mail sitting around.
Some people need more guidance. In that case, www.flylady.net is a better program, she takes you through babysteps and is especially good for people who have no idea where to start.
thank you for making me feel better about myself because I am in the same boat as you are...I am as curious about what the answers are because I can't seem to keep a clean house without clutter.
One thing I have mastered is the mail... it comes in the house and the junk goes right into the recycle bin. Any bills go into a folder and other items like letters I need to answer do too.
For me I am a messy that has a long commute so when I get home cleaning is the last thing on my mind...bed..bath...hanging out with hubby all come first. Thank goodness I married a messy so he doesn't complain but our house is a disaster
OK. so i cant really help you with getting started but once you have cleaned then STAY ORGANIZED!! if you do not stay organized this cleaning will have very little effect on what your house will be in a few weeks. if you get into a habit of putting thing back were they belong then you can stay neat and you might have a small cleaning job only a few times a year(or less).
you need a class on organization 101 and make sure you look well manicured in appearance
hey i'm not trying to answer this question but i just wanted to let u kno, on one of my questions u gave me the best advice there is. becasue u were right.
thx
By junky I guess you mean cluttery. This is the biggest problem I have about keeping things clean, when I pare down my stuff, I have an easier time with it.
First thing to do if you are having problems with clutter is look around and find the LEAST junky area that you could see yourself working in. Then go through that area, maybe a room or part of one, and move whatever is there OUT of the way. It may need to be stacked or squished somewhere else for now, that's ok. Just get a workspace cleared so you can start somewhere blank.
Then if you have any easy to find collections that you can bring to that area in order to get them all together, do that. This should give you a lot of wiggle room. Things that would probably suit the situation are clothes, kitchen things, linens, maybe books or DVD. These things usually don't get too scattered alllll over the place and hidden in misc boxes or piles. You can find them all pretty easily.
OK so pick one thing like that and get them into your work area. Go through them item by item. If you see anything you are immediately willing to part with, get a to-go pile started. If there are things you would like to keep, ask yourself some questions:
Do I really need/love/use this?
Do I have too many?
Is it in good shape?
Is this item relatively easy to store and take care of?
Am I holding onto this for a really good reason, not just a feeling that I should?
Whatever you can part with, do that. But you don't have to make any huge heartbreaking decisions if you have the storage...and that is easier to come by if you can commit to limiting your at hand inventory. NOT EVERYTHING YOU OWN needs to be out all the time. In fact, if it is, THIS is why you are crazy with clutter.
You can break collections up and rotate them, you keep more if you only keep a fraction of things in circulation at any one time. Then most of it is out of the fray and will not become clutter. You may, for example, be able to split your summer wardrobe down the middle, each half working independently and covering all your needs. Put all but ONE collection of summer clothes away, just like your fall and winter clothes. You can do this for linens, entertainment and decor items, kids' toys, etc. All stuff that doesn't really wear out so fast, the items are serviceable but you have too many. Put some away. Wardrobes are generally wayyyy too big. The word we use for wardrobes that need attention is LAUNDRY. How much attention do you want to give your clothes?
For other things that are consumed and replenished, or things that are duplicated, you can set up an overflow area. Get those items together and pick out the ones you see yourself wearing out the fastest, or the amount you want at hand around the house, get those items into rotation, and put the rest away. When you wear a thing out or deplete it, replace it from the inventory in storage. This can be used for socks, underwear, kitchen gizmos like wooden spoons, towels, teeshirts, half-empty toiletries, cosmetics, and cleaners. Without the other things around to prolong their wear, these things get used, and then you can get rid of them a lot sooner, without the waste.
A word about food items, which are consumed of course, but since many are perishable you have to deal with them differently. You can get mighty creative in the kitchen when you decide that you are going to make a dent in the pantry before shopping for more food. You can start with pantry items like crackers and cereal, and try to use those things up that are open. Then things like canned goods, put like with like or used together goes together, and shelve them one behind the other or stacked. Spices can be a real pain, do you have lots of duplicates that you can dump together? Do you use some all the time, and others not so much? Some just for baking, others just for grilling? You can store those things with the other baking items and grilling items, or you can set up an everyday spice collection, my everyday at hand spices are right on the back of the stove...and the rest are in the cabinet with spice pouches and cornstarch etc.
OK so after you have dealt with bigger more isolated collections, you should see quite a dent in the amount of room you have to work in. Clear the areas where those things belong, again, stacking and squishing, and put your new decluttered inventories away or at least in one spot (one spot but not put away would actually save time later with cleaning and fine tuning organization strategies...IF you can stand to live with it until you are done.) If you start to get discouraged, don't give up, just plug away at it in half-hour or fifteen minute spurts until the job is done.
At any rate, you should see distinct patches of order and disorder at this point, and as good starts overcoming the bad, it should be mighty empowering! BE PROUD!
From there, it is a matter of getting similar or companion items together so you know what you have and can make sense of it. Feel free to unload anything that you don't think suits your life right now. This is the minute details and small collections in the "GOD-Knows-What" boxes, or things that could turn up anywhere and it can be so discouraging. This is the harder work after you jump started and made room gathering obvious stuff together.
OK. So after you have things ordered up, and everything is OUT that you decided to part with, you need to make sure your items are in a logical home. Remember some rules about space planning:
Items that you use everyday should be very very handy. On surfaces, in fronts of cabinets and closets, top drawers, eye level to reach. EASY to get to, reach and grab. Items should always be stored nearest to their point of first use if you use them often. This will save you so much energy in everyday tasks. Those steps, motions, and hassles add UP! Don't work that hard if you already have to use the thing that often.
Items you use once a week can be closeby but don't need to be super accessible. Stacked, just behind, lower or upper shelves, appliance garage, etc.
Items you use rarely should be out of reach in the same room, or in another room altogether, wherever there is deeper corners of storage. This would include your overflow items and things that are waiting to go into rotation from your larger collections.
While you are fine tuning the place you decide to put things, take the time to deep clean. Wipe things down as they are cleared off. When you finally decide on a place to put things, consider using storage containers to keep the contents of a collection portable. Baskets, bins, sorters, can all be used to store things within storage pieces, or on top of surfaces, and when you do this, you make it really easy to move the whole thing and clean around it. You turn a collection of many small items into ONE item, the container that is storing it. Great news for things like office supplies, craft projects, newspapers, kitchen gadgets, cosmetics, and toiletries, all of which can have bunches of little things that can get lost or are hard to move when cleaning.
Remember too, about storage pieces, that you don't have to use a piece of furniture for it's intended purpose. A bookshelf might be an excellent pantry space, a dresser or buffet might hold linens. Rules of thumb here: Anything with shelves can be used to display things. Anything with drawers or doors can be used to hide things. A basket, bin, or sorter becomes a drawer for storage and a caddy for portable use. A great combination of makeshift storage is bookshelves and dishpans, with or without a curtain.
You also want wastebaskets and catch-all containers evenly distributed around. Catch-alls are for quick straightening daily or when unexpected company comes. NOT a permanent home. When you see something out of place, or daily when you busy around putting things away, you carry it with you. It's like a little train, picking up and dumping off stuff as you go around, then one more time to catch the stuff you picked up last from where you already were.
I hope all these ideas help you!