Snapshot Clutter Clearing Case Study - Renee's Home Office
Step 1: Office - Before
So the worst room in our house is my office/art-studio.
-The office side is where I use the computer, pay bills, print digital scrapbook pages, etc.
-The Art Studio side is where I had intended to scrapbook, work on projects as a family, etc.
But what happens is that EVERYTHING gets dumped in this room. I haven’t used the scrapbooking table in years. And the little table between the office space and the scrapbooking space has become the kids' dumping ground.
I do have a closet in which I store much of my scrapbooking supplies, that I feel is fairly well organized. But I have a ton more than just pours out in front of the closet/work table. Plus, I have a lot of scrapbooks that end up just getting piled up anywhere.
Now, I know your answer will be to throw away half the crap. And that’s definitely in store, I know. And every time I clean up the room, it takes about a half a second before things start piling up again.
HELP! I have got to run to work now, but would love to answer any other questions you have.
Renee
-The office side is where I use the computer, pay bills, print digital scrapbook pages, etc.
-The Art Studio side is where I had intended to scrapbook, work on projects as a family, etc.
But what happens is that EVERYTHING gets dumped in this room. I haven’t used the scrapbooking table in years. And the little table between the office space and the scrapbooking space has become the kids' dumping ground.
I do have a closet in which I store much of my scrapbooking supplies, that I feel is fairly well organized. But I have a ton more than just pours out in front of the closet/work table. Plus, I have a lot of scrapbooks that end up just getting piled up anywhere.
Now, I know your answer will be to throw away half the crap. And that’s definitely in store, I know. And every time I clean up the room, it takes about a half a second before things start piling up again.
HELP! I have got to run to work now, but would love to answer any other questions you have.
Renee
Step 2: Customized Coaching
Here we go.
1. It sounds like you set an intention for this room a few years ago, and that was that you and the family would do projects together. Is that still your intention? It might help to rethink your intention for the room now, as things change over time. Whatever your intention is, think about the percentage of time you spend on that activity and use that as a guide in how much space it takes up.
2. Why is this the spot where everything lands? Is it close to the entry? Is there no room anywhere else for it? Is there a theme to the items that show up here? Do you realistically need to have some room here for the stuff? This goes back to the intention. If you want the room to be for your stuff, then where can the other stuff go? Do the kids need more room in their room for this stuff? If so, what can be downsized there to make it work?
3. I noticed a lot of scrapbooks on the closet shelf. You said you have lots of them. Could you find a new spot for them where they could be more easily enjoyed by your friends and family? Maybe use a shelf in your family room, or rotate them amongst your kids' room for bedtime reading. This might free up a little more storage room, but more importantly, you put so much effort into them and they highlight the rich lives your family has.
4. You mentioned doing digital scrapbooking. How much time do you spend on that method now vs. the traditional way? If you're doing more online, then maybe your need for supplies is less. Consider downsizing in proportion to how much you're still using the supplies. If you still work at the scrapbooking store, I'm sure you have a lot of incoming supplies. If it's just a question of time, that you really do want to make traditional scrapbooks but just not now, then consider boxing up your supplies and getting them out of the prime real estate in this room.
5. When it comes to clearing the clutter, it can be overwhelming to start. I love these two options. Set the timer for 15 minutes and work for that amount only. Do this every day for a week or until you feel it's how you want it. Or remove things in multiples of nine. If you really have the time and energy, taking every single thing out and only putting back what you want in there is very effective. This is best accomplished with the help of a friend/spouse.
These are my initial thoughts. I've asked a lot of questions.
Good for you for diving in and tackling this! Good luck! I look forward to hearing back from you!
Lori
1. It sounds like you set an intention for this room a few years ago, and that was that you and the family would do projects together. Is that still your intention? It might help to rethink your intention for the room now, as things change over time. Whatever your intention is, think about the percentage of time you spend on that activity and use that as a guide in how much space it takes up.
2. Why is this the spot where everything lands? Is it close to the entry? Is there no room anywhere else for it? Is there a theme to the items that show up here? Do you realistically need to have some room here for the stuff? This goes back to the intention. If you want the room to be for your stuff, then where can the other stuff go? Do the kids need more room in their room for this stuff? If so, what can be downsized there to make it work?
3. I noticed a lot of scrapbooks on the closet shelf. You said you have lots of them. Could you find a new spot for them where they could be more easily enjoyed by your friends and family? Maybe use a shelf in your family room, or rotate them amongst your kids' room for bedtime reading. This might free up a little more storage room, but more importantly, you put so much effort into them and they highlight the rich lives your family has.
4. You mentioned doing digital scrapbooking. How much time do you spend on that method now vs. the traditional way? If you're doing more online, then maybe your need for supplies is less. Consider downsizing in proportion to how much you're still using the supplies. If you still work at the scrapbooking store, I'm sure you have a lot of incoming supplies. If it's just a question of time, that you really do want to make traditional scrapbooks but just not now, then consider boxing up your supplies and getting them out of the prime real estate in this room.
5. When it comes to clearing the clutter, it can be overwhelming to start. I love these two options. Set the timer for 15 minutes and work for that amount only. Do this every day for a week or until you feel it's how you want it. Or remove things in multiples of nine. If you really have the time and energy, taking every single thing out and only putting back what you want in there is very effective. This is best accomplished with the help of a friend/spouse.
These are my initial thoughts. I've asked a lot of questions.
Good for you for diving in and tackling this! Good luck! I look forward to hearing back from you!
Lori
Step 3: Office - After
You'll never guess, Lori...there is actually carpet under my table in my office!!!! I spent the entire day yesterday working in here, and have a few trouble spots to keep working on today. You're guidance helped me stay on track and figure out the purpose for this space. ! I purged an incredible amount of stuff, and am ready to donate/sell a lot as well. But most of all, what is left is organized and labeled. I am just beside myself with excitement about this room now!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
You gave me plenty to think about while I was going through each individual area of the room--in fact, I kept your e-mail up on the screen the whole time and would keep re-reading it to stay on track. And, to be honest, I didn't have the embarrassment of seeing your face in person as you saw my cluttered mess in this room! I liked getting the advice without the lecture, if that makes sense. But I also felt you were going to check back with me, so it was motivating to get started!! Now, I tackled it all in one day, which was perhaps a little overzealous, but it had to be done. Anyway, again...thank you!
Renee
Renee
Celebration
I was just thinking about you yesterday, wondering if it was too soon to check in. I am beyond thrilled at your efforts and results! You impress the heck out of me at how quickly you tackled this monkey on your back. You went full bore, liked what you saw, and the energy just kept coming. You are so very welcome. I get so jazzed when people love their spaces after having them just an energy drain. Thank you for giving this a try!
Lori
Lori
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