When you own a home, there will always be a time when you will own too many possessions.  The evidence is when you trip over stuff sitting out because it doesn't have place of its own.  It may have had a home at one time, but now the space may be too full for it to fit.  Now there is overflow.

Closets and drawers get overstuffed.  How does one choose what to wear when this is the case?  Garages everywhere are used to store homeowners' junk instead of their cars.  Isn't that problematic?

Some homeowners add sheds to their yards, and they, too, become full of junk.  Sometimes the shed will house a lawn mower, but more often than not, it becomes just another dumping ground for more clutter.  

Basements become a place to toss items quickly before the in-laws arrive for a visit.  Walking past a mound of unsorted items like this is disheartening, though.  It doesn't really serve the people living in the house.  Throwing items into the basement to hide them is a temporary solution to a long-term problem.

What to Do with Your Stuff

The cure for clutter is not buying another cabinet or renting a storage unit.  The cure is to choose a downsizing option.

Most likely you have heard of the minimalist movement.  Minimalists brutally remove excess items from their spaces to make room for what they love.  This might even mean removing furniture. They may have a lovely hall cabinet, for instance, but if it becomes a clutter-magnet, they remove the entire cabinet from their home.  

But not everyone likes the stark look of a minimalist home.  Not everyone embraces the idea of living in a tiny house either.

If you want to become a minimalist, it's up to you.  But your house can be scaled down as needed and become a more pleasant and functional place to live simply by de-cluttering and organizing it.

De-cluttering your Stuff

If you want to revamp your home, the best place to start is to de-clutter.  In its truest sense, decluttering does not mean sorting items and putting them in another spot in your home.  To de-clutter an area means to choose items that no longer serve you and to remove them entirely from your home.

The items might include broken items, out-dated items, items that bring your mood down, items that you've already replaced, items that family members have outgrown, items that are duplicates, or items you have put into storage but not missed or used in a year.

To de-clutter, you will go methodically through your home, first removing what can be put into the trash or recycling.  Then you will remove items by giving them away to someone you know, placing them on a free table on your driveway where anyone can pick them up, or by donating them to a charity or thrift shop.

Organizing Your Stuff

Organizing is a term akin to taking what you've decided to keep and placing it in a logical order.  Organizing doesn't necessarily include de-cluttering though.  You can organize or re-organize your home at any time.

To organize appropriately means to create a home for every item you own.  Hats, coats, purses, and shoes should have a home.  Paper files should be in a handy location for easy reference.  Books should have shelves.  You get the drift.

Living Uncluttered

To live uncluttered means you have de-cluttered your home to the extent it has no obvious clutter.  Rooms are easy to navigate.  Closets and drawers have space.  Countertops are clear.  There is no excess lying around.

The goal of decluttering and organizing is to end up with uncluttered rooms.  To keep them uncluttered will mean re-setting the rooms regularly by putting items back in their homes as soon as you can.

Many people face the problem of an overabundance of possessions.  It happens quite slyly.  You're given gifts.  You inherit items.  You shop for sales.  You keep things you or the children have outgrown for sentimental reasons.

The cherished items become a problem when they start overpowering your spaces.  You'll know when this has occurred because you'll lose things and become frustrated.  At one time or another, we've all blamed someone for taking an item from the household, only to find it months later in a basket somewhere, where we ourselves put it in a frantic attempt to clean up. 

All homeowners go through life seasons and some, like the season of raising small children, are harder for staying organized than others are.  Nevertheless, de-cluttering and organizing are two great ways to bring greater peace and joy into your life.  Once complete, you will feel a calming effect from the newly organized space.  And giving away items will allow you to feel generous.

What small area can you start on today to gain this greater sense of peace and joy?