ANDRE BEGIN

As a child who frequently misplaced things, the motto “a place for everything and everything in its place” was instilled in me… umm… well… my parents tried to instill in me to the best of their ability.

When I was very young, there was a firm rule that before my birthday and Christmas I had to go through my old toys in the basement and pick some to be donated in order to make some room, otherwise Santa Claus couldn’t deliver new ones.

Similarly, when it came to clothes, every September, we would get a new set of shirts and pants for the new school year. The set from the year before (if they still fit) became my “play clothes”, and the set from the year before would be up for donation.

Unfortunately, there were times in my adult life I didn’t always have time to apply that logic.

Chalk it up to being very busy building a career, busy with family and friends, busy with other activities that were important to me, or sometimes, I was just too tired.

Also, in my exploration of life, I have held many interests and tried many hobbies over the years, each attracting its own “stuff”. The problem is that when things got busy, attention was diverted and in some cases, the passing interest faded but the “stuff” remained and sometimes turned into clutter.

The big wake-up call for me was a few years ago when I replaced the flooring in my first house. It was at that time that I really noticed how much a closet can hold.

After seeing and moving the entire contents of my house over three weekends, I decided then and there that a MAJOR purging was required. The house did not look messy or cluttered in itself, it is just that the closets (out of sight, out of mind) were sometimes avalanches-waiting-to-happen.

When I was honest with myself, I knew that it was time to get brutally objective and start purging.

There were some obvious things that were easy to purge, things for which I no longer had a use or an attachment. Those were either donated or thrown out, depending on their condition.

Next was paper… it took a very robust filing system and a few attempts at refining it until it worked flawlessly for finding things quickly. I eventually found a method that worked for me and shredded old and useless documents along the way.

Next were the items with a sentimental attachment. That was not an easy process.

However, I had no problem putting those items in a designated place and allowing myself the time to take the walk down memory lane, then deciding if it was time to say goodbye to the item. If not, that was OK as long as the item was in good condition and I had a place for it.

As long as I was making progress and saying goodbye to a steady stream of “stuff” that I was prepared to part with and that represented no sentimental attachment, then I was feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Sometimes, it took a few visits and a few months for those sentimental items, but that’s OK too.

For me, the best trick to see progress was my resolution to toss 1 cubic foot of “stuff” per week (aside from regular garbage and recyclables). Think about it in terms of one to two standard shoe boxes per week.

Even in a busy week, it can be an achievable target. Once I have met my 1 cubic foot quota, I don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week.

Whether that means bringing a bag of gently-used clothes for donation, shredding outdated paperwork, or going through a stack of old magazines or books, or a combination thereof. One cubic foot per week is pretty manageable.

Imagine… at the end of one year, there would be 52 cubic feet of extra space and less “stuff” to dust, to clean or to maintain.

The trick is not to fill it up again with newer “stuff”.

With my 1 cubic foot resolution, over time, I found clutter gradually but consistently diminishing, without the shock to the system as some people experience on “Hoarders”. I was parting with things when I was ready.

Actually, as I get older, I find the de-cluttering process gets easier. The more I realize that life is about people and good times together, the “stuff” that it generates is just that… it’s just stuff.

Good memories don’t take up space. We always have lots of room for those.

Here are some of the tips I have used for staying on top of clutter:

• Set an easy weekly goal for yourself, whether that is 1 cubic foot per week, one hour of de-cluttering activities per week, one closet or cupboard per week, one box from the basement or attic per week. Find a goal that works for you and helps you see steady progress.
• Once you have freed up space, try not to acquire more “stuff” to fill it up again.
• Consider adopting a neutral policy: for every item you bring in, a similar item should go out. For example, if you get something new for the kitchen, maybe you can find something of equivalent size that you do not use anymore that could be donated.
• Try to limit the number of collections or hobbies. Each collection or hobby takes space and time. Focus on the ones that you are most passionate about, that energize you and bring you joy.
• To minimize the potential of books, magazines or newspapers accumulating, try reading a sample issue or sample chapter on your computer, tablet or reader. If you are comfortable reading them that way, then consider subscribing to your favourite publications electronically.
• If you suspect that something you are hanging on to might be valuable, certainly, hang on to it! Make the time to research its value through web sites like eBay or Kijiji then seek the advice of appraisal professionals like auction houses or appraisers. Before you sell anything, you might consider getting a second professional opinion. Who knows, you might have a surprise moment like “Antiques Roadshow”… but you will never know until you ask!

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André