Conquer Clutter in 15 Minutes was written by Lisa Jorgensen and originally published in North Shore News.

While many people are overwhelmed with the prospect of organizing a cluttered space and rarely have the time to tackle clutter, a “quick start plan” is a way to slowly clean up around the home and office, professional organizer Linda Chu says.

Before getting started, set a reward.

Chu says a reward could be anything from reading a book, going for coffee with a friend, or having a manicure or pedicure, “not to go buy more stuff.”

“Pick a reward for pure joy,” she says.

Next, set a timer for 15 minutes and turn off any phones in order to have 15 minutes of uninterrupted time. Starting to clean clutter in 15-minute increments is a non-overwhelming way to get started organizing. When the timer goes off, indicating completion, you can reward yourself, Chu says.

“You can teach your brain what it feels like to succeed in something,” she notes. “Adults are constantly multitasking; constantly thinking ahead and never top to celebrate. Remember when you were a child riding a bike and all you could think about was riding the bike?… As adults we forget about (that) deep level of concentration.”

If you continue to organize in 15-minute increments, in almost two weeks you will have accomplished more than one hour of clutter cleaning time, and in one month you will be closer to those seven hours you originally didn’t have, Chu says. By working in 15-minute increments you can “build momentum.” Chu says she also recommends having a buddy system so people can help each other out and both get rewards. In addition to the 15-minute quick start to cleaning clutter, the 15-second quick sort will help you organize the clutter. Pick up something and determine which “FAT (file, act, toss) pile” it needs to go into, she explains.

Everything you touch should fit into one of those three categories, says Chu. “Touch it for 15 seconds.”

In 15 seconds, if you have decided to keep an object, then put it on the “file pile.” If it’s something you have to act on, such as returning a book, then put it on the “act on it pile.” And if it’s something that can be tossed out, such as garbage, envelopes from the mail or expired coupons, then put it on the “toss it pile.” Chu says.

If in 15 seconds you can’t make a decision, put it in the “but pile.”

Clothing from the closet that is not being used is a common clutter problem. In order to properly manage clothing, put seasonal clothes that you haven’t worn for a while in a container. On the outside, hand-write the inventory, the date from one year, and put the name of a favourite charity and its telephone number. Next, put the container in storage space. “Follow-through is the key,” Chu explains.

When that date arrives the following year, ut out the box. “Do not open the box as memories will flood in,” says Chu. “If you touch, feel and smell it, you’ll want it back.”

You know the inventory so won’t need to open it. Call the charity and donate the clothing.

Clutter is often the result of emotions, says Chu.

“Everything we have is based on emotional attachment,” she says.

That goes for both professional and personal lives, whether it be clothes kept in the closet because we hope to eventually wear them when we lose 10 pounds, or an outfit worn on a great date. At work, they are resources kept around the office that could help out with a job or are a source of “excellent ideas.”

The problem is if there are always memories attached to objects people can’t disassociate memory from the object, Chu says.

People often spend 20-50 years of their lives developing systems to become organized or unorganized, but if your system works for you, don’t fix it, suggests Chu.

Yet if the mess threshold – until you reach a point of pain, embarrassment or lose something – is broken, then something needs to be fixed.

For instance, you want to entertain but are embarrassed to have people come over or you miss paying bills.

“Unless something critical happens it’s not going to happen,” says Chu.

Looking for help to conquer your clutter? Contact the Out Of Chaos team today.