It's Springtime - Time to Rethink Clutter

These past weeks with spring trying to make its debut, there has been a call to action to get organized. The #PFWChat community had a virtual spring cleaning campaign that prompted Twitter friends to cheer each other on as the big cleanup began. Being challenged by the amount of clutter and with the onset of National Poetry Month, I submitted a photo overlayed with a short poem about my clutter nightmare. 

After that discussion and spring cleaning activity, Talks with Teachers 4-Week Challenge was posed. I decided to join that endeavor in which organization was the topic for the first week. While hesitant to share my photo-poem pairing that described the cluttered mess I was in, I decided to let my inhibitions go, even though my photo seemed to be the only one in the Talks with Teachers Challenge that showed a real mess. 

Procrastination is not a becoming trait, but I have a reason why a once lovely family, media room became a reality show disaster. After retiring from my districtwide administration post at the end of June, I brought home my office. Unfortunately, the living space in my basement became filled with remnants of my former life. The entire room (you can only see a small portion of it) plus my home office are filled with books, binders, and other bits and pieces from pre-retirement days. Combine this with ongoing work that I am engaged in as a consultant, co-moderator of ‪NYEDChat, and blogger and you have a person who is piler, not a filer, with little free time or desire for cleaning.  This habit is unbecoming of one who really likes clean spaces, so decluttering is my mission for the month to gain back organizational balance in my life.  

In reply to the Talks With Teachers Challenge on Facebook, I wrote, "Thinking that I often work in such an environment does not excuse the fact that my house is out of control. So here I am baring my soul to all of you whose office/desk spaces may look cluttered but pale in comparison to mine. That is why I wrote in the poem that an intervention is needed! I will begin today but I am not thinking that within one week I will be an accomplished declutterer."

After reflecting on what I needed to do, I found, a blog that I wrote months ago. This made me realize that there is no time like the present to be resolute in my desire to get organized. Tip to me after reading the great article, 7 Habits of Highly Organized People, supplied by Talks With Teachers: put on the cleaning gloves and attack my mess by following these steps:

• Keep Flat Surfaces Clear
• Find a Place for Everything
• File Don't Pile
• Purge and Declutter Often

It's time to rethink clutter because "clutter is magnetic!" Spring this year will be my call to action season. Wish me luck.

Three Rules of Work: 
Out of clutter find simplicity;

From discard find harmony;

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Albert Einstein