Touch It Once

Once you make a "de-stuffing" committment and choose where to start, try out my never-fail, "Touch It Once" method of sorting all that stuff. Ideally, it is best to carve out a space to make five or six different piles. Have you ever seen the TLC show "Clean Sweep"? On the show, they de-clutter and usually use the driveway to make one pile to keep, one to sell, and one to throw away. It may not be practical to use your driveway for this project, but think along those lines and try to find a nearby space that you can use to sort and stack. For example, when I tackle my office, I use the outside hallway for my stacks. Of course, I can't leave the stuff there in the hallway, or you might see me next on the show "Hoarders". After sorting, I have to deal with the stuff! But back to sorting, using the "Touch It Once" method.



In your sorting area, make areas for your sorting stacks. I actually make tags for each area (pieces of paper from the recycling bin, marked with a Sharpie, and taped to the wall). Tags eliminate mistakes! These are the stacks that I use:

1. Throw away

2. Give away to charity

3. Sell (garage ale, ebay, Craigslist)

4. Belongs somewhere else (another room in teh house, need to return to a neighbor, etc.)

5. Recycling

6. Keep and return to this designated space when de-cluttering is completed.



You can use boxes or baskets to corral these stacks if necessary. I always grab my biggest trash can or several trash bags for the trash. I put my paper recyclingn bin within easy reach for the recycling.



Next - the hard part. Take each item and make a decision on it. Yes. Right now. A decision. It must go in a pile. Don't pick it up, think about it, put it back, and move to another item. Be brave and decisive. And being decisive does not mean deciding to put everything int he "keep" stack! Quickly consider each item. If this item mysteriously vanished without you getting rid of it yourself, would you know it was gone? Is it something you have used int he last year? Will you definitely use it within the next year? If the answers are "no", it probably needs to go somewhere besides the "keep" stack. The main thought that should guide you is to "Touch It Once" and be done with it.



There are a few exceptions to the one-year guideline. And actually, it's a two-year guideline if you are looking back on year and forward another year. Next week, I'll talk about those exceptions. And I might even show you some photos of my own de-cluttering project - if I'm brave enough.