One Man’s Struggle With Clutter

Today’s guest post is by Marc Figlar, of Figlar Insurance.

IMG_3240Stuff, clutter, trash, get rid of it……Have you heard this before from your wife?

But, Honey it’s stuff I might use…Shoot, I shouldn’t have used the word stuff.

It’s not stuff, I might use it someday, what if that one client asks about this, I have a reference.

But, when did you last look at some of this stuff……..Silence. Um, never! Shoot, how long ago did I look at this?

Does that all sound familiar to you? The question is when is something valuable and when is it just stuff? Stuff piles up and then it becomes a problem, a stack of magazines in the corner of the room, or a stack of old prospects for the business that you haven’t sorted through in two years, stuff that’s just getting in the way.

And, the problem with all the stuff collecting is……one time it was just one pile, and it was manageable, and now its ten pile and you can’t even figure out which one to start with, so you don’t start with any of them cause it’s a big project.

So how do I figure it out? Should the stuff be filed away for a later day into a cube or a white box? But, if the stuff is in a box I can’t see it, I will not remember what’s in there, are you that type of person, if stuff is not in front of you in piles on your desk it just doesn’t exist anymore?   ARGH, stuff, stuff, stuff, what to do?

I found a book on organizing once, read a few chapters of it and came away with some good ideas for filing, making folders for items in need daily, Monday folder, Tuesday folder, Wednesday folder etc….then 12 monthly folders, and that worked well.

Hmmm, now where did that book go? Oh yes, I think it’s in the pile of books in the other corner. Did I read all those books? Do I still need them, but maybe I’ll read them again, or let someone else read them cause they are interesting, oh wait, that’s what libraries are for, or the internet or kindle. I think some of my piles of books have become part of all my stuff.

This is a rant about stuff clearly, slightly going in one direction or another, talking and navigating around stuff….Can’t focus on one problem when there is too much stuff, it’s a lot to think about.

Or is it?

Is there a solution?

Who’s gonna help me with this?

Matt Baier who is a stuff master and manager, or properly called a professional organizer has a few solutions.

Thanks Marc. Here are three of my favorite tips for clearing the clutter and keeping it away.

1. When decluttering your whole house, start with the garage.

2. When considering a location, don’t ask “where?” ask”why?”

3. Sort your daily mail, daily (don’t  process).

If you need some help sorting out your insurance challenges, have a talk with Marc. Figlar Insurance includes health care, life insurance, medicare, and long term care.