What’s Your Clutter Trap?

Any cute little basket or bin, desktop “organizer,” or drawer that collects unassigned junk that never escapes is what I call a clutter trap.  Got one of those? If you’re like most of my clients, you have several.

Clutter traps hold the homeless little items that sully our surfaces. Gift cards, coupons, lip balm, loose change, paper clips, a safety pins, solicitations, rubber bands, stamps, stale Tic-Tacs, dried up pens, AAA cards, nail clippers, batteries you intend to properly dispose of, return address labels, scissors, a book of matches, grocery cards, a book mark, an empty wallet, a phillips head screwdriver, a crappy promotional key chain, —I could go on. A clutter trap is where these items go to die. Clutter traps never inspire retrieval because their contents have taken up residence. They are contained, but it’s a false sense of control.

To stay organized these items must circulate—either get used, get moved, or get tossed. Circulation prevents accumulation. Clutter traps make allowances for accumulation and the more clutter traps you have the more disorganized you will be.

They rob you of vital surface area for processing, which is your number one organizing tool.

If you have several clutter traps, just focus on one at a time. Empty one out on a generous open surface and break them into general categories. Here’s some suggestions: office supplies, stationery, to-do’s, for car, for purse, tools/utility, and keepsakes. Of course you know what to do with the dried up pens and stale Tic-Tacs!

And for heaven’s sake don’t torment yourself over what to do with the cute little basket that’s now empty. It’s not your friend and it never was. Give it to someone you know, if you must, but not someone you like.