AccuWeather.com

10 Lies People Tell Themselves about Clutter

Mar 10, 2012; 2:53 PM ET

In today's world there never seems to be enough time to do everything you need to around the house. Try these tips to unclutter your life.

Office clutter image courtesy of Photos.com.

10. Lie: I'll get to it tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a good day. I'll spend all morning sorting, organizing, and disposing of all this stuff. I'll start with the bills and business stuff. First, I'll pick up some cute file folders and mark everything by bill type, and then...

Solution: Setting your expectations too high is the demon behind procrastination and lying to yourself about clutter. Saying you'll tackle everything in one day is a set up for failure. Instead, start small. Instead of saying you'll create a filing system with custom folder labels, start by just opening the stack of bills that's sitting on your kitchen counter. You don't have to pay them now: just open them. Baby steps.

9. Lie: Well, I've been trying to give it away, but no one wants it! Seriously, I keep asking my friends if they want to take up soap making, as I have a whole bin of cool soap molds. What about their kids? It would be a fun vacation project...

Solution: When in doubt, throw it out. If you don't want it, and no one you know wants it, it's probably a useless item. It's hard to face the fact that you wasted money on a useless item. Whether it sits unused in your house and clutters your life, or if you throw it away, it's a waste. My mom's diet coach says, "Waste equals waste." It's true for both leftover food and unused household objects.

8. Lie: If I put it away, I'll forget about it. But, if it's out in the open, then I will certainly remember to tackle the project (or pay the bill) and THEN I will put it away.

Solution: If you've ever tried to search for an urgent bill in a pile of mail, you know how easy it is to lose important items in piles. I put all of my urgent items in one folder, and write a to-do list on my calendar. I know where my unpaid bills are, and I won't forget them because I have left myself a note on my calendar.

By Chaya, selected from Hometalk

Continue Reading on Care2.com >