10 Simple ways to Clear Clutter from your Home and Office

I now telework from home.  While converting my spare bedrooms into a home office I had to finally admit to myself that I am a Clutter Bug. As a result of all of the hard work, I sat down and scribed these 10 Commandments for myself.
Clear the clutter and clear your mind.

1.  There are only three things aloud on your writing desk: a lamp, a small keepsake, and a photograph or two. That's it! When you get up from your desk put everything else away except those three things.
2. Sort your mail as soon as it comes in, then recycle, throw out, file, or respond. No piles and no promise to go through it later.
3. Spend ten minutes a day walking through the house with a large shopping bag. Grab at least three things from each room in the house that you can throw away.
4. Have a special reading box or basket- Sort through magazines or articles you want to read and tear out the articles you are interested in and recycle the rest of the magazine.
5. Make sure you sort your email so you never have more than 3-5 things in your in box at any one time.
6. Set up project files in Word to keep track of important things you are working on. Designate a separate file for each project or focus. You won't have to hunt for your information when you need it.
7. Shred unwanted office paper and use it for garden mulch, cat litter, or starting a nice fire in the fireplace.
8. Learn to say NO. Or at least get in the habit of asking for a day to think the request over. This will clear out clutter from your schedule.
    
9. Make a rule that everything has a drawer, cabinet, basket, bin, or shelf it belongs on put nothing on the flat surfaces in your house.
    
10. Write down all of those things that are running around your brain nagging you. Sort them into three categories.

• 1. Things that will help me accomplish my goals that are Really important to me.
• 2. Things I think are urgent or burning.
• 3. Things I should do

Be honest and ruthless when you sort this list. Stop doing everything that falls under  3. Everything that falls under 2. Delegate to someone else or eliminate them all together.