One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week 13

Well, it's been two weeks since I have written and OYOL post. I hope you all have been able to maintain all your hard wok.

In my absence, I managed to keep a routine about as well as a roller coaster is able to stay at the top of the loop. However, I did succeed in a few other organizational feats. I de-cluttered my fire hazard counter next to my stove. I put away all the fabric that has been out for sewing projects for the last two months. And.... I've put together a home management book, which I will post about soon.

I have this terrible, terrible habit of always being disappointed in myself and what I did not get done, no matter how many things I accomplish. So while this list of accomplishments may sound fabulously busy body, I can supply you with a list 1,000s longer of the thousand things that desperately needs to be done that hasn't.

Now for this week's challenge...

The Chaos of Clutter

I'm realizing more and more that my house can only be as clean feeling as the clutteriest spot. My living room floor can be spotless, vacuum lines bearing the evidence of cleanliness. The bookshelf and TV stand can be dusted and the windows sparkling. But it the books on the shelf are falling every which way, the desk is a mile high under papers and junk, and the couch is cluttered with half done laundry and coats that were not hung up, then the entire room feels like a pig sty.

Clutter causes a feeling of chaos and unrest. Life is unable to function in a well working manner. It's kinda hard to get to church on time when you're digging under the couch for shoes. It's frustrating to try to find the bills you need to pay somewhere in the mountain called a desk.

Some clutter prone areas affect us more than others. These areas can us so much mental and emotional stress that we have a hard time responding to life with the right attitude. Yet when they are free of clutter and resemble a sense of simple orderliness, we immediately feel a weight lifted. We feel light hearted and empowered.

The goal, then, would be to identify these areas that cause the most stress when cluttered. Then to de-clutter them and keep them that way.

This week's assignment... 

1. Take a walk through your house, listing all the clutter prone areas.
2. Indentify the top three most stress causing areas.
3. Choose one and declutter it this week. Just spend 15 minutes a day, if it's too overwhelming.
4. Take before and after photos, if you can. Post about it on your blog and link up here.