Clutter can be a nightmare if you don't do something about it over a period of time. No one wants to work in or do business with an office that is full of clutter. Not only will Clutter put off potential Clients it will, affect the morale of your Staff. If it's at home clutter will also impact on your state of mind. A home or an office full of clutter sends out the wrong type of message to clients and friends alike. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the clutter and you feel you have to do something about it, this article is for you. Below are some great ideas on how to tackle the problem:



1. Make a Start. Start by doing something today. Leaving it till late will only compound the problem and make your house or office the opposite of what you want it to be?unpleasant and messy. You need your staff to work in a clean and organized environment that would motivate them to work better. It has also been proven that People are more likely to do business with Organizations that portray an image of cleanliness and composure. What message are you sending out to potential clients?

2. Schedule a decluttering time. Years of experience in the business shows us that people accumulated clutter either at homes or offices over a period of time. The best way to deal with clutter is to adopt a no nonsense approach towards it. Don't start decluttering only when it has now become a problem. Schedule a regular decluttering time. Depending on the level or the size of your home or office, I suggest you do this weekly for a big office or house and bi-weekly for a small space.

3. Give what you don't need to Charity. Remember that what you don't want others might need. Most of what takes up unnecessary space in our homes or offices are things that we don't need or may never need but are being kept for emotional reasons. Take time to identify these things, separate them from what we need, box them up and take them to a charity of your choice. This way you will feel you are a help to others.

4. Identify where things should belong. Once you have identified things you would like to keep, the next thing is to identify where things should belong. This will not only help you tidy up your office or homes but will also help you manage your space. You may have a big house or office but may yet struggle to find enough space for you to relax or store things that are important to you if you do not declutter.

5. Set up folders. This will help keep you organized! Sometimes our papers pile up high because we don't have a specific place to put them. Create some simple folders with labels for your major bills and other paperwork. Put them in one spot, keep some extra folders and labels in case you need to quickly create a new file.

6. File /arrange things where they should belong as quickly as possible. Once you've created your simple filing system, you just need to learn to use it regularly. Take a handful of papers from your pile, or your inbox, and go through them one at a time, starting from the top paper and working down. Make quick decisions: trash them, file them immediately, or make a note of the action required and put them in an ?action? file. Don't put anything back on the pile, and don't put them anywhere but in a folder in the trash/recycling bin.

7. Inform Colleagues about what you are doing. Sometimes the problem isn't just with us, it's with the person or people we live with. An uncluttered home is the result of a shared philosophy of simplicity of all the people living in the house. If you take a few minutes to explain that you really want to have an uncluttered house, and that you could use their help, you can go a long way to getting to that point. Try to be persuasive and encouraging rather than critical as this can bring about a resistance to your vision.

8. Storage. Once you have decluttered and decided what to keep, then it's time to look at storage. To maintain a clutter free home it is essential that everything has a home, so it's easy to find. So store like with like, such as all vases together. We use 20% of our possessions 80% of the time so put this 20% in the most accessible places. Treat yourself to storage items such as a filing cabinet, a shoe rack or a pretty box in which to keep sentimental items.