One Thing At a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day

Cindy Glovinsky

St. Martin's Publishing Group, Jul 1, 2004 - Self-Help - 208 pages

Simple, effective ways to put things in their place

Those piles of papers, clothes, and other things you thought you'd successfully de-cluttered have returned, and this time they brought friends. What's the use of trying to fight the clutter? Is there a better way?

This powerful and useful guide delivers solutions that work, no matter how overwhelmed you feel. The answer isn't an elaborate new system, or a solemn vow to start tomorrow. Instead, psychotherapist and organizer Cindy Glovinsky shares 100 simple strategies for tackling the problem the way it grows--one thing at a time. Here's a sampling of the tips explained in the book:

*Declare a fix-it day
*Purge deep storage areas first
*Label it so you can read it
*Get a great letter opener
*Practice toy population planning
*Leave it neater than you found it
Written in short takes and with a supportive tone, this is an essential, refreshing book that helps turn a hopeless struggle into a manageable part of life, one thing at a time.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• 1 ONE THING AT A TIME: 7
• 2 THINGS DONT MOVE THEMSELVES: 9
• 3 BREATHE DONT RUN: 11
• 4 DECLUTTER YOUR BODY: 13
• 5 CARRY A CLIPBOARD: 15
• 6 POST CHECKLISTS OF ROUTINE TASKS: 17
• 7 ROLL BACK YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE BY HALF AN HOUR: 20
• 8 STOP PERFECTING START BETTERING: 22
• 9 MAKE YOUR BED EVERY DAY: 24
• 10 OPEN THE WINDOWS: 26
• 11 MAKE A LIST OF MINITASKS: 27
• 12 STEM THE PAPER INFLOW: 30
• 13 ALPHABETIZE: 32
• 14 SPEED UP YOUR HEART: 34
• 15 DESIGNATE AN ERRAND DAY: 36
• 16 THAT WAS THEN THIS IS NOW: 38
• 17 GET A ROLODEX: 40
• 18 KEEP THE CLOTHES MOVING ON: 42
• 19 THROW AWAY COUPONS: 44
• 20 MAKE A HOME FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND WARRANTIES: 46
• 21 LOOK WHAT I JUST DID: 47
• 22 DECLARE A FIXIT DAY: 49
• 23 WRITE IT DOWN: 52
• 24 SWEEP AND VACUUM AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK: 55
• 25 CHOOSE WHILE YOURE STILL IN THE STORE: 57
• 26 LET THE PHONE RING: 59
• 27 PRACTICE THE ART OF SYSTEMATIC SCANNING: 61
• 28 PUT UP PICTURES NOW: 63
• 29 DO A LOOSEPAPER HUNT: 64
• 30 RATE YOUR MEMORABILIA: 65
• 31 KEEP A PHONE LOG: 67
• 32 FIND A CLUTTER MATE: 69
• 33 HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ACTIVE?: 71
• 34 DIVIDE AND SUBDIVIDE: 73
• 35 PURGE DEEP STORAGE AREAS FIRST: 74
• 36 USE PLEASURES AS REWARDS NOT AS ESCAPES: 76
• 37 MAKE USE OF THE SNOWBALL EFFECT: 78
• 38 IS IT WORTH IT?: 80
• 39 BREAK THE CLIPPING HABIT: 82
• 40 GET A GREAT LETTER OPENER: 84
• 41 MOVE FROM QUANTITY TO QUALITY: 85
• 42 KEEP THE DISHES MOVING ON: 87
• 43 DO A TRASH SCAN: 89
• 44 LOOK INSIDE: 91
• 45 MAKE A TO SORT BASKET: 93
• 46 ONE TYPE OF THING ONE HOME: 94
• 47 ASSESS YOUR INFORMATION NEEDS: 96
• 48 POST REMINDERS: 99
• 49 PLAN YOUR WARDROBE: 101
• 50 BREAK THE TACTILE CONNECTION: 104
• 51 SAY ANYTHING BUT YES: 105
• 52 LABEL IT SO YOU CAN READ IT: 107
• 5 3 TUCK IT IN: 109
• 54 MAKE A SHARE LIST: 110
• 55 ITS JUST A PROBLEM: 112
• 56 MAKE A CONTAINER STASH: 113
• 57 ON TASK OR OFF TASK?: 115
• 58 USE BINDERS AND PLASTIC SLEEVES: 116
• 59 KEEP THE PAPERS MOVING ON: 118
• 60 PUT UP A PEGBOARD: 120
• 61 PUT THINGS BACK EVEN WHEN YOURE RUSHED: 121
• 62 CLEANUP TIME: 122
• 63 PLAN A DINNER PARTY THREE MONTHS FROM NOW: 124
• 64 STORE IT WHERE YOU USE IT: 126
• 65 WHAT DO I REALLY NEED?: 128
• 66 DO IT THE EASY WAY: 129
• 67 KEEP THE BOOKS MOVING ON: 131
• 68 MAKE A HOME FOR OFFICE SUPPLIES: 134
• 69 USE BRIGHT COLORS: 135
• 70 LOOK UP: 137
• 71 KEEP THE MAGAZINES AND CATALOGS MOVING ON: 138
• 72 PUT A TRASH CONTAINER IN EVERY ROOM: 140
• 73 MAKE A PETCARE PLACE: 142
• 74 PURGE YOUR TOILETRIES: 143
• 75 DONT PILE CONTAINERIZE: 145
• 76 CATCH PEOPLE BEING GOOD: 147
• 77 SQUARE THE CORNERS: 149
• 78 SCHEDULE A REGULAR READING TIME: 150
• 79 PURGE AND ORGANIZE YOUR PHARMACEUTICALS: 152
• 80 RETHINK YOUR PHOTO HABITS: 154
• 81 SET NUMERICAL LIMITS: 156
• 82 SAY WHAT YOU WANTTHE VERY BEST WAY: 158
• 83 SET A TIMER: 161
• 84 ITS JUST A GLITCH: 163
• 85 EVERYTHING HAS ITS PRICE: 165
• 86 WHEN WILL I START AGAIN?: 166
• 87 PRACTICE TOYPOPULATION PLANNING: 167
• 88 PUT INACTIVE FILES IN STORAGE: 169
• 89 TAKE A WALK AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE: 171
• 90 DO A READYTOGO SCAN: 172
• 91 PIGGYBACK YOUR HABITS: 173
• 92 I DESERVE THE BEST: 174
• 93 GATHER SUPPLIES AHEAD OF TIME: 175
• 94 LEAVE IT NEATER THAN YOU FOUND IT: 177
• 95 SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT: 178
• 96 SET UP RECYCLE STATIONS: 179
• 97 LAY THINGS OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE: 181
• 98 AM I COMFORTABLE?: 182
• 99 HOW MUCH NOISE DO I NEED?: 184
• 100 CHART YOUR PROGRESS AT LIVING CLUTTERFREE: 186
• Resources for Help with Organizing: 189
• Bibliography: 191

About the author

Cindy Glovinsky, M.S.W., A.C.S.W., is the author of Making Peace with the Things in Your Life. She is a licensed psychotherapist and professional organizer. A frequent lecturer and expert in the fields of chronic disorganization and attention deficit disorders, she is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Bibliographic information

• Title: One Thing At a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day
• Author: Cindy Glovinsky
• Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2004
• ISBN: 1429967463, 9781429967464
• Length: 208 pages
• Subjects: House & Home / Cleaning, Caretaking & Organizing; Self-Help / Compulsive Behavior / Hoarding; Self-Help / Self-Management / Time Management