Signs That Your Life Is Muddled

How would you know if you really will require to clean out some clutter from your home? Here's how to identify (and deal with!) clutter in your life.

Do you have to move furniture around so that somebody may sit down?

Creating a junk closet where you hide everything away is one thing (not good, but certainly slightly more tolerable). But when your "junk" starts spilling out into your living and work areas, it is time to re-consider the situation. I have seen individuals who could not turn on the wood stove as it was piled high with rubbish -- or they couldn't get in to bed because it was covered with "bits and pieces." When you are unable to use portions of your home or office on account of clutter, then it is time for that hard hat and shovel!

Is there something which you know you own but cannot find?

Not being able to find things when you need them is really a sure sign -- you do not have a set place for your belongings. And not just any old place, but a commonsense spot nearest the point where you use the item -- a little cubby hole or section in a drawer that may be dedicated only to the scissors and nothing else. Where would you look for those scissors when you needed them? That's where they should be stored. And if you will require scissors in several different places around your house or office, buy 2 or 3 pairs.

Does it take you ages to leave the home on a morning time?

Let's have a guess, you walk out the door without your briefcase. You then walk out again without keys. Finally, you head out the door and realize your lunch is sitting on the counter. This will be nothing much more poor planning. Take a minute the night before to gather up everything that you need to take with you in the morning. Put it in a designated area near the door so you will not forget it. You could even put a sticky note on your door to remind yourself to get your lunch from the fridge!

Do you need to pay at least one late payment fee to the bank?

If you had a standard way of coping with bills monthly, you wouldn't get behind. Set up a tiny filing rack where you put all your bills as they arrive, in the order in which they are due -- and write the due date on the envelope. Then, schedule in some time each month to pay the bills that are due in the next week or so. Treat your bill-paying time like a meeting, don't forget to mark it off on your calendar and don't let anything get in the way of completing that laborious task. If you ever have to delay paying the bills because you do not have enough money to pay them, then it's time to re-evaluate your spending patterns and change them.

Do you ever need to request an extension on your tax return?

For a few people, tax day isn't April 15th -- it's August 15th! Most people who file extensions do so because they can't get all of their paperwork together on time. So set up a filing box solely for tax receipts. Break your receipts down into basic categories -- office supplies, charitable donations, medical expenses, travel -- and file any new receipts as soon as you get them if you can. Then, you can hand the entire box over to your CPA. Better yet, set yourself up on a computerized accounting program (like Quicken or Quickbooks) and enter your expenses each month.

Does your life feel as if it is out of control?

Many signs of clutter are tangible -- it is possible to see and feel them. But that sense of overwhelming will be ten times more damaging than a stack of unopened mail or a pile of junk in your closet. If you ever feel that you are overlooking something essential, forgetting to do something vital which you will certainly pay for it in the end? Or that you will never get caught up, regardless of how hard you try? Or that you are losing your mind because you can't deal with the mess anymore? The initial step to curbing these anxieties is to tackle a cluttered drawer or today's pile of mail or a tiny pile of filing. Just putting a dent in the mess could take a great weight off your shoulders -- and infrequently provide you with the motivation you need to dig in deeper. Just realize that "de-cluttering" is a process, and it will take you many small baby steps to reach your goal -- and take pleasure in the satisfaction at completing each step.

Being a handyman turned builder, I have picked up plenty of usefull hints and tips that I would like to pass on to the general public. I've used a number of companies along the way like After Building Cleaning Service Camden