I'm always amazed at what a difference it makes when I organize something or get rid of the clutter piled up somewhere. Seeing the difference encourages me to continue in the direction I'm going without regret. Do you ever take before and after pictures? I always forget the before pictures. Quite frankly, I'm too embarrassed for anyone to see the befores. But also I simply don't think about it until after the transformation. So I'll share with you a few afters below. Feel free to share your own photos and successes. I think it encourages others to see our organization techniques and to know they're not alone in this clutter thing.
My biggest two accomplishments recently are taming the clutter on my desk and in my kitchen. My desk is in my dining room and it's always been an eyesore. I finally stopped having dinner parties because I just couldn't get the clutter under control on the desk. My desk was a big L-shaped desk with a small hutch on one side. And there were always papers all over the desk as well as sticky notes stuck all around my computer monitor.
Over the weekend I bought a nice cherrywood computer armoire for $25 off Craigslist. I thought it might be too small, but I decided it would force me to minimize some of the stuff I thought I MUST have on my desk. Well, actually I got pretty storage-smart. I used some of the empty plastic storage drawers from my scrapbook room and found they fit some of the shelves on the armoire perfectly. I organized my papers into folders and tucked the folders into drawers. I also tucked away assorted office supplies that had littered my desk for years.
Then I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some corkboard and glued it up on the inside of the armoire doors. The corkboard now holds all my sticky notes, appointment cards, a small calendar and the other nuisance bits of papers that cluttered my desk before. Now when I sit down to work, I don't feel overwhelmed; I feel organized and energized and much more creative.
If desk clutter is an issue for you, I highly recommend an armoire with little cubby holes for everything. And these plastic drawers come in many sizes at hobby lobby and big lots and walmart. You could find some that fit your space. Some of them are stackable, so you can have just one or you can have several stacked together. Usually they come three to a stack, but some can't be unstacked; they have to be stacked in units of 3. So check the sides to see if they can be separated.
Here's my nice neat armoire.
