Why Rubbermaid is not the solution to your clutter problem.

Clutter makes us feel bad, and is therefore bad Feng Shui. It drains vitality, reduces productivity, costs us money and bogs us down. It is also, like everything, in some way a reflection of us, good or bad. Our inner thoughts, feelings, upbringing, fears and values are all right there in our piles of clutter. We fear letting things go, feel guilty about buying them in the first place, or worry that if we toss something we are throwing away the memories or people attached to those things.

However, when we are not using, enjoying or honoring our things, we are also not honoring those attached to it and ultimately it is creating stuck chi in the spaces in our homes and in our minds.

Despite what Rubbermaid and other storage solution companies are trying to tell you this month, there is only one solution. The real way to bust clutter is not to organize it (at least not at first) but to remove it altogether. Just because a room is ‘organized’ doesn’t make it clutter free (to be fair some rooms, because of their function, will never really be clutter free zones).

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So how do we manage all that stuff? Here are 5 easy tips for keeping it under control.

1. Watch your purchases. Carefully consider each item that you bring into your home. Is it beautiful? Is it useful? Is it timeless? If it isn’t, don’t buy it. I know this is easier said than done but try it.

2. Clutter bust regularly. Although many of us get inspired at this time of the year, it is really much easier to go through your stuff often and remove things that you no longer use.

3. Keep an inventory. This one, I admit, I do not practice but I’m going to preach anyways because it makes sense. If you know what you have you are less likely to buy repeats. This is especially helpful for the kitchen and bathrooms.

4. Chant this mantra “Do it Now!” When we make little piles of stuff to do later, or to take to the basement, we are creating little clutter pockets that add up to a big mess when we don’t just do it now.

5. Use electronic storage. Buying or borrowing e-books, using the library, getting recipes online, and opting for e-bills can all cut down on paper in your home, a major source of clutter.

Just taking these five steps can really make a difference in keeping the stuff that makes you stuck, under control freeing your time and your mind to work on other things.