Index
A
ABCs of procrastination, 103
accountability, 23
action, deferring, clutter and, 27
action files, household filing, 110-111
activity centers
activity identification, 57
home office center, 105-108
kitchen, 84-85
launch pad, 58-59
laundry, 71
shared, family room, 92-93
storage, 58
appliances, accessories, 87
automatic clutter release, 41
automating activities, 56
B
bathroom, 91
bedroom, 89-90
behaviors, habits, 49-54
bill paying, 108-109
black holes, 76-77
bookshelves, 94
borrowing versus buying, 46-47
brain dumps, 123
breaking down jobs, 104
buying versus borrowing, 46-47
C
cabinets, kitchen, 79-80, 86-87
cable organizers, 94
calendaring, 96-99
special dates, 131
workplace, 124
cedar chest, 90
charging station, 90
checklists, 55
children, 128
checkpoints for clutter, 41-45
children, checklists, 128
chunking to-do list, 102
classic files, household, 113
clean preferences, 62
clear-a-thon for clutter, 31
clothing, 45, 70-71
clutter
causes, 26-28
checkpoints, 41-45
clear-a-thon, 31-34
clothing, 70
controlled clutter, 6
deacquisition strategies, 46-47
decorative items, 75
demons, 37-40
donation box, 46
filing preference, 16-18
maximizing current items, 47-48
memories versus things, 38
pacts, 45
preserves, 35
releasing automatically, 41
sales, 29
space, 7
starting over, 135-136
STOP method, 28-30
tolerance level, 14-15, 117-118
valuing items, 41
workplace, 118-122
clutter sweep, 31
collectibles, valuing, 41
comparing self to others, 15
components of organized life, 5-10
computer, organization, 122
conditions on clutter, 44-45
contained clutter, 35
containment strategies, 77-78
control center
setup, 10-11
starting over, 134-135
controlled clutter, 6
couponing, 69
crash diet of organizing, 5
D
daily life, 53-56, 63
daily to-do list, 101
data clutter, workplace, 119-120
deacquisition strategies, 46-47
deadline tracking, 97
decision-making regarding clutter, 26, 37-40
deferring action, clutter and, 27
denial, clutter and, 27-28
denier filing preference, 17-18
discouragement, avoiding, 19
donation box, 46
door hangers for storage, 81
doors, keys, 9
E
electronics charging station, 90
entertainment items, 93-94
expenses, 3
experts on organizing, 4-5
F
family recruiting, 125-128
family room activity centers, 92-93
filing
To Decide file, 111
hanging file folders, 17
household, 110-113
magazine files, 93
Waiting/Pending file, 111
financial management, 107-111
focus, 19
follow-up, clutter and, 27
food storage, couponing, 69
freezer activity center, 85
G
garage sales, 29
goal setting, 21
clutter clear-a-thon, 34
defining goal, 22
prioritizing, 21
setbacks, 22-23
steps, 22
support, 24
to-do list, 102
guests, last-minute, 133-134
H–I–J
habits, 49-54, 94
hanger checkpoint for clothing, 45
hangers, adhesive, 81
holiday planning, 131
home maintenance, routines, 62
home office center, 105-108
hot zones, 76-77
household
routines, 62-69
calendars, 98-99
filing, 110-113
junk drawer, 35
K
keys, 9
kitchen
activity center setup, 84-85
appliances, accessories, 87
cabinets, 79-80, 86-87
child’s items, 87
drawers, overfull, 88
flatware, 88
knife storage, 88
lost-and-found box, 85
oven, 84
pantry, 85
plates, extras, 87
refrigerator/freezer, 85
see-through containers, 88
sink, 84
stovetop, 84
towels, 87
under sink, 86
utensils, 88
vertical storage, 86
L
last-minute guests, 133-134
launch pad, 58-59
laundry, 71
lost-and-found box, 85
M
magazine files, 93
mail handling, 107-108
master to-do list, 100-101
memories versus things, 38
menu/meal planning, 68-69
monthly routines, 64
moving house, 128-130
multiuse spaces, 82
myths about organization, 2-4
N–O
note taking, 98-102
notes, tools, 2
objects versus memories, 38
one in, one out clutter checkpoint, 44
online storage, 47
organization overview, 1-4
Organize (STOP method), 30
organized spaces, 7-8
organizing style, 13-21
oven activity center, 84
P–Q
pantry activity center, 85
paper handling, 107-108
paperless bill pay, 109
perfectionism and clutter decisions, 39
personal style, 14-21
photographing items, 38
piler filing preference, 16-17
planning, 21
birthdays/anniversaries, 132
holiday planner, 131
last-minute guests, 133-134
menus/meals, 66-69
moving house, 128-129
routines, 54-55
storage, 74-75
wardrobe, 70
prioritizing, 21
clutter clear-a-thon, 34
master to-do list, 102
procrastination
ABCs, 103
clutter decisions, 39-40
momentum, 104
purchases
maximizing current items, 47
quality investment, 48
Put Away (STOP method), 30
R
rebellion and clutter decisions, 40
recruiting family, 125-128
refrigerator/freezer activity center, 85
restarting, 135-136
retention schedule for files, 113
reviewing progress, clutter clear-a-thon, 34
routines, 7, 61
automating activities, 56
checklists, 55
family recruitment, 127-128
filing, 110-114
financial, 107-109
home maintenance, 62
housecleaning, 62-65
laundry, clothing care, 71
menu/meal planning, 66-69
planning, 54-55
tickler files, 55
time management, 97-98
toy pickup, 94
workplace, 123-124
rummage sales, 29
S
sales, 29
scarcity thinking and clutter decisions, 38
seasonal items, 33
seasonal routines, housecleaning, 65
self-coaching, 23
self-sabotage, 19-21
sentiment and clutter decisions, 38
setbacks, 22-23
shared calendars, 98-99
shipping box challenge for clutter, 45
single calendar, 96-97
sink activity center, 84
Sort (STOP method), 30
sorting, seasonal items, 33
space optimization
above cabinet storage, 79-80
clutter, 7
clutter checkpoints, 42-43
door hangers, 81
multiuse spaces, 82
organized spaces, 7-8
under furniture storage, 79
walls, 80-81
workplace, 117
workplace efficiency, 120-121
spring cleaning, 65
standard setting with family, 126-127
starting over, 134-136
starting point, 9-11
STOP clutter method, 28-30
storage, 30
activity centers, 58
black holes, 76-77
containment strategies, 77-78
decorations, 75
door hangers, 81
entertainment, 93
food storage, 68-69
hot zones, 76-77
kitchen cabinets, above, 79-80
location, 75
online, 47
options, assessing, 31-32
planning, 74-75
remote, bathroom, 91
seasonal items, 33
temporary, 32-33
under furniture, 79
walls, 80-81
zone categories, 75
stovetop activity center, 84
style, 13-14
workplace differences, 116
supercharged to-do list, 102
sweep method for clutter, 31
targeting components, 10
targets, calendar, 97
temporary storage, 32-33
tickler files, 55
time management, 8
calendaring, 96-99, 124
procrastination, 103-104
style, 18-19
to-do lists, 99-102
workplace, 116, 123
time-based clutter checkpoints, 43-44
time-management, planning and, 21
timer, 29
To Decide file, 111
to-do lists, 99-102, 123
tolerance for clutter, 14-15, 62
tools
control central, 11
file folders, hanging, 17
note-taking, 2
organization systems, 4
STOP method, 29
timer, 29
Toss (STOP method), 30
towel storage, kitchen, 87
toy pickup routine, 94
U–V
under-cabinet mounting in kitchen, 87
under-furniture storage, 79
use it or lose it condition for clutter, 45
valuing items, 41
visual aspects, pilers versus filers, 16-17
W–X–Y–Z
Waiting/Pending file, 111
walls for storage, 80-81
wardrobe planning, 70
weekly routines, housecleaning, 64
workplace
clutter, 117-120
computer, organization, 122
routines, 123-124
space allocation, 117
space efficiency, 120-121
style differences, 116
time management, 116, 123
to-do lists, 123
zones for storage, 75