Jenny - The unclutterer

I think of myself as a very organized person. I do not like clutter, I have no attachment issues to things, and I love to clean (especially other peoples homes). I get a huge high from helping someone organize and clean out their front hall closet.  I know, weird. But, it is true. I look for new ways to organize all the time, and with three young sons, routines are always changing, so we are constantly seeking a new way and a better way to do things.

Erin Doland, Editor-in-Chief of the fantastic blog, Unclutterer.com. describes me best when she says, "Being an unclutterer implies that a person has systems in place to handle the things he or she owns. There is a place for everything and everything is in its place. Mail doesn’t need to be cleaned off the table every night before a meal because mail doesn’t stack up on the table in the first place. An unclutterer likely has a trash can and shredder by his front door where junk mail is instantly deposited. The good mail is filed or put into a tickler system immediately.

The main difference between being someone who is just clean and someone who is an unclutterer is that unclutterers look for permanent solutions. An unclutterer will invest the elbow grease into organizing her home and office so that she saves time and energy in the future. Cleaning on its own is a Band-Aid® solution — it doesn’t solve the problem. Tidying up a space is like being a hamster in a wheel, because you’ll have to tidy up again tomorrow. Living as an unclutterer, however, means that you organize once and then maintain only when a specific item requires maintenance. (As a point of clarification: Both cleaners and unclutterers still need to sweep floors and sanitize toilets, but those tasks I call chores that we all should complete as hygienic humans.) Ultimately, an unclutterer has more time and energy to pursue his interests and passions and live the remarkable life he desires because of his organizing efforts."