Sadly, this is a common scenario, not only with men and attics, but with everyone and their rooms, as well as the rest of the house. There are a lot of things that we know we have to get rid of, but we simply can’t get rid of it due to the item’s sentimental value. De-cluttering isn’t all about throwing away useless stuff, it’s about putting everything back into place. Through organization, de-clutter tasks become a walk in the park. All you have to do is recognize which ones you can really use and put them in their right places. If you can’t throw them away, store them out of sight. Here are some of organizational categories for cleaning house.

Unusable: Unusable items are simply those that you can’t get much out of anymore. Examples of unusable items that you can’t seem to throw away are broken fishing rods that helped you catch the biggest fish, miniature remote controlled boats that helped you bond with your son, and your first ever electric guitar that is now broken into two pieces. These are actually throw-aways, but if you can’t throw them away, then store them in a closed cabinet – in the attic.

Usable: Usable items include clothing, shoes, mobile phone accessories, and other useful things that are simply lying around. Usable items such as clothes that you know you’ll be using should be placed in the front of your cabinets so they’re the first things you see when you open your dresser.

Usable at a later time: These items include clothes that you love but no longer fit unless you lose weight. If you intend to lose weight anyway, then you can store these clothes with your usable ones. Simply place them behind the stack of clothes that are actually usable.

From this kind of organization, de-clutter is no longer a pain in the butt. Now all you have to do is stop procrastinating.

There is, however, a belief in eastern culture that involves the flow of energy called the Qi, pronounced as “chi” or “ki”. It says that your home should be designed and arranged in such a way that you do not disrupt the flow of Qi. Otherwise, you will lead a miserable life. If we relate this to clutter, this actually makes sense. But if you’re not a fan of eastern culture, then we can put it in another way: while emotions influence behavior, our behavior influences our emotions as well. If we do not like to clean up our homes, rooms, and offices, clutter will make us feel choked, pressured, and stressed.

If you have done a de-clutter on any area of your home, then you probably know how liberating it feels not seeing all those things lying around. It makes the room feel a lot bigger, spacious, and you no longer feel like the walls are closing in on you. The room feels vibrant with energy, and you for some reason feel lighter as soon as that depressive vibe of your cluttered room is gone. Imagine what you can feel if you can keep that de-cluttered feel of your room or house for a really long time! As you leave house full of life, you become full of life as well.

De-cluttering is a simple task to do but people often make it difficult by mistaking it for an act of throwing away things. While de-cluttering does encourage one to let go of their prized material possessions, it does not insist if it has an emotional connection with its owner. So if you can’t throw away your things, you can simply rearrange them. You can look at de-cluttering simply as making the area look cleaner and more spacious.

You can do that by first rearranging your things according to what you need and what you do not need. Then you can proceed to keeping them in closed shelves, rather than open ones. Doing a de-clutter on your surroundings is as simple as picking them up and throwing them in a basket.

Still, there are a lot of people who find it hard to de-clutter their room. If they can’t de-clutter their rooms, they’re likely unable to de-clutter their house. They usually blame it on not having a lot of time to do it, or they simply can’t do it. If you’re looking for de-clutter ideas to get you started, here are a few.

Bag them: Grab a basket, and roam around your room. If you see anything that isn’t in its place, pick it up but don’t put it back in its place. Instead, put it in a basket and carry on. Look for more things, I guarantee you’ll see a lot, and pick them up and toss them into the basket. In no more than ten minutes, you’ll see your room a little tidier. If you’re in a hurry, you can go ahead and leave the basket full of stuff in your room, and come back to them later. When you’ve returned, pick up each item from the basket and put them back in its place. If you’re a little lazy, at least do it until the basket is half-empty.

Decide and dispose: This works best when you have followed the first step. Take one item from the basket and ponder if you will ever need to use it again. You may find clothes that you’ve outgrown, or maybe you’ve gained some weight that you can’t use those pair of jeans at the moment. Maybe you’ll find pieces of paper, broken picture frames, or smashed bits of what used to be the TV remote. If you can’t use it again, take it from your basket and toss it into the waste basket.

Organize: A continuation of the second step, organization is putting everything in its proper place. As mentioned above, dispose of anything you don’t need. If you plan on using an item at a later time, then keep it but rearrange it. Organize your dresser in a way where everything you can and will use is put in front.

There you have it – 3 step by step de-clutter ideas. You can add your own flair on to those ideas to find your own de-cluttering process.

The downside is that if you do not have a good computer, retrieval of these files can take a bit of time, albeit automatic. If you have a really slow computer, attempting to dig up the needed files can slow down whatever else you are doing on that computer. Add to that the fact that computer can be infected with viruses and the worst case scenario could be reformatting it – losing all valuable data. This is easily resolved through backup servers, though. Still, there is nothing like a hard copy printed off of the computer. Some companies stick to the old methods, but another problem poses the question: how can you declutter paper?

The classic office setting is one with a double-deck tray with one labelled “In”, and the other “Out”. Still, paper files, over time, can accumulate and contribute to a lot of clutter. At home, birth certificates and other important documents cannot be disposed of, so here are a two takes on how to declutter those paper files.

Categorize: File your documents according to categories. Personal documents like your birth certificates can be filed under the same envelope or tray, whatever you seem is more convenient for you. Car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, and other insurances can be filed in the same place. Either that or you can put them with your phone bills and electric bills. If you can, set aside a little box for all your mails so you’ll know where to get anything mail-related.

Go electronic: After all that little speech above, you might think I’m anti-electronic. It actually depends. If it’s contracts we’re talking about, then it’s best to have your printed copy. If you’re paying your bills, it’s best to do it online. You can save yourself the paper clutter, and you can save on gas by not driving to the company that you’re going to pay.

These are just two of the ways that you can declutter paper in your home. If you have a lot of paper on your office desk, then simply ask your boss what you need to keep and what you need to throw away.

A de-cluttered kitchen is an organized kitchen. This means that while you’re standing in front of the stove, you can pretty much grab anything you can use without taking a single step; of course, some kitchens can be designed where they can be exempted from this “rule”. To make things a little clear for you, here are a few things you might want to consider.

Know what you will use: The problem with clutter arises from the lack of initiative to displace something that is no longer unnecessary in plain sight. Sometimes, you might think that a particular kitchen item has sentimental value. For instance, you have 5 mugs, but you use only one while the other four are simply there because you received them from your four different girlfriends. Try to put the other four mugs some place else.

Rearrange: Clutter is also defined as a lot of things that don’t go together and leaves you confused on where to find a specific item, not knowing it’s buried beneath the stacks of other items. Rearrange your kitchen tools in a way that whatever is used frequently becomes immediately visible should you need it. Taking the example above, if you’re too sentimental to keep the unused mugs in the kitchen cabinet, then you could at least place them far back and put the things that you will actually need to use in front. Also try to make as much space as possible.

Organize: Organizing your kitchen means categorizing everything and putting them in the same place. Spices go with spices, pans go with pans, and so on. This doesn’t mean you should go out and buy additional utensil holders as it can take up space and make your kitchen even more cluttered.

These are just three of the many ways to de-clutter kitchen areas of our homes. Remember when you’re having trouble looking for an ingredient when cooking in someone else’s home? You can save the trouble of someone trying to cook in your home with a de-cluttered kitchen.

Hiring a professional organizer might be the right step for you.  But, you want to make sure you find the right one.  So, where do you start?  That question is easier then you might think.  I mean, when was the last time that you saw the side of a bus containing an advertisement for a professional organizer?  You might have luck looking in your local newspaper professional listing or the yellow pages under “Organizing Products and Services”.  You can also go to the automated referral system on the internet called the National Association of Professional Organizers.  This site helps you find the right person for you by allowing you to search by location or by organizing specialty.  You will have access to a list of names and contact information for professional organizers that will be able to match your criteria.

Before you settle on any one person, make sure you speak to several professional organizers.  It is recommended to meet them in person.  Ask them if they offer a free estimate.  You will also want to find out if they are a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).  This does not guarantee that the quality of the work that they do will be sufficient but, it does show that they have a strong commitment to continuing education and an industry code of ethics.  A few other questions that you might need to know is how long they have been a professional organizer.  What are their areas of expertise?  What results can you expect from the service they will provide for you?  Make sure that you obtain and follow up on their references.  This is someone you are going to be inviting into your home and putting a decent amount of time and effort tin.  You will also need to be prepared to answer their questions about you and your organizational needs.  Be honest with them.  If you are the type of person who throws mail into a pile everyday and tends not to go through it for a week, let them know.  This is the reason they are there to help so don’t be embarrassed to be honest about how unorganized you really are.

Most professional organizers will charge between $50 and $200 an hour but there are some who prefer value based pricing and will charge by the project.  But, if you can picture yourself with an organized home or an organized office, the price is well worth it.  Your dreams of living in a cutter free environment really can come true.

Start with the layout of the office.  Make sure you have clear walk ways between your office furniture; from your desk to the file cabinet, from the door to your deck, etc.  Think about space as well.  Is your desk too large or small for the space?  A desk that is too large for the space gives a cramped feeling.  If you have a small desk and need even more room, you can place a table next to your desk which will add an elegant touch to your office design and serve as an additional working area.  The goal is to find a table that is the same height and color finish as your desk.  Do you have the proper furniture in which you can hold all of the office essentials like a fax machine, photo copier, etc.  You will be able to gain a ton of work space and organize your office by giving some of your office essentials their own separate space.  For example, your printer or multifunction copier should not be on your desktop.  Investing in a printer stand will keep it within a usable distance and will free more of that valuable desk space.  Plus, it will give you some more shelf storage space for accessories such as printer paper.  Do you have enough room for files or books?  You might need to invest in a book shelf, either freestanding or built-in.  Also, by placing your desk to make it easily accessible to the other office equipment is extremely beneficial as well.  Maybe you are the type of person that is constantly needed to go in and out of the file cabinet.  An easy solution to the constant getting up and down from your chair is to place the filing cabinet directly behind your desk.  Or you can make the path wide enough to be able to roll your chair back and forth to the other office equipment.

The desk itself is an area that ca easily get cluttered and unorganized.  What are the things that need to be on the desk?  Paper organization is key to creating an un-cluttered desk top.  Make sure that you label all project folders and/or manila files sitting on your desk.  You can get rid of the stacks of files by placing them in a step file holder on your desk which will enable you to be able to see at a glance the various projects that need your attention.  You might also be able to use stacking trays which are ideal for your “inbox” and “outbox”.  They save space and are another great way to keep your office desktop neat.  Pay attention to the drawers of the desk as well.  Office supply stores and chain retailers have an assortment of plastic trays and caddies, including those that are designed to fit perfectly into a desk drawer.  You can use them to get your office supplies organized by placing those loose pens, paper clips and thumb tacks within them.  Check around the floor of your desk to make sure that this has not become a dumping ground for things that you don’t have a space for.

Once your office is well organized, it really is simple to keep it that way.  At the end of the day spend five to ten minutes putting things away.  This is a simple way to guard against things getting out-of-control once again.

First, when you are starting to de-cluttering your bedroom, take a paper and pen and make yourself a few notes.  Look around your room.  Where is the clutter mostly congregating?  Is it near the nightstand?  What are some essential things that you would like to keep close to your bed and what are some things that are cluttering that space up?  Do you like to read at night?  Is there a pile of books or magazines out of place?  You might be able to solve this problem by putting up a few shelves by the side of the bed.  Maybe it is little pieces of garbage that are scattered over the top of the night stand.  Mark on your list that it would be a good idea to buy yourself a small trash bin to keep by the side of the bed.  Or maybe the clutter can be found in laundry that is heaped in a pile.  Make a note to buy yourself another hamper to place directly in the spot that seems to collect the most of the dirty clothes.  Check to see if you have enough room for your clothes.  Sometimes clean laundry ends up on top of the dresser instead of in it simply because there is not enough room within the dresser to hold it all.  Also, don’t forget to check under the bed.  How is the organization there?  Do you need to purchase a couple of bins with wheels on them that will easily slide in and out from under the bed?  You might also need to purchase bed lifts to create enough space for these bins.  Once you have made yourself a plan of the things you need to buy to organize your bedroom, purchase the items and it is then onto step two.

The second thing you need to do is work of creating your organized space.  Did you find in step one that there was a fair amount of clutter near your bedside table?  Once you have made adjustments as to shelves, etc., go through you things and remove the items that you do not need in your bedroom.  How many of those books or magazines are you actually reading at the moment?  Are there books you can place on anther shelf within the home or give away?  Are some of your magazines old and ready to be tossed out?  Are there clothes in your dresser that you can get rid of rather then move to a new dresser?  Separate your underwear, socks, bathing suits, etc. rather then clumping them all into one drawer.  Or possibly you found that the majority of your clutter was found in your storage under your bed.  Are there things that you can store somewhere else in the home?  Placing shoes in a under the bed bin is a great storage solution.  You can also store seasonal bedding in an airtight bag under your bed.  When you are considering what to store under the bed keep in mind that if you can not visually see each bin or bag under your bed, you probably have too many things under there.

Creating a relaxing space is so easy.  With organization and a clear picture of what you want, you can make your bedroom the space of your dreams.

Start with one room of your home at a time.  Remember that the goal is organization so do your cleaning in an organized way.  Start at the entrance of the room and work your way clockwise around the room.  Do not skip anything.  It can be hard trying to determine what things are important to keep and which ones are ready to go in the throw away or give away boxes.  You should ask yourself several different questions when considering what to do with a particular item.  Start off by asking yourself how you feel about the item.  Do you love it?  Does it have sentimental value?  Does the item make you feel sad or guilty?  It might not be a good enough reason to keep something around that is cluttering up your home just because someone gave it to you and you fell guilt about getting rid of it.  Something else to ask yourself about an item is if you have used it in the past year.  Is it broken or not in good condition?  Do you have another one that might be better?  These are all good reasons you might want to get rid of a particular item.  Once your “give away” box is full, take it to your local thrift store or donation center.  You might also want to consider if you “give away” items might earn you a little cash by putting them on eBay or craigslist.

You might not have realized how many things are out of place in your home until your have looked at you “put ways” box after you have started to de-clutter a room.  Once this box is full stop your de-cluttering and put these items away.  Do not put the box in a closet, down the basement or in an attic with the best intentions of getting to it later.  You know that you will never get around to doing it until it is time to de-clutter you basement, closet or attic.

When working around the room you are de-cluttering, don’t skip things like shelves, draws or furniture.  This is the perfect time to start to organize the room as well.  For instance, if one of the pieces of furniture is a desk, look through and organize the draws.  Make sure you have a proper place for things like pens, envelopes, stamps, and bills.  This might also be the place where you keep important financial papers.  Go through these papers as well.  Get rid of anything that is older then a year and create an alternative spot in the home you can keep important finical information for several years.

De-cluttering your home is not as overwhelming as it seems.  You just have to remember to take your time and be diligent in getting back to it every day until it is done.  Keep a rag with you also to clean as you go.  When you are all done with your de-cluttering, you can go through the room again to place your special items decoratively and make each room of your home just the way you would like it.

The late fall and late spring are good times to tackle de-cluttering a closet.  I say late fall and spring because by then, the weather has become a little more constant.  There is nothing worse then packing away all of your summer clothes in the beginning of October then all of the sudden, you get a week of perfect Capri and short sleeves weather.  Also, tackle this project when you have all day to get it done.  You will most likely be using your bed to store clothes and you don’t want to get to a point where you just throw everything back in your closet because it is getting too late and all you want to do is go to sleep.  The work in de-cluttering your closet actually starts a few days before the actual “event”.  Check out your closet to figure out what you need to make it organized.  Do you need a better way to store your shoes?  Are your accessories all over the place because you lack a proper place to put them?  Do you need to purchase more shelves or racks?  Once you have figured out what you need, you can buy the product before hand that way it is all set to go on your “de-cluttering the closet” day.

Start by taking out your pieces of clothing and judging them one at a time.  Ask yourself how long it has been since you wore it and if it’s still in good condition.  If you haven’t worn something within the year, you most likely are not going to wear it anytime soon.  Go through your shoes and accessories as well.  Get rid of anything that is not in good condition.  Once you have gotten everything out of your closet you can clean it.  Vacuum the floor and wipe down the shelves, racks and even the clothes bar.  Once that is done you can begin to put the things that you are going to keep back in an organized manner.

When it comes to a small closet, do not take any space for granted.  The back of the closet door is a great place to put up a few hooks, an accessories rack or even a shoe rack.  If you find that that you are running out of space to store shoes within the closet, look for other alternatives.  Purchasing a bin with wheels on it that can slide under the bed is a great alternative.  Purchase bed lifts if you do not have enough space under your bed for such a thing.  You can also purchase vacuum bags to store seasonal clothes in if you do not have room in your closet to contain all of your seasonal wardrobes.  Here is a good tip to save time when you are switching your seasonal closes; store your out of season close already on the hangers.  They don’t need to be hung up; they can be stored neatly with the hanger intact so that putting them in and out of the closet is easier.  Plus, you might want to think about investing in a permanent organizational solution.  There are so many companies like EasyClosets.com that specialize in utilizing the space that you have in order for you to maintain an organized and clean closet forever.

De-cluttering your closet can be easy to do.  You just need to take your time, utilize your space and consider the best organizational solutions for the job.