| I devised this exercise after I was incapacitated | | | | shelf or drawer. |
| by a pulmonary embolism following a fall. I hadn't | | | | Take everything off it or out of it and examine it |
| realised it was that easy to die and I was in | | | | piece by piece. Is it something you use often? If |
| shock for some time afterwards, unable to do | | | | it's a book, do you refer to it, will you read it |
| anything useful except write. | | | | again? A tape or CD? When did you last play it? |
| The thing uppermost in my mind was the thought | | | | An item of clothing? Does it fit? Do you wear it? |
| that, had I indeed breathed my last, it would have | | | | Are you hanging onto it in the hope that one day |
| been up to my sons to sort through everything | | | | you'll drop a couple of dress sizes -- might it not |
| I'd left behind -- and that wasn't a comfortable | | | | be out of fashion by then? |
| feeling. How could I do that to anyone, leave | | | | If it's a piece of kitchen equipment when did you |
| them to deal with a large house full of stuff that | | | | last use it? Are you keeping it because you all |
| might have been vitally important to me but to | | | | might get together one day for a huge family |
| them would have been just a vast pile of stuff to | | | | christening, even though the children are barely |
| sort and bin or recycle. | | | | out of nappies? If it's an old bill or a guarantee are |
| You're going to need a large sheet of paper -- | | | | you confident you won't need it again? With each |
| preferably flip chart sized, if you have it -- a pencil | | | | item ask yourself 'is it relevant to my life now, |
| or pen and some blu-tac. But, in the interests of | | | | does it support who I am and who I want to be?' |
| having as much fun as possible, why not get | | | | Now do you see why you have to do this in |
| yourself a lovely set of colourful pens and get in | | | | bite-sized pieces? Some decisions will be really |
| touch with your creativity? | | | | easy, as in 'Why on earth did I hang onto a book |
| You're also going to need at least 30 | | | | that I never read in the first place because it was |
| uninterrupted minutes to begin with -- it's up to | | | | so boring?' But others are going to be hard. You're |
| you how you work through this planning stage, | | | | going to have to be really courageous and |
| whether in one blast or broken down into | | | | occasionally you may put something back |
| bite-sized pieces. Done conscientiously, this | | | | because, though in your heart of hearts you |
| exercise is going to change your life, forever, so | | | | know you should part with it, you simply can't |
| you're going to need to pace yourself to deal not | | | | bear to. That's fine. This isn't meant to be torture. |
| only with the practicalities but also with the | | | | Put it back until the next time and move on. |
| emotional stuff that it brings up. If you've been | | | | A word of warning: DON'T go through your home |
| living in chaos for any length of time you're going | | | | like a tornado, throwing stuff out here, there and |
| to have to do some hard work to turn things | | | | everywhere -- only to bitterly regret what you've |
| around. But it's going to be hard work that's | | | | done once it's all gone. (And of course it goes |
| hugely rewarding, I promise you. | | | | without saying that it's not okay to get rid of |
| Stage 1 | | | | anyone else's stuff without their say so.) This |
| Sit down somewhere comfortable and start to | | | | exercise takes time and thought and patience. It |
| picture in your mind each room in your home. | | | | may take a year to complete and that's fine -- |
| Start with the easy ones -- bedrooms, living | | | | the results are going to benefit you for the rest |
| room, kitchen -- but don't miss out those areas | | | | of your life. |
| that don't quite fit anywhere else -- porch, under | | | | Years ago when I left my marriage I carted loads |
| the stairs -- and don't forget the attic, cellar, | | | | of stuff around the countryside with me for |
| garage and garden shed. | | | | three house moves before I finally let go of it all. |
| Now take your piece of paper and draw a shape | | | | In the end I realised it was more to do with |
| for each separate area, roughly in proportion to | | | | some vague sense of security than anything to |
| the contents, leaving the minimum possible space | | | | do with the things themselves. Gradually, as my |
| between each so you're utilising the whole page. | | | | confidence grew, I realised I didn't need that stuff |
| Be creative -- don't just draw boring boxes. How | | | | any more. |
| about a fluffy cloud for each? Or a flower? A | | | | These days, having devised the exercise and |
| different colour for every room? You can start | | | | actually practised it myself, I find it really easy not |
| with a rough draft if you like until you're satisfied | | | | to accumulate things in the first place and I |
| with the lay-out. This master plan is going to live | | | | welcome the charity bags put through my letter |
| with you for a while to come so make it as | | | | box because there's always a few things on their |
| beautiful as you can. | | | | way out. But I wasn't always like that. I simply |
| When you're satisfied you've put down every | | | | discovered how liberating it is to be free of all |
| individual area and named it give yourself a pat on | | | | that extraneous stuff that just needs to be |
| the back. If you want you can stop for now and | | | | dusted, or insured or moved when you decorate |
| come back to it later, safe in the knowledge that | | | | or someone comes to stay. And to be free of |
| you've started the process. In the meantime take | | | | the anxiety of who would be left to deal with it. |
| your embryonic plan and stick it up somewhere | | | | So, now you've finished with that first shelf or |
| where you can see it -- on a wall, a door, | | | | drawer you can go to your plan, take a fat |
| anywhere where it won't get forgotten, where | | | | coloured pen and cross it off the list or put a big |
| you'll pass it several times a day so your | | | | tick beside it. It's done and when you feel ready |
| subconscious mind will be starting to work for you | | | | you can move on to the next task, until gradually |
| on the process of de-cluttering your life. And put | | | | the whole plan will be a mass of ticks or crossings |
| a note in your diary or on your calendar for when | | | | out -- and won't you feel fantastic then? |
| you're going to resume work on your project. | | | | So what are you going to do with the stuff |
| Stage 2 | | | | you're going to get rid of? These days there are |
| Sit down somewhere comfortable again and | | | | so many opportunities. There's the |
| picture in your mind's eye, one by one, each | | | | aforementioned charity bags -- though we can't |
| room you've drafted out on your sheet. Let's | | | | feel as smug about recycling clothes as we might |
| start with a bedroom. What furniture is in it? A | | | | once have done, now it emerges that the clothing |
| wardrobe? A chest of drawers? Write them | | | | trade in developing countries is being badly |
| down as headings. Now break down each of | | | | damaged by the West dumping our waste on |
| these in effect into their constituent parts so, for | | | | them. So I guess worn clothes have to go in the |
| example, with the wardrobe you might note | | | | bin, or be turned into dusters, but good, saleable |
| down 'hanging area', 'top shelf', 'bottom shelf' (or | | | | ones can be offered to clothing agencies or |
| space), or you might choose to write 'shelf 1, 2, 3' | | | | charity shops or sold on e-Bay, as can a whole |
| etc. | | | | host of other items. Freecycle, if there's a group |
| You may have a bedside cabinet with two | | | | near you, is another opportunity that's gathering |
| shelves -- note them down. A chair piled high with | | | | momentum where you can give away useable |
| clothes? The aim is to itemise shelves and | | | | items you no longer want. In my home town of |
| drawers that hold 'stuff' rather than pieces of | | | | Lancaster we have Furniture Matters, a local |
| furniture but how about you start to change your | | | | authority sponsored charity that recycles suitable |
| ways right now and put the clothes you've worn | | | | furniture and white goods and, in addition, trains |
| into the wash basket and the clean ones where | | | | young people in furniture renovation and |
| they belong -- and you could even devise a | | | | refurbishing skills. Recycling is seriously in vogue |
| mantra for yourself, an affirmation such as 'I am | | | | now so there's never been a better time to be |
| a tidy and organised person.' Repeat it as often as | | | | really creative about getting rid of your unwanted |
| you can -- at least 20 times a day -- and once | | | | stuff. |
| more your subconscious mind will go to work and | | | | Stage 4 |
| that will have a big impact on the process. | | | | You've sorted your home from top to bottom |
| Once you've noted down every individual area | | | | and become positively minimalist in the process. |
| containing 'stuff' -- and don't forget surfaces like | | | | Now how are you going to guard against ever |
| 'dressing table top' -- you might want physically to | | | | slipping back to how things were? |
| go to the relevant room and check you haven't | | | | The best way is to have a regular review. It |
| missed anything. | | | | could be annual or it could be more frequent. |
| Planning is crucial to bringing about change and | | | | Decide what works best for you and put it in |
| once you've completed your plan you're well on | | | | your diary or on your calendar. That way you |
| the way -- in fact I would recommend at this | | | | don't have to bother remembering -- it'll be there, |
| stage that you give yourself a treat, to reward | | | | factored into your life. I used to have an annual |
| yourself for your hard work. And it is hard work. | | | | review of how my life was going though I've now |
| By now you have completed something much | | | | amended that to a quarterly one, timetabled into |
| greater than simply devising your plan, something | | | | my diary. But in fact this exercise has actually |
| absolutely vital -- you have confronted the reality | | | | become a way of life for me. These days I sort |
| of what you're trying to achieve and that can be | | | | and chuck with hardly a thought -- and I'm |
| hugely challenging. But take heart. The rewards | | | | confident that, should that double-decker bus |
| are enormous. | | | | catch up with me any day soon, there'll be a lot |
| Stage 3 | | | | less clutter to be dealt with afterwards. |
| Now you're ready for the next stage -- actually | | | | This exercise isn't an instant cure-all, a swift |
| sorting through things. Again, try to do this in a | | | | one-off -- it's more along the lines of painting the |
| way that works for you. You can start logically | | | | Forth Bridge, an on-going process to incorporate |
| from the top left hand corner of your plan or you | | | | into your life so it becomes second nature, a way |
| can select something at random, as the spirit | | | | of ensuring you never again feel overwhelmed by |
| moves you. But to start with select one small | | | | your clutter. |