If you have a tendency to collect things, you probably have some issues with space and clutter. This is especially true if you live in a small space. A room or a studio apartment can easily become overrun with Elvis tribute records, Beatles songbooks, or Tori Amos cd singles.
Maybe your collecting tastes are musical like the ones mentioned above, or maybe you lean toward action figures or rare books. Whatever your particular preference, the same problems with space and clutter apply. This can be true even if your collections are more accidental than deliberate, like dvds or old magazines that you just happen to accumulate.
People often joke about becoming "hoarders"- a fate that no one actually wants. Your home displays your personality to the people who visit you, and when you are bringing people home, especially potential significant others, you want to make a good impression. Of course it's okay to put your interests on show, but you want this person to think you put some effort into organizing you living space. Here are some ideas for reducing clutter and making that evident.
1. Get rid of things you do not need. Be brutal about this. Even as far as your collections go, there are inevitably things that you can afford to get rid of. Perhaps you bought something that you thought was more valuable than it turned out to be. Or maybe something is damaged, and no longer hold the value it once did. Scan your collection for these items, and throw them away.
2. Sell some of your stuff. Again, this may not be easy. But be honest with yourself about the attachment you actually feel to your collection. Do you really still want this stuff, or are you just keeping it for nostalgic reasons? CDs, for instance, can be easily tranfered to a computer or an ipod. You can still keep all that Tori Amos music, and maybe also make a little bit of money online from people who are still collecting.
3. Place some stuff in storage. There might come a time when you really do have the space for all of your stuff. For this reason, it is worthwhile to keep things that really are important to you. However, they do not have to be in your immediate living space. You can reduce your clutter by storing them in a rented storage locker or an attic or basement. You can always bring them back out when you have the space to deal with them.
4. Display things purposefully. Even if you follow all of the above tips, there may still be a few things you just need to have in your eyesight. Make sure that these things are displayed in a way that looks deliberate, rather than just lying around in random piles on the floor. This will help your living space to look neat and organized.
Do not let your Princess Leia action figures, Elvis tribute records, or collection of first edition poetry books doom you to a cluttered, disorganized apartment. The smaller your living space, the more minimal your collections (or at least the parts of them that you display) should be. Follow the tips above, and take steps to get your stuff in order, so that you can enjoy your things and still have a neat, welcoming place to live.
Maybe your collecting tastes are musical like the ones mentioned above, or maybe you lean toward action figures or rare books. Whatever your particular preference, the same problems with space and clutter apply. This can be true even if your collections are more accidental than deliberate, like dvds or old magazines that you just happen to accumulate.
People often joke about becoming "hoarders"- a fate that no one actually wants. Your home displays your personality to the people who visit you, and when you are bringing people home, especially potential significant others, you want to make a good impression. Of course it's okay to put your interests on show, but you want this person to think you put some effort into organizing you living space. Here are some ideas for reducing clutter and making that evident.
1. Get rid of things you do not need. Be brutal about this. Even as far as your collections go, there are inevitably things that you can afford to get rid of. Perhaps you bought something that you thought was more valuable than it turned out to be. Or maybe something is damaged, and no longer hold the value it once did. Scan your collection for these items, and throw them away.
2. Sell some of your stuff. Again, this may not be easy. But be honest with yourself about the attachment you actually feel to your collection. Do you really still want this stuff, or are you just keeping it for nostalgic reasons? CDs, for instance, can be easily tranfered to a computer or an ipod. You can still keep all that Tori Amos music, and maybe also make a little bit of money online from people who are still collecting.
3. Place some stuff in storage. There might come a time when you really do have the space for all of your stuff. For this reason, it is worthwhile to keep things that really are important to you. However, they do not have to be in your immediate living space. You can reduce your clutter by storing them in a rented storage locker or an attic or basement. You can always bring them back out when you have the space to deal with them.
4. Display things purposefully. Even if you follow all of the above tips, there may still be a few things you just need to have in your eyesight. Make sure that these things are displayed in a way that looks deliberate, rather than just lying around in random piles on the floor. This will help your living space to look neat and organized.
Do not let your Princess Leia action figures, Elvis tribute records, or collection of first edition poetry books doom you to a cluttered, disorganized apartment. The smaller your living space, the more minimal your collections (or at least the parts of them that you display) should be. Follow the tips above, and take steps to get your stuff in order, so that you can enjoy your things and still have a neat, welcoming place to live.
No comments:
Post a Comment