Good Question!

A journalist recently asked us some great questions about organising. Here they are – along with our responses.

Why do we get ourselves all ‘in a clutter?’

Many people are too busy to spend time setting up or maintaining organisational systems. Others find it boring or aren’t bothered by the clutter. Some folks simply don’t think systematically – so it doesn’t come naturally to them.

How do we get ourselves out of such a mess?

Understand that there’s no quick fix – being organised and productive is a lifestyle choice. Learn how if it doesn’t come naturally. Get help with the physical or electronic de-cluttering and with mustering the motivation needed to make it happen. Dedicate time on a regular basis to maintain organisation.

When does something important become clutter?

If you don’t absolutely love it, and/or if you don’t use it on a regular basis, it is probably clutter. If you do love and use it, it’s something worth taking good care of!

Do Hong Kong people have a particular penchant for hoarding and cluttering up their interiors?

For many people in Hong Kong, the challenge is lack of physical space for storing and neatly organising their possessions. There are only a few solutions to this: Get rid of some of the stuff, store it off-site, or get a bigger place.

What are some of your favourite space-saving ways to deal with a home office desk area, or a children’s toy area?

Install shelving near the desk – on the wall or a freestanding unit – so the workspace can be kept clear for computing or writing. Involve kids in organising their things – ask them what would help them put things away and find them more easily. Practice with them, making it a fun game, until they can do it independently. Set a good example for them by keeping your own things organised.

What are your top tips for those seeking to de-clutter a room or rooms?

1. Start small. Pick an important electronic data project (photos, email, files) to do or space to declutter, then cut the scope in half. It takes longer than you think, but not as long as you fear!

2. Set aside the time. Dedicate one big block of time over a holiday, or commit several weekend mornings to your project. Put it on your calendar!

3. Recruit some help. Ask your partner, kids, personal assistant/domestic helper, friend or a coach for support. It goes faster and is more fun this way.

4. Stay focused. Avoid ‘zigzag’ organising where you wind up trying to work on several areas or projects at once. Sort into 2 piles: Belongs Here, and Belongs Elsewhere. Don’t go making deliveries ‘elsewhere’ while you’re still sorting! If you’re doing an electronic organising project, close all other applications.

5. Hide your wallet. Resist the urge to go shopping for containers or buy new gadgets straight away. First you need to sort and purge…then organise what’s worth keeping.

6. Accept the mess. Be ready to put up with some piles for a while as you sort and make decisions. Just keep at it, bit by bit. If you put everything away halfway through the job, you have merely rearranged; you haven’t organised.

7. Let go of the excess. Only keep what you use regularly or absolutely love. Give the rest to someone who will use it more. Delete or archive unnecessary electronic data.

8. Let go of the guilt too. You’ll come across lots of things you intended to do. Don’t beat yourself up about these things – just make a decision. The magic question is, “What’s the worst thing that could happen if I didn’t do this?” Can you live with that?

9. Think systematically. How can you organise and streamline the way you manage this stuff so it doesn’t get messy or overwhelming again? Use labels and provide training if other people need to understand your system.

10. Keep on top of it. Decide how frequently you will ‘reset’ your system by putting everything back in its place. Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Be realistic. Then be consistent.