We live in a cluttered age. Despite our best efforts and intentions, we continue to pile up more stuff than space to hold it.
"Get organized" annually ranks among the nation's most popular resolutions (right behind "lose weight"). More products exist today than ever before to help us reach that goal. But our transformation to efficient neatnik always comes down to how we rein in our disorderly tendencies.
"People are getting more technologically organized," observed author Deniece Schofield, a longtime home management expert. "Like they say, there's an app for that. But as far as procrastination, setting things down and forgetting them, creating complex systems that are impossible to maintain or just making the same messes over and over — we're dealing with human nature. People will still be people."
Especially people with too much stuff.
"It's overwhelming," said Sacramento, Calif., professional organizer Gwynnae Byrd. "You look at all that stuff and don't know where to start.
"You've just got to start," Byrd said. "There is no one right way to organize or perfect storage system for every person. You pick a spot and start. It's just getting over that initial hump."
The biggest roadblocks come from "deferred decisions," Byrd said.
That starts with little everyday decisions, she said. For example, mail can pile up quickly. Instead, sort it over the recycling bin as soon as you bring it inside. At the point of purchase, decide if you really need a printed receipt (usually the answer is "no"), otherwise little slips of paper may stuff your pockets or purse. When traveling, know exactly where you'll display a souvenir before you add it to dust-catching clutter.
