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Little Miss Organised tells how to free your home and life of clutter

Few things are as rewarding for organising expert Bonnie Black as watching a person’s shoulders lift as their home is decluttered.

This Saturday Mrs Black, who is the founder of Little Miss Organised, will share her tips for a clutter free life as part of Ipswich Libraries’ Learn for Life series.

She said it was amazing to see the impact decluttering could have on a person’s physical and emotional well-being.

“(What I love about it) is the tangible effect it has on a person’s life. It’s really transformational when you take a space that was cluttered and turn it into a functional, practical, beautiful space,” she said.

“You can actually see their shoulders lift up, it is not just changing how a space is used but also changing their life.

“A lot of people who struggle with clutter also struggle with their weight, so there is often a real link between the mental impact of clutter and how that then impacts us physically.

“When you have a clutter free life you open yourself up to so many more opportunities.”

Mrs Black has always been an organiser at heart, having earned herself the nickname of “little miss organised” from a young age.

“I was the eldest of three children and I was always the person in the family who kept us on track, made sure we were on time and things were in the right place,” she said.

These days, she spends her time helping others free themselves from clutter.

“In today’s society we overbuy and there is a continuous pressure to consume,” Mrs Black said.

“For a lot of people it becomes most noticeable once they have children and they realise just how strong our consumer culture is.

“Of the things we buy, about 90 to 95 per cent of them end up in landfill within six months so there is a huge turnover of stuff in our lives and it can be overwhelming.

“It’s a really hard culture to change but what we need to focus on is buying things that we will use, need and love.”

Bonnie’s top five tips to start decluttering your life

  1. Have a plan – It’s important to have a plan or a goal in mind. Think about what you want to use the space for and how you want it to function. As with every journey if you’re not sure where you are going how are you going to get there?
  2. Start small – Start with something small like a desktop or a drawer, something where you can have success and then move onto the next thing. A common mistake people make when trying to declutter is to go too big too soon, they might start with the garage and pull everything out, make a huge mess and then shove it back in at the end of the day having not achieved much at all.
  3. Be realistic – Use the SMART method to set your goals. Make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and set a timeframe. If you don’t set realistic goals chances are you will fall short and end up feeling like more of a failure than you did before you started.
  4. Be accountable – Try to build in some accountability whether it’s with the help of a family member or supportive friend. There are also many Facebook groups around decluttering where you can show pictures of your efforts and share what you are doing. It’s important to find someone you can talk to without judgement.
  5. Seek professional help – If you have tried but can’t seem to make any headway seek professional help. It’s a really worthwhile investment because when you are free from clutter it can really improve your health and relationships and allow more opportunities to come to you.
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