It may sound counter-intuitive, but sometimes the cure for clutter is having multiples of certain things.
Take, for example, a pair of scissors. How often have you gone into another room to get the scissors, brought them back to where you needed them, used them, and then neglected to return them to their usual place? Days later, you go to get the scissors and they are aren’t where you expect them to be, resulting in lost time to search for them, and frustration as you rack your brain figuring out when you used them last.
Another example is a wastebasket. You may be ready to throw something away but can’t do it because the wastebasket is in another room, so the trash sits in a pile. The result: clutter.
Some items are used so frequently — and are needed in so many different places — that it’s worth having one in each room. In my house, you’ll find these in multiple places:
- Scissors
- Pens and pads
- Wastebaskets
- Kleenex
- Paper towels
- Hand cream
- Lip balm
- Pet hair removers
- Flashlights.
Pay close attention over the next couple of weeks and see how often you hear — or think — “Where’s the [fill in the blank]?” Those are typically the items that need to be replicated to ensure they are there when you need them, no matter where you need them.
