Over time, our homes naturally become an extension of our to-do lists. Unmended clothing, broken lightbulbs, and empty milk cartons usually hang around our houses in order to remind us of the things we need to do. These items act as our mental Post-Its (no words required!), yet if we’re not careful, the amount of our errand-related clutter can easily spiral out of control and create more problems than we bargained for.
Visible clutter isn’t just an assault on the senses of those who prefer a more organized environment. When we see too many items displayed as reminders of the things we need to do, our brains have a harder time shaking off that information as we go about our day. We end up becoming more preoccupied with the little things screaming for our attention, leaving us with less time and energy to focus on our most important work.
While we might not be able to hide all traces of unfinished errands from our spaces, we can take the following steps to keep the worst of such clutter in check:
Use an actual, written errands list instead
Don’t underestimate the power of lists. Whether you use the notes app on your phone or good ol’ pen and paper, you can enjoy the advantages of remembering your tasks without the disadvantages of a scattered mind and cluttered home. While it’s incredibly tempting to trust our brains with the task of remembering everything, human memory is notoriously unreliable. A written list, on the other hand, is convenient, specific, and takes up virtually no space. But don’t forget the best part about finishing an errand written on a list: the satisfaction of crossing it off.
Have dedicated holding areas for things “in process”
One way to contain errand-related clutter is to dedicate particular areas of your home to the things that require special attention. This may take the form of a jar for change, a hamper for clothes, a folder for processing mail, a basket for items to be returned to other people, or a drawer for things that need to be repaired or replaced. Keeping similar errand-related clutter together as opposed to scattered throughout the home helps our brain by clumping several tasks into fewer, more mentally manageable tasks.
Take the time to actually finish your errands
No matter how many lists you write or areas you dedicate to errand-related items, the clutter in your home will eventually catch up with you if your errands remain undone. If you have the time and the tools to finish an errand, try to do it then and there. If not, make some room in your schedule to accomplish your most nagging tasks. Schedule and spend a full day or even just an hour dedicated to knocking things off your errands list, then joyfully reap the benefits of increased energy and productivity levels. You’ll thank yourself later.
Clutter shouldn’t overwhelm you, but it shouldn’t be underestimated by you either. Thankfully, keeping the clutter at home under control isn’t rocket science—it just takes a little time and dedication. Deal with clutter and personal errands seriously and swiftly to keep the home a place of rest and relaxation, not a place reminiscent of obligation.
