Brandon Twp.- Couch potatoes arise? Joyce Anderson is coming to the library.
Anderson, author of ‘Help, I’m knee-deep in clutter!?, will offer tips, strategies, and solutions for decluttering and organization during a free hour-long program set for 6:30 p.m., Sept. 10, at the library, 304 South St.
Anderson, 63, says she was born with organizing skills. The former librarian and media specialist set up her own organizing business after she retired. She traveled to clients? homes and helped them organize their home offices, basements, and garages.
In those homes, she says, she would find bills from six months before and stacks of paper two feet high. There would be multiple magazine subscriptions, too.
‘They didn’t even read all of them, but they didn’t want to let them go,? she said. ‘It’s the mindset of, ‘I’ll get to these one of these days.? When I was working with people, they were so busy and had so many interests, they couldn’t keep on top of it; and they also had trouble finishing things, popping from one thing to the next.?
Anderson found that after she left, the clients often had trouble maintaining their new organized state and would descend into clutter again. She started making checklists to help them and, after shifting to writing more, she dropped the business to write the book, her first.
Anderson says organization and cleaning is something that must be kept on top of to avoid losing control, like diet and exercise. But she acknowledges there are times when it is more difficult, such as when households are combined, or there is a move, job change, illness or remodeling project.
Still, even if a person is in the middle of a crisis, there are things that can be done to not completely lose control.
She will offer advice for both maintaining a clean home and for tackling the mess.
‘I like to help people figure out ways to fix monster messes,? Anderson says. ‘It’s so hard to know where to begin. I break it down into small steps to make it easier.
Those steps include:
n Schedule it. ‘Make a commitment, say, ‘This week I’m going to start,?? says Anderson. ‘Look at the calendar, and if you need to buy materials, get them.?
n Divide and conquer. Anderson remembers a time when she was organizing her photos. She would do a half-hour per day after dinner, while watching TV. It took her four weeks, but she did a little at a time until it was done.
‘Choose what days will fit for you and what time,? says Anderson. ‘An hour after dinner, or all day Saturday when the kids aren’t going to be around.?
n Get rid of stuff. Set up piles for garbage, recycling, selling and donating and then follow through.
n Give order to what is left. Clump items together in a way that makes sense. For example, sort books by putting fiction together, non-fiction together, and children’s stories together.
She has steps for maintaining, too.
‘We’ve all cleaned house and it looks great, but a month later, is a mess again,? Anderson said. ‘Think of what you can do daily, weekly and monthly. On a daily basis, stack and straighten so you’re not creating clutter each day. Take an extra minute to put things away. It’s not fun or magical, but that little extra minute makes a big difference.?
Those extra minutes can be found, for example, during TV commercials. She also recommends recruiting help. The yardwork can be done as a family.
‘You can have a place that’s not perfect, but attractive and where people can sit down when they come in,? Anderson said. ‘I want to give people a sense of hope. We all struggle with clutter and there are things you can do to make it better.?
Details: (248) 627-1460.