Good Morning, Cowboys and Cowgirls!

First, hats off to you and your newly organized refrigerators, freezers, and pantries. Many of you sent in pictures of your victories, some of which are below.

This week we’re moving on to another source of surface clutter I see in nearly every home–magazines.  Magazines are a major contributor to the “I’ll-get-to-that-when-I-have-time” delusion.  Because magazines aren’t time sensitive, its’ easy to just never get around to attending to them.  We habitually set them down and forget about them, and they selfishly clutter our space.  It’s time to create a new habit.
Saddle up, put 10 minutes on the clock, and Get Ready…Get set…GO!

1. Grab a bag or box and lasso all the magazines and catalogs you can find in your home.
2.  Spread out the whole kit-and-caboodle.  Sort these mailings by vendor and take stock of what you have.  Like a lot of the Stuff that comes into our lives and our space, magazines pile up without us intentionally inviting them into our space to serve a specific purpose.  With the exception of a few hobby- or interest-based magazines, my money says that most of these mailings aren’t earning their place in your space.
3. Take a look at these piles and notice your reaction to each magazine.  Do you think “I can’t wait to leaf through that” or “there’s a recipe in here I’m dying to try out” or is your reaction more that of obligation: “ugh, I really should read this”?  I invite you to get rid of anything that doesn’t make you feel excited or expansive.  If you don’t want to read it RIGHT NOW, it’s unlikely you every will.  Translation: toss it.
4. For the remaining items, make it easy on yourself to read and enjoy the magazines that you’ve decided have earned a place in your home.  Assign a place for incoming magazines to land where you know they’ll be read and enjoyed.  After you’ve read them, make a pact with yourself to either recycle them or containerize or shelf them so that they won’t clutter up your surfaces.

Time’s Up!  Kick off your boots and congratulate yourself on completing your fourth challenge.

I’d love to see your progress, so keep those pictures a-comin’! (I’ll always ask your permission before sharing your photos or comments)

Bonanza Bonus:
Give yourself a pat on the back if you took the next step in eliminating magazine clutter from your life by unsubscribing from mailings that you realize you don’t read or no longer want to receive.

Pioneers:

For the more adventurous lot, take the next step in this challenge with the title of the most organized cowboy (or cowgirl) in this town.  For magazines you know you want to keep for future reference or enjoyment, containerize them with a magazine holder like the one above. The Container Store (click here) to see the options) has many to choose from, so you’re sure to find one to fit your space, style, and budget.  If you’re planning to save a special periodical for many years to come, like one of my clients, who was IN the magazines she’s holding onto, opt for an archival box (click here to see) that will protect the pages from environmental damage.