Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight (49 page)

Makeup

Creams and lotions

The day's receipts

Discard any items that you don't need or use, and give your bedside table a good dusting.

Task 5:

CLEAR OFF THE TOPS OF YOUR DRESSERS

This is another flat-surface task. Put away or get rid of the usual clutter like:

Jewelry

Cosmetics

Phone and other communications devices

Fragrances

Only keep out items that you use regularly and that you need to see. Consider using small plastic bins or decorative totes to store the other items. Put them where they can easily be accessed: a bedroom dresser or drawer, a shelf in your closet, or even in a bathroom cupboard close to where you dress. When you're finished decluttering, dust those flat surfaces.

Task 6:

CLEAR THE FLOOR

Your floor is the largest flat surface in your bedroom, and as such, it deserves plenty of attention (and
you
deserve to be able to vacuum it easily). Remove any items that don't fit your vision for the space, and put all items where they belong. That means:

Clothes in the laundry hamper in the closet or other out-of-the-way spot

Shoes in the shoe rack in the closet

Paperwork in your office

Food utensils in the kitchen

This is a great opportunity to identify permanent homes for the items that you usually just drop on the floor of your bedroom.

Task 7:

CLEAN OUT YOUR DRESSER

Your dresser is another “zone” in your bedroom. It should only contain clothes that you wear regularly. Decide how much of each type of clothing (socks, underwear, workout clothes, etc.) you'll store in your dresser.

Empty all your drawers and inspect each item of clothing. Discard anything with holes, worn-out waistbands, or stains. Get rid of stuff that doesn't fit. Toss socks without mates and garments you haven't worn in the past year.

If you have clothes with sentimental value that you don't plan on wearing again, decide whether you really need to keep them. If so, store them somewhere else so they're not taking up space for clothes you're actually using.

Sort everything neatly into its proper drawer. Each drawer should be easy to open and close. If it won't close, pull out your least-favorite items and get rid of them. Remember: A closed drawer is more important than 20 pairs of underwear you never wear!

Task 8:

DECLUTTER THE REST OF THE ROOM

Go through any zones I haven't mentioned yet, such as inside your bedside tables, trunks, and decorative tables (but not your clothes closet—you'll get to that later). Remember that bedside tables are not meant to be used primarily as storage. Begin by emptying everything onto your bed.

Be strict in deciding what should live in your bedside table. Things that were randomly dumped here sometime in the past have no place in your bedside table or in your bedroom. Say good-bye to old tissues, pieces of Lego, the takeout menu from your local pizzeria, foreign coins from your overseas vacation, movie tickets, the earring without a match, the pocketknife you got when you were 12, and the beaded whatever-that-thing-is that your child made at summer camp. It may sound silly, but I promise that a decluttered, clean, and well-organized bedside table will bring you joy you hadn't imagined!

Scour the remaining areas in your bedroom. Get rid of anything that doesn't support a simple, quiet, relaxing environment. Should every item support the two goals of your bedroom (togetherness and sleep)? Yes. Should
every item fit the more specific vision you established for the room? Yes. Does everything in your room do so? Unlikely. If you do decide to keep them, should they go somewhere else? Certainly.