These all mean different things in a different way to different people. However, as a professional organiser here are my definitions.
CLUTTER – Things that one attracts. That one keeps for that “maybe I will use this someday” moment and just can not throw away but do not particularly care for. Think knick-knacks from the dollar shop or pretty but useless bottles. If you do not really love it, or use it. Get rid of it.
DISORGANISATION – Anything that limits ones feeling of calm. It could be anything out of place which could be in place for someone else. Mostly it’s something that is not in the logical place. Like a hamper in the living room or toothbrush holder in the bedroom.
TIDY – A verb to bring back order. Whatever one feels that order is. There is a general consensus but no real threshold for what order or tidy is.
One can tidy up the clutter but that will not matter if one is disorganised because the clutter will come right back. To be organised is to have systems in place that set guidelines for how you run your home, office, and really life. A place for everything and everything in its place could not be more fitting. Because when one is consistent and can expect the coat to be by the door and not on the bedroom floor, life can move smoothly and one’s mind can be spent on more important things.
Ways to declutter.
Start small, pick one area to focus on.
Create designated piles: Keep, Donate, Sell, Recycle and Rubbish.
Keep your energy, if you get overwhelmed or out of focus, take a break. Clarity will help you make the correct decisions.
How to organise.
Why are you doing this? Record your goal. What do you want to achieve from the outcome of this process? How do you want the space to function? Get your details together and define what is important.
Example: The need for employees to consistently access a centralised information group. Or to always know where my keys are.
What is right? Define the number of items that need to be in this space. Who needs to use them? Many organisation solutions fail because the perfect storage solution we got at the shop is not being used as it was designed. Look first at how you use the space and polish that up.
Example: The hanging bag of shoes in the closet works great for the location and to keep them off the floor. However, a separated shoe shelf in that closet would improve the visibility and shorten the hunting time.
Label everything! It will be worth the invested time.
Example: It makes sure everyone knows that this cabinet is not for A files and only for B files. It helps you realise that this difficult to open container is X before you spend the time to open it and find out it’s Y.
Let’s tidy up.
Tidying up is how we keep the decluttering and organisation working. Think of it like dusting. Every so often it needs to be done or everything will get buried and unusable.
Do it when you feel like it. That could be read wrong. What I mean is do it when you have the energy. If you make it a bore and a chore you won’t do it or you won’t do it well and then the system falls apart. Are you a morning person and have all your energy in the morning? I do! That’s when I like to make everything is ready and clean for the day.
Make it a habit. A routine that works for you and you enjoy will make it easier. Eventually, it will be In your nature to sort the papers when they get too much. The key is to stay regular with this habit. That will depend on your goals and ideas of how you want to live and organise your space or company.