Just the other day I had someone tell me that they leave things out so that they can remember to do them: pay bills, take vitamins, mail packages, mouthwash, wrap a present, return that borrowed movie, and on and on, until there is too much stuff sitting out waiting to get done. This is something that I have always tried to avoid, and so I have strategies for remembering to do things without having the "reminder clutter".
Tip #3: Put the clutter away! How many times a day do you walk by that 'reminder' pile and just ignore it anyway? Everything should have a place, and unless you are using it, it should be there. Try to find other ways to remember to do those things. My main strategy is a to-do list. It doesn't matter where you keep it, or how long it is, or how messy it is. The point is to have one place to write down all the things you'd like to do, and then give yourself the satisfaction of crossing off the things you have done. There's a lot of satisfaction in actually being able to throw away a completed to-do list. Personally, I keep mine electronically and it sits right on the counter where I see it, and review it, every morning. Right next to it, I keep a small (and I mean small!) organizer for small papers like bills, receipts, and outgoing mail. And for those times when I just need to jot down a quick note for myself, I also keep a pad of sticky notes in the organizer. So it's all there, taking up very little space. Everything else is put away until I get to it on my list of things to do. There are some things that should just be habit, and not a number on the list. For example, taking vitamins. My suggestion is to keep them in a visible place for about 3 weeks (21 days to form a habit!), take them at the same time every day, and then start putting them away. The habit shouldn't die. Once you have cleared off those counters and desktops, life will seem to clear up also. Are you feeling good about clear counters? Now try this: do you have stuff all over the floor? Furniture is okay, but what about clutter on the floor: Piles of books or magazines, photo albums, stacks of movies, bags of things to give away, odds and ends that don't seem to have a place, toys shoved into a corner? Make a place for all of those things. Buy a bookshelf, a magazine rack, a basket for movies to go in. Put a small basket or bin in your car to put things like rented movies or mail; then it is there reminding you to do it the next time you get in the car. Use a large box in the garage to throw all the give-away stuff into, and promise yourself you'll drive it to the thrift store when it is full or have a garage sale. Make a place in the house or garage for the odd & ends. I actually have a bin that is specifically for my useful odds and ends. Buy a basket for toys or a small toybox. There is always a way to organize the clutter so that you don't have it all over the floor. It'll open up your rooms if you get it all off the floor, and if possible, into a closet or cupboard. And if a more aesthetically pleasing home doesn't convince you, listen to this: my parents' house flooded while they were at work one day. A pipe in the ceiling broke. Everything they had on the floor got wet, some beyond repair or replacement. And if you think it won't happen to you, don't be so sure. It just happened to my sister also!
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