How to Keep Clutter Away for Good

There’s an expression I came across recently with respect to minimalism and reducing clutter: eliminate the pest before the nest. 

The nest I’m referring to isn’t of the wasp or avian variety. If there’s a home full of birds’ nests that need to be decluttered, I have yet to discover it, but I’m sure one exists!

In the context of home organizing, the pest is clutter and the nest is the bin/tray/vessel. Remove the bin and you’ll remove the clutter. How? Bins are clutter magnets! 

As the Law of Attraction dictates, bins full of clutter attract more clutter. If you had no bin to store stuff in, you wouldn’t find ways (translation: buying random gizmos and gadgets) to fill them up. 

I’m not suggesting you do away with any and all existing bins that serve an immediate, practical purpose in your home. The trick is to keep any empty baskets, trays, and containers out of your space. 

You might initially find that near-empty pretty lacquered tray or cute hyacinth basket to be a blessing, but overtime they have a very funny way of begging for more attention (“hey there! ever thought about buying one or three more of me?!” or “hey! It’s been a minute since you added some stuff here!”).

If you constantly find yourself amidst a tornado of stuff, the last thing you want to do is splurge on a bunch of bins to contain the clutter. Instead, cull through your things, even diving into those bins collecting dust on your top shelf. 

If after clearing out your items, you find yourself with a surplus of bins, resist the temptation to hold onto them for “future use.” This is where the clutter cycle begins all over again! Donate them to the Goodwill, give them to a friend, just give those bins the boot. I promise you won’t miss them. In return, you’ll get more open space and more appreciation for the personally curated items you have in your home.