Many of us struggle to avoid drowning in paper. There’s not a simple route to paperlessness—it requires a multi-pronged solution. None of the steps are complicated, though, and each one can make a dent in the volume of paper you handle every day.

December 8, 2011  

I admire Mom for doing the work of sorting and purging her life’s collections now, while she can give the gift of her memories to me. I’ll cherish those stories when she’s no longer here to tell them.  

My goal is not to steal away as much of your stuff as I can, it’s to make sure you’re keeping only what you really want. It’s helping you fit in your house again.  

Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offsers some organizing ideas to help you get unstuck when the declutting project seems too large and you don’t know where to start.

As a professional organizer, the first part of my job is to figure out where you are on the clutter spectrum. Can you handle the piles yourself, or do you need my help? Here are the clues I look for.

Store is a documentary about self-storage units and the people who use them, a fascinating commentary on how we cling to our stuff. The desire to maintain ownership is so strong that we’re willing to pay for it over and over again.

The National Association of Professional Organizers designates January as “Get Organized Month.” Learn about upcoming events that will help you achieve your organizing goals in 2010.

The Clutter Fairy helps clients make decisions about their personal belongings. Make your own choices about your stuff while you can still consciously choose. Don't wait until those choices are taken away by declining health.

All of us have a relationship to the things we own, and those relationships either work for us or they don’t. Think about it: If clutter is interfering with enjoying your life, the relationship isn’t working!

Researching genealogy is a rewarding hobby, but it generates mountains of data. How will you keep up with it all, much less hand over comprehensible information to the next generation? The Clutter Fairy offers strategies for a system that expands as your collection grows.

Been procrastinating on gathering and sorting tax documents? Stop beating yourself up, and take a look at The Clutter Fairy’s Last-Minute Tax Season Fire Drill, a quick sorting process to find the paperwork you need, ignore the stuff you don’t, and assemble your vital tax paperwork in time for the April 15 IRS deadline.

Was one of your New Year’s resolutions “Get this place organized this year?” Having trouble making progress? Here’s The Clutter Fairy list of the five most common mistakes people make when they undertake the process of getting organized.

The best way to accomplish any job is to take it step by step. If “get organized” is on your to-do list for the New Year, how about trying “new month resolutions” this year? Break out the steps it’ll take to get your space organized, and set each step as a monthly goal.

Recycling is one part of a larger strategy for eliminating clutter from your life, managing the waste you generate, and “greening” your lifestyle and the planet. The Clutter Fairy offers a user-friendly guide to recycling in Houston, Texas.

The recession has been a surprising silent partner in The Clutter Fairy’s campaign against clutter. But clutter-conscious giving needs to become a mindset, a philosophy, a way of looking at life that reprioritizes what’s most important in the flush times and the lean years.

Overwhelmed by hurricane recovery projects? The Clutter Fairy asks for advice from Dennis Anga, a roofer and landlord, who offers insight into getting repairs done on your home.

Clearing clutter can give you a blank slate. It can let you start over with a space that's clean, fresh, and exactly how you like it. Can't imagine clearing the clutter in a room of your house? Try cleaning out your refrigerator completely.

As The Clutter Fairy, I feel a responsibility not to add to people’s clutter when I give gifts. So I offer clutter-free holiday gift ideas, such as gifts of services or experiences instead of material items.