If your home or office has a lot of clutter, to avoid becoming overwhelmed, start small. Whether it’s a drawer or closet, getting started is half the battle. You’ll find that the act of decluttering becomes contagious. Now only for ourself, but often for other family members, as well.

If children are involved, make it a game. Set up boxes or totes and let them determine that which can be donated, or maybe later sold in a garage sale. If children are taught charity (the gift of sharing and giving to the less fortunate), they will soon learn how to easily give up toys they are not playing with.

As you declutter, you may encounter some items to which you have an emotional attachment. If you’re not willing to let go of these items, think about packing them up and putting them in storage.

On thing I learned from reruns of the “Home Made Simple” show on TLC (The Learning Channel , is to have either a “path” or a “home” for everything you own.

A home for your clothes would be a closet or drawer

A home for dishes, pots or pan may be in a cabinet, drawer or hanging off of a pot rack.

A home for books would be a bookcase or shelf

A home for a family heirloom may be a curio cabinet

A path for excess toys, clothes not being worn, or decorator items not being used may be…”to our favorite charity”

A path for broken or worn out items would be ….to the garbage

A path for seasonal clothes or sports equipment would to …..to storage

A path for important papers would be……to be filed.

I now use this technique when I go shopping. If I see something, and I think of buying it, I ask myself, “Do I have a home for it?” Often the answer is no. By using this technique, I’m not only saving money, but reducing excess clutter.

Some say, if you bring one new item into your home, you should remove two like items. Although this appears to be a great system to declutter a home, I haven’t tried it yet.

Photo Credit: ifindkarma’s photostream