This is a story of a lovely couple, whom we will call Joe and Sally. Joe and Sally called us when preparing for the arrival of their new baby. They needed to convert their office/storage room into a nursery. Joe has many interests and had magazines and resources to go along with each and every one of them!

In one corner of the nursery-to-be was an enormous pile of magazines and papers. Joe called this pile of papers “the amorphous blob,” as he knew very little about what was actually piled there. Though this blob did not hold all of the papers and magazines in the house, it was a major obstacle to realizing the vision the couple had for creating a room for their baby.

This is how the amorphous blob was tamed:

How to declutter paper piles using personal criteria

While Joe worked through current papers, Pam took a stack from the pile and sorted the loose papers into one pile and the magazines into another. Then she and Joe together worked through several stacks, creating criteria for which papers and magazines to keep and for how long. They used the “personal criteria for clutter reduction worksheet” (👈 get your free copy by clicking on the link!) we created expressly for this purpose.

The beauty of having criteria clearly defined for Joe was that he no longer had to personally handle each magazine or piece of paper. He was able to delegate the process of going through the papers to someone else he trusted, knowing they could use his criteria.

Joe and Pam worked through several stacks of paper and magazines together during the initial sessions, refining the criteria as they went along.

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Due to the sheer volume of the “amorphous blob” and the time sensitivity of getting the room ready for the baby, we brought in another organizer for support. Our organizer Gail spent several hours working through the mountain of papers and magazines using the criteria established by Joe and Pam. The criteria allowed Gail to accurately determine what to recycle and what to keep.

Joe was still in control: throughout the process, if Gail or Pam felt uncertain about a particular item, they set it aside for Joe’s review. Creating a review pile is a great alternative to asking the leader what to do with each paper, which interrupts flow and causes distractions. Whenever possible, we help clients “batch” items that need review so that they can be tackled in groups instead of one at a time.

Through these means, the volume of papers and magazines that Joe had to sift through was dramatically reduced, freeing up his precious time and energy. Gail was able to continue working on this project while both Joe and Sally were at work, so they came home to a space ready for the baby.

Joe and Sally lived in a two bedroom apartment, so furniture needed rearranging in addition to the project of decluttering paper. The desk that had been in the former office/storage room was moved into the main living area to make room for the crib. For the desk and office supplies to fit, the living room book collection was culled. This created the necessary space on the bookshelf for Joe to store office supplies close to his desk.

Decluttering can bring up mixed feelings – and that is okay!

Joe reported a tinge of fear and sadness along with his satisfaction with his newly decluttered collection. He shared that the magazines and papers represented parts of himself that he wished to nurture and hold on to.

There was no question in anyone’s mind, however, that making space for the baby made it worth working through these feelings! Pam encouraged Joe to acknowledge his feelings rather than suppress them. She suggested that Joe embrace the knowledge that he is, in fact, an excellent lawyer, even without keeping all his law journals.

Joe also acknowledged that legal precedents change rapidly and that much of the information in his physical magazines could be more easily found electronically. Joe was able to develop new habits regarding his publications, which helped him let them go much more quickly than he was able to before.

Preparing your home for a new baby or other household transition is a challenging and exciting process. It requires working through a lot of emotion as well as physical clutter. The most important thing to remember during this process is that your feelings are normal, and to be mindful and gentle with yourself as they come up.

Many people assume that getting the house ready for a baby (or other welcome transition!) will be a 100% joyful and positive experience. But it can be tough at the same time! Remember that any sadness and fear you experience as you let go does not mean your joy and excitement are any less genuine and heartfelt.

We are happy to report that Joe and Sally’s new baby girl came home to a warm and inviting room designed just for her!

Discover more ways to mindfully declutter your home or office here! >>

Would you like support in preparing for a baby or any upcoming transition?  If so, schedule a free and confidential clarity call with Pam.