Box and Banish the Clutter
Clutter can invade our lives in many different ways and having different ways of removing that clutter can be beneficial. The Box & Banish is another tool to help you get handle on your clutter before it kills a sales opportunity.
Out of sight, out of mind: Box and Banish
Box and Banish is an alternative to the 4-Box method. Where the 4-Box method nibbles away at clutter bit-by-bit, Box and Banish is a drastic, clear-it-out effort that transports clutter away from living areas, to be dealt with later.
Box and Banish is simple
Gather all clutter from counters, drawers, chairs, tables, floors, ovens, and bathtubs. Place the clutter into boxes or bags, and stack it somewhere outside the living area. Work until all surfaces are clear and clutter free.
Next step: open each box or bag of clutter, one at a time. As with the 4-Box method, decide whether each item inside should be thrown away, put away, given away or sold, or stored. In extreme cases, de-clutterers have been known to throw away Box and Banish boxes, sight unseen!
Box and Banish has one big advantage and two big disadvantages as a de-clutter method. On the plus side, Box and Banish creates instant results. Often, impending guests or other emergencies force a version of Box and Banish upon the cluttered household. Clearing clutter quickly sparks enthusiasm and motivation.
On the minus side, personal energies can often sag long before the Box and Banish de-clutterer reaches the end of the boxed clutter. The effort stalls, the clutter remains, aging gently in the bags and boxes as it becomes surrounded by new layers of clutter. In a worst-case scenario, the need for some Boxed-and-Banished item can trigger a formation of Mt. Cluttermore, as the frantic searcher upends each carefully boxed hill of clutter, looking for the single missing item.
More important, while Box and Banish can create an instant absence of apparent clutter, the method does nothing to change the underlying problem. More gradual de-cluttering methods go hand-in-hand with other components of getting organized: building new habits, organizing stored items, creating new household routines. Box and Banish, for many, is a mere cosmetic quick-fix.
Still, if you're fiercely motivated and determined to complete the de-clutter process, Box and Banish is an option that jumpstart's organizational efforts with fast results.
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