Maybe things have gotten away from you a little bit, you let something slide here and there, you told yourself you would put that away later, and now you look around and you find that you can hardly move with the mess that surrounds you. You look about you and ask, "How can I reduce clutter?" Be happy you asked because, if you follow through with this line of questioning, you'll soon be on a short and happy path to an organized home.

If you have never tried to tame clutter before you might want to give the traditional Four Box Method a try.

You will need the following tools:

• 4 Large cardboard bankers' boxes or similar size plastic bins
• 1 Large marker
• Paper & Tape

Preparation:

Use the marker, paper and pen to make labels for your boxes. You will need 4 large labels:

• Trash
• Pass it On
• Storage
• Put Away

When you have finished making your labels:

1. Affix one of these labels to each of the four boxes.

2. Put your boxes in the middle of the room. Put on some pleasant or motivating music, start by grabbing anything that is not where it should be and start sorting.

How to Sort:

Trash

Everything that goes in this box is going to go in the trash. Don't be timid about putting stuff in this box. If hardly anything is making into this container, you are just putting off dealing with your clutter. If it's broken, you don't use it, and nobody else wants it, there is no point in storing it; throw it away.

Pass it On

This box is for things that are in working order, that you believe would benefit someone else. You can give it to your aunt Matilda, sell it at a yard sale or online auction, or give it away to goodwill for a tax deduction. Either way it's leaving your house for good.

Put Away

Items in this box are being used on a regular basis, but are not where they are supposed to be. Put socks that didn't make it to the hamper here, toys, remote controls, and anything else that needs to go in a drawer, basket, or other room.

Storage

Things that you have used in the past year and anticipate using again go in this box. This includes winter coats and warm hats (if its summer now) and other seasonal items. Don't store electronics that don't work and that you know full well you will never repair. Number the box, and make a list of the things you are putting in it as you go; this way you can find them later if you need them.

You can try the old 4 Box Method on a Saturday afternoon and see how it works for you. It can take a long time to see results with this method, sometimes months, depending on how much time you can devote to it daily. If you find yourself overwhelmed and are asking, "How can I reduce clutter faster?" You may want to look for more modern decluttering systems.

Joesph Merton is a recovering clutter collector, author and foe of clutter everywhere.

Reprinted with permission.