I easily get overwhelmed with clutter. The paper, school projects and work edits take up a lot of space. I want to push the blame off on the other family members, but I manage to produce quite a mess all on my own.

For some reason, my office is the first place where a box of unknown origin ends up. It isn’t dealt with immediately and eventually becomes incorporated into the space. Someone comes to visit, such as my mother-in-law, and we manically stuff more objects into the same small room. I tolerate the clutter until I can no longer tolerate the clutter. Sadly, I find I have a pretty high tolerance. I just don’t like it.

It takes a major event for me to wade through the paraphernalia and decide to keep or purge. Since there are a few days until summer, I’m calling this office purge a spring cleaning of sorts.

The history of cleaning each spring has an ambiguous history but has been attributed to various Iranian, Christian, Buddhist and Jewish holidays. The holidays may differ, but the traditions are similar. The idea is to cleanse the year, body or soul. For anyone living with seasonal changes, the purpose is more practical. It’s difficult to clean certain areas of the house when it’s cold outside. I realize I’m making excuses for the clutter, but I thought it was worth mentioning there can be cause to celebrate. It isn’t motivation enough for me to have an efficient use of my space. I need a reward.

One thing I’ve always done is make my children go through their own projects at the end of the school year. They provide input on what to keep and what to clear out. We revisit certain items each year to make sure the “project love” is still intact. Some objects don’t hold the test of time. Other items are kept while the rest are recycled or used as wrapping paper.

I take photos of each favorite project. Their work took a lot of time, and I want to honor their creativity. I have a folder on my computer for each child, labeled by school year. I also try to store a few favorite photos taken throughout the year in the same location. Senior year comes fast, and it makes it easier to create a slideshow.

Incompatible computers and cords have found a home in the corner of my space, as well as unused school supplies. I think loose-leaf paper must have been on sale. Slowly my space is becoming habitable, stymied by a few trips down memory lane. Cleaning out and organizing almost makes me want to venture into other sections of our house. Almost. I wish you well with your own organizational process.