Go Organize: Conquer Clutter in 3 Simple Steps by Marilyn Bohn

you. It is a place where you can relax, connect, and bond with your significant other or just be alone. If it is cluttered, it makes it hard to relax and fall asleep. The clutter is another reminder that there are things that still need to be done. Let's create a sanctuary in the master bedroom — a place of retreat, free from clutter and chaos.
    SEARCHLIGHT
    Starting from the inside out, look in the closets, dressers, and nightstands. Then, working from left to right (like reading a book), look for things you like about this room and for things you don't like. Write them in your notebook. Can you feel and see what is keeping you from the highest wattage when you are in your bedroom? While you are looking around, take a picture so when you're finished you can look back and see what great improvements you have made. Be sure to take a picture of the inside of your closet — by the time you are finished, you will be amazed at the transformation! The closet is often the messiest and most frustrating place in the bedroom. We toss things in, and we grab things out, telling ourselves some day it will be different. Write your responses to the following questions in your notebook:
 
What is it you like about this room? What lights you up?
     
What don't you like about this room? Does it make you feel agitated and restless? Identify your needs by asking yourself the following questions:
 
What type of atmosphere do you want in this room?
     
Do you have a hard time falling asleep, and could this be because of the clutter and chaos?
     
Is this room neglected?
     
Is the closet functional?
     
Can you find things you need on the nightstand?
     
Is there too much furniture for the amount of space?
     
Are the dressers organized and are the things that you need and use nice and tidy?
     
Is the room a dumping ground with all flat surfaces, including the floor, piled with clutter and clothes?
     
How did it get this way? What are you doing to keep it this way?
     
Has it become a habit to just throw things in and shut the door because guests don't see this room?
     
Are there things here that belong in other rooms (laundry, toys, craft projects)?
     
     
You have gone through the closets and nightstands, looked under the bed, behind the door, and in the dressers and rated everything. What is your wattage number now (see page 15)? When you are in this room, are you lit up at a 7 or above? If not, then you have some things to do.
     
Paula's Story
    Can you relate to Paula, who dreaded taking her Searchlight and looking at her bedroom? She already knew she wasn't happy or lit up when she was in her bedroom, but she was determined to make some changes.
    She liked the colors in her room, and she loved her big, soft comfy chair. She did wish she could use the chair for reading instead of a clothes hanger.
    The bed was always covered with laundry that needed folding. Her nightstand was piled with old magazines, paper wrappers, and dirty dishes. Her closet was stuffed with clothes she hadn't worn in a year, that she didn't like, or that didn't fit. She had held on to the clothes thinking that “one day” she would fit in them again. (Haven't we all felt that way?) These clothes were discouraging to her, and she felt guilty for not being able to wear them. She decided that when she became the clothes size she wanted to be, she would reward herself and buy some new clothes instead of living in the past and hanging on! The dresser drawers looked like someone had taken an egg beater to the clothes; they were such a jumbled mess. She couldn't wait to light up this room to a 10!
    Get rid of clothes that are too small. When you reach your ideal size, reward yourself with new clothes.
     
Shut the World Out
    I encourage you not to have a television or computer in your bedroom. These get in the way of creating a peaceful haven as they create a different focus. Catching up on the nightly news or answering just one more e-mail is inviting the outside