Get organised: Week four

The Get Organised Challenge: Week Four

Well done! You've made it to the final week of the challenge. Your clutter-crisis zones are tidy and you should have more time to enjoy the things you love. This week, Helen Foster explains how to maintain your simpler new life

Living the sorted life

So that's it, the official end of the Challenge. Congratulations for getting through it! Your house and your mind should now be feeling clearer and fresher. This week we're going to focus on how to maintain your new life. It's so easy to let the clutter sneak back in and for small tasks to start stealing your free time again. In general, it takes six weeks of doing something for our brain to accept it as part of normal life, so the next few weeks are vital to your success.

Action plan one: the clutter control rules

It's all very well getting organised, but now you need to stay that way. Most of the tips we've given over the last few weeks will help here - but you also need to think ahead.

Staying de-cluttered doesn't mean you will never shop again, but it does mean thinking about what you buy. Here are some tips to help you minimise the amount of clutter and complications you let into your house in the future.

Clothes

If you're one of those people who panic-buy on the day of an event, only to end up wearing one of your old faithful items, stop and think. Getting something ultra-fashionable is always tempting, but think hard about whether it suits you and if you're going to feel comfortable and confident wearing it. A good rule when buying new clothes is only to go for an item if it goes with at least two other things you already own. This way you know it will be versatile and that it fits in with your personal taste.

Kitchen clobber

Before you buy any exciting new gadgets, be honest with yourself - how often did you use that bread-maker or juicer you got for Christmas? If you do decide that you really need a pasta-maker, then make a real promise to use it every week - if you get bored after a month, give it away. Also, make it a rule to always head out with a list when food shopping and stick to it - if you buy more than you need, you'll only end up eating it just because it's there, or chucking it out when it starts to smell.