Besides the most diligently organized and neat among us, most people have amassed quite a bit of ‘stuff' over the years that makes our homes look unattractive, and likely causes us a good degree of angst. There is always that intention to declutter, but it gets buried under the sense of being overwhelmed when we think about the task.
If you are serious about tackling your clutter, there is hope for you. Here are just a few tips to get you started.
Why?
This may seem like a dumb question, but it's an important one to answer when it comes to doing anything, especially that may are unpleasant but beneficial for us. The obvious answer is you want to clear out your home. But, why is that important to you?
Is it because you have a lot of anxiety over the state of your home? Do you think a neater environment would create a calmer mind? Would you enjoy your home more if it was organized and neat? Are you embarrassed by its current state; does it keep you from having people come over? Give this some thought and you will get infused with a nice dose of motivation that will allow you to see this project through to its completion.
Get Some Momentum Going with Trash
Nothing makes us feel better about charging through with a task than the sense that we are making progress. It energizes our efforts and we want to keep making it. So, when it comes to a decluttering strategy, start with the easiest thing–go right for everything that will go right in the garbage. Moving through your home with those trash bags, and just throwing one thing in there after another without a second thought will feel great.
Be Prepared to Let Stuff Go
If a lot of your clutter is due to holding onto things because you just generally have a hard time getting rid of things, or are convinced you may use someday even though you haven't in years, you have to confront this.You need to shift thinking if you want to make real progress.
When going through items, tune into gut instincts. If you feel the urge to chuck something, just do it. If you find yourself deliberating whether to keep something, there is a good chance you probably can do without it. If there is something that is in good condition, consider donating or selling it—think about how it can benefit someone else and it can be easier to let it go.
There can be some good money made here. If your jewelry box is overflowing with items, consider taking some of it to a jewelry store that specializes in buying used items—this can be a real money maker for people. Do you really need dozens of earrings, necklaces and bracelets? Have a yard sale or put up some items on Ebay or Craigslist.
This is a great opportunity to not only declutter your home, but move towards a simpler life where you are not being ruled by possessions. It is a nice feeling to pare down.
Use a Mix of Planned Decluttering and Inspiration
Moments of cleaning inspiration may strike, allowing you to power through with amazing speed and efficiency. You may get a huge chunk of your house done at once. It is awesome when this happens because it doesn't feel like drudgery. But, you probably can't rely on inspiration alone to get the job done, and you'll need some sort of plan. Don't focus on the house as a whole—tackle it in bite-sized chunks. Work some time into your schedule, and stick to it as best you can. Even if it is just 30 minutes between your two favorite TV shows.
Decluttering can seem like a monumental task, but once you set an intention to do it, the process becomes a whole lot easier. Just be patient with the process, and before you know it, you'll be done.
