Do you walk in the door of your house and groan at the piles? Do you plan to gather the strength to divide and conquer yet get discouraged because you don't know where to start? Does the same pile of clutter grow back on the kitchen counter and near the door? Do you have a special laundry pile of unique "need to wash" items that has been ignored for decades? Do you miss having company visit your house because you are embarassed at the current state of affairs? Have you decided that it's easier to live with the clutter out of surrender?
First you will need some motivation. A reason for action. Here is a short list of the value of conquering the clutter in your home.
A Clutter-free house:- is less stressful
- aids in finding lost items
- allows you to answer the door and invite friends in *now*
- frees up time to do other things (instead of looking for stuff)
- is safer since you can walk through a room without tripping
- is a sign you are in control of your stuff
Most of it is junk and worthy of a toss
Yes, its shocking. We live in a society that prides itself in gathering and collecting stuff. How many sweaters can a person really wear? How many candy dishes or knick knacks does a home require? How many toys do your kids really enjoy? How many books will you really read again?
The key to declutter is maintaining a ruthless policy of purging.
If you haven't used the item in a year, haven't worn it, touched it, read it or seen it, is it really needed in your house to take up space? Be ruthless. Most of the clutter problem will be stuff you just need to toss or give away. Expect that when you begin to declutter, you will not be reorganizing your stuff. You will be ridding your home of most of it.
Start in one spot
Begin on the kitchen counter (or the space by the door) where the mail gets dropped and stuff piles up easiest. Or begin in your bedroom closet. It doesn't matter where you begin, but the key here is *start*. Show up.
Have plastic sacks or boxes ready. One for "toss it out". One for recycle (give away to charity). One to keep. Sort, touching each item only once. If you haven't seen that coupon in four months and its expired, toss it. Once you have your sort piles established for this small area, move out the toss/charity boxes and begin the process of organizing the "keep stuff". Find a place for it. Put it away.
Take a break then move forward
Survey the goodness of the clean, de-cluttered spot. Have a cup of tea of coffee and plan your next attack. Head to a closet that caves in everytime you open it. Plot the demise of those messy drawers. Remember the key is not to just think about it. Show up!
Purge the old as you bring in the new.
Getting rid of the piles of stuff will help you tidy things up. Keeping it that way means a new way of thinking. When you purchase a new iron to replace the one that isn't behaving properly and is 10 years old, give away or toss the old one. Remember the physics rule? No two things can take up the same space. Bringing something new into your house means that something else must leave. Begin to understand if you buy eight new shirts and four pairs of pants this season, this number of items should be removed from your closet to make room.
Keeping the clutter at a minimum is your goal
Don't be discouraged and don't stop. Remember, the keys to decluttering: Show up. Purge. Put away.
Keeping your home clutter free will provide you with the extra hours in the day to manage the things you enjoy. Read a new book. Take an extra long bath. Go for a walk with a friend. Talk to your family members over a game of scrabble. The long-lasting results of thinking differently about your stuff will provide you with more pleasure.
Girls, get going!
