Declutter Journey Kick Off - Top 10 Tips
Your free starter's guide to getting rid of clutter.
1. Get started.
It's easy to get caught up in trying to figure out where to start, what process to use, and consuming all the information there is about decluttering (like this free guide), but if you really want to have a decluttered home, you need to actually start. It doesn't matter where or how. Pick something up. Decide if you really love or need it. Find it a home or get rid of it. Repeat.
2. Define your why.
Why do you want to have less stuff? Why do you want to get organized? Do you want to travel more? Have less stress? Save money? Or have more time with family? Whatever your reason or reasons may be, write it down. Then put it somewhere you can see it often. Also, get into the habit of reading it each time before you declutter. This will remind you why you're sorting, give you motivation to do the work, and help you let go of more things faster so you can reach your goal.
3. Set declutter goals & schedule them.
Think about how your home is now. How much work needs to be done before you get to your why? Does the garage need basically emptied so you can finally park your car(s) in it? Does the guest room need major help so you can host family and friends? Does the basement need sorted and organized so you can find things? Write down actionable goals and then schedule them. How many power sessions (see tip 5) would it take to do the garage? The basement? The main rooms of the house? Then put those on your calendar.
4. Do a mini declutter session every day.
Starting is the first big hurdle, but sticking to it and making significant headway is also vital. Therefore, I recommend setting aside time each day to declutter. Decluttering is a habit and process more than a task. By a mini session, I mean setting aside 5-15 minutes each day to declutter something. That may be going through one drawer or one shelf. Or it could be taking the load you packed up during your power session to the donation center or dump.
5. Do a declutter power session every week.
By a power session, I mean a 2 hour or longer block of time that is dedicated each week to decluttering and organizing. That way you are giving yourself time to tackle bigger decluttering tasks such as organizing the whole bathroom in one go or sorting through a little corner in the garage. Now, an important note is that neither these power sessions nor your daily mini sessions are times are for cleaning or putting things back where they go. This is strictly for tackling areas that have not been dealt with in a long time or for sorting items that need to find a permanent home.
6. Pick-up/clean everyday.
THIS is the time you use for putting things back where they belong and cleaning. Your home will still get messy overtime if you (or your spouse/kids) are not putting everything back right after you are done using them (that is a habit to work towards), but first, just get in the routine of spending 10-30 minutes cleaning up each day. That way the spaces you have already decluttered will stay looking nice. It may take some getting used to, but it will become more and more automatic the longer you do it. If you are just getting started and you have a lot of clutter, start with a power session in one room and then spend your pick-up and cleaning sessions going forward mostly in that room to keep it nice. As you declutter the house then you can start picking up and cleaning in more spaces that are clutter free.
7. Don't get stuck on one decision too long.
Sometimes you can pick up an item and fight with yourself about it. You find something sentimental, expensive, or a gift that someone gave you, and you just can't decide whether to keep it or let it go. In this situation, change things up: Ask yourself how hard it would be to replace? What's the worst-case scenario? What's the best-case scenario? Does it fit in with your why and support your future goals? If these questions don't help, put it in a box in the garage or a closet for later and look at it in a month or so (you can set a reminder on your phone). But honestly... if it takes that much thought and you're not convinced to keep it? Let it go.
8. Actually get decluttered items out of your house.
My favorite thing to do for my clients is to take their decluttered items with me when I leave and drop them off where they need to go. It gives me PURE GLEE to know the work we put in to sort and declutter actually made a dent in the overall stuff they now have in their home. Don't leave your items sitting in your entryway, garage, or car for any longer than you have to. Get them out and enjoy the peace that follows.
NOTE: Not everything you decide you don't want goes to the donation center or the dump. Read my blog post on 10 Ways to Dispose of Clutter & Reduce Waste to learn where to declutter items.
9. Don't give up.
Even after implementing all these tips, you will still probably have days when you don't feel like you're making any progress. You may feel like you'll never make it, but the truth is, if you have put in a lot of hard work and are now feeling this way, that means you're almost at the top of the mountain and are about to start rolling downhill. You're about to start feeling the freedom of simplicity. So DO NOT GIVE UP NOW!
10. If you aren't making
enough progress, ask for help.
If you feel that the problem is you just do not know what you are doing or you keep putting off your power sessions just one more week, then ask for help. You can ask your super organized friend or relative for some accountability or advice, or you can ask a declutter coach like me.
And if you would like to get help decluttering your home, schedule a free phone consultation today. I would love to help you conquer your clutter!
For more advice on specific topics, explore the rest of my blog posts.
Remember, you own your stuff... your stuff DOES NOT own you.
And just so you know... I'm rooting for you. You got this.
Now get started!
