I love lists. I enjoy reading other people's blogs about lists and writing my own lists. Whether or not you feel the same, I'm sure a list or two below could help you declutter your home and improve your life.
By lists for decluttering your home, I mean, put your decluttering goals and to-do's on paper so you can check them off like all your other tasks (no wondering from room to room wondering what you should declutter next). Plus there are lots of list ideas below to help motivate you to declutter.
Ok, let's get to it: Write and then declutter!
THE LIST OF LISTS TO DECLUTTER YOUR HOME
Long-term declutter goals - The first thing I do with all my clients is go over their long-term declutter goals. Some common examples include parking the car in the garage, be able to invite people over, empty the spare room, and/or have a beautiful & simplified closet. Write out all your problem areas and what you want them to look and feel like after your decluttering is done.
Short-term declutter goals - Now, take your big goals and break them down. What are the things you hope to accomplish in the next month? In the next 6 months? In the next year? Write these down and revisit it often.
Decluttering to-do's - What are the tasks you need to accomplish to get your short-term declutter goals done? Do you need to take a load to the dump? Decide where to donate items as you declutter? Spend each Sunday for the next 6 months sorting and organizing? Or maybe it's time to hire a coach. Make your list. Add it to your planner or calendar. And start checking them off.
Daily declutter habits - These are habits you need to make to accomplish your decluttering goals and to-do's. Do you need to start decluttering 5 minutes a day? Do you need to create a daily cleaning, laundry, or pick-up routine? Consider what small actions you need to start doing to make slow, but steady progress towards having the home you want.
Declutter challenges to try - I feel great about myself when I complete a challenge. Usually mine are a month long with something I have to do every day. Maybe try one of my 30 day digital declutter challenges (this one or this one). Or try a 30 day declutter challenge where you declutter the same number of items as the date (on the 1st of the month you declutter 1 item and on the 30th you declutter 30 items). Or the best option: make a 30 day declutter challenge based on your to-do's and goals. But first, just make a list of challenges you want to try, then pick the one that would help you the most, and then get to it!
Wish list - If you struggle with a shopping addiction, or just too many impulse buy's, try making use of a wish list. When you realize there is an item you want or need (not including you ran out of shampoo or you need groceries), put it on a wish list. Then wait a few days or weeks. Then if you still really want or need it, you can buy it for yourself. Or another option is you can save it to ask for on your birthday or for Christmas. Using this list alone has made me way happier with my purchases and has saved me from many impulse buys that I later realized, I didn't really even want. Try it for yourself!
Declutter rules - The wish list is a good example of a declutter rule. RULE: I only buy wants and (most) needs after the item has sat on my wish list for at least 2 days. Other examples of declutter rules could be that junk mail never gets put down (aka it goes from the mailbox into your hands and then straight into the trash), all dishes are washed after each meal, or that you always declutter for at least 5 minutes a day. If you want to have a different life, you have to live by different rules. Write yourself some rules, and then stick to them. If you are having trouble following them, try getting some help from a family member, friend, or declutter coach.
Things to Digitally Declutter - Make a list of all the digital clutter you have. This could be unorganized documents on your laptop, too many apps on your phone, digital photos in 8 different places, or hard drives that you haven't looked at in years. Make your list, then get to work on it. Read my blog post on digital decluttering for more examples and tips to conquer your digital clutter.
Ways to declutter your time - I believe the best place to start decluttering is actually in your calendar. You won't have time for what you love or to declutter your space, if your schedule is full and overflowing with stuff you really don't want or need to be doing. Make a list of your daily, weekly, or monthly responsibilities or time sucking habits that don't add value to your life. Then commit to taking the necessary steps to cut them out. If you find that intriguing, you may also like my 5 tips to make more time for decluttering.
The people in your house and their organizer type - Decluttering also involves organizing the items you decide to keep. And if you live with other people, it is very helpful to keep in mind each person's organizing type. Write down each person you live with and their organizing type. Then while you are organizing shared spaces, make sure to keep each person in mind. Check out this blog post to learn more about the organizing types.
Motivating quotes and affirmations - Decluttering can be very hard. One of the best ways to keep decluttering when the going gets tough, is to have quotes or affirmations you find helpful posted where you see them every day. Check out this post for quote ideas and this post for 50 affirmations. Now go make your list and start getting motivated!
Gratitude - This list is not something you should just write once and then forget. Writing things your grateful for is an amazing daily or weekly habit. The more you think about what you are grateful for, the more content you will be with what you have. Read more about gratitude and decluttering here.
I may add to this list of lists if I come up with more useful ones later. So this isn't a bad page to bookmark for later. ;)
Go read my previous post "The List of Lists for Decluttering Your Mind" for even more lists. Happy writing!
Comment your favorite list idea (or tell me about a list of your own you find helpful)!