I have been clutter-free in my office for over a month now, so I feel confident writing this post. My home is slowly but surely getting decluttered as well.
Getting rid of clutter is incredibly simple: just go through your stuff, one section, closet, drawer, or shelf at a time, and get rid of everything that isn’t absolutely essential, that you don’t love and use often. It’s just a matter of putting aside some time to do it.
If it was that easy, however, everyone would do it. And many people struggle with clutter.
So, here are my 10 tips for decluttering:
- Declutter for 15 minutes every day. Start small and stick with it. In no time, you will have a clean space!
- Don’t buy new stuff or bring stuff home. Stop bringing in new stuff NOW. Stop the bleeding. Luckily, my kids are into really small trinkets right now. My wife and I play a game: create a large giveaway bag and get $5. They go buy tiny toys with the money. It works!
- Donate stuff you’re decluttering, so you don’t feel bad about wasting it.
- Start with the sink and move outward, doing the superficial stuff first – surfaces, put away the food processor,etc. Repeat, but do more the 2nd time around, like opening the cupboards.
- Whenever you’r cooking, making coffee or tea, tidy up the kitchen. If the kitchen is tidy, tidy up the next room – it’s only 3 minutes but it keeps you on top of everything. It’s one of the few times that I will advocate multi-tasking.
- Use the “one in, two out” rule. The rule: whenever you bring in an item, you have to throw away two other items.
- Clothing rule: If you haven’t worn an item in 6 months, sell or donate it.
- Declutter one room (including any closets, desks, cabinets, etc.) before starting on the next one. Spending time in that room will feel incredibly satisfying, and it will be so easy to keep clean that it will motivate you to do more!
- Remember that your value is not in your “stuff”. It is just “stuff”. We are not our possessions.
- Have someone else help you declutter. They don’t have the emotional attachment that you might have, but can still recognize if something should be kept.
Living in a decluttered space makes a great start to the day. The look of simplicity in a room makes me feel at ease and makes me want to be creative. It determines my mindset for the rest of the day. To walk into a room that reflects simplicty and calmness is something to be enjoyed.
It makes you want to read a book, write, create or think about the things to come.
A decluttered living area leads to inspiration and makes space for other things to flow into your life. Good luck!
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