Decluttering is the buzzword of the decade, isn’t it? We all know we want less clutter in our lives but the simple idea of decluttering isn’t quite right. Why?
1. Because clutter is simply stuff that hasn’t been put away.
Yes, clutter, by definition is really just stuff that hasn’t been put away. And why don’t we put stuff away? Usually, it’s one of two reasons. First, we don’t know where it goes, which means it doesn’t have a home. The second reason is because it isn’t easy to put away. That may mean there isn’t enough ROOM to put it away or a million other things have to be moved or pulled out in order to put it away. Guess what that means? Your lazy self or your lazy teenager are not going to do it. Let’s be real.
2. Decluttering doesn’t solve the problem.
You have clutter because you have too much stuff. That’s the primary reason. So, when you think decluttering or organizing the clutter will work, it won’t. You have to downsize your stuff so that it’s easy to maintain. Every home has it’s own special amount of just-the-right-amount-of-stuff. You’ll find yours. If you declutter, bit by bit, you’ll never face the REAL problem. We guarantee it’s that you have too much stuff. Instead, we coach you to go through it ALL AT ONCE. Yes, it’s annoying, but it’s TOTALLY worth it. And, it will give you peace about getting rid of stuff because you’ll be convinced you have enough. It totally works.
Okay, so if decluttering doesn’t work, what does?
First, you need to completely gut the room or area that is really giving you pain. We do mean everything. All of it.
Next up, go ahead and clean, vacuum and wipe down everything while it’s easy.
Now we’re going to go through each category of item and make decisions. Yes, this is the hard part. But, as you go, you’ll get better. You’ll get faster and faster about making decisions as to what really matters to you and what doesn’t. It’s a muscle, and you’ll grow it.
Finally, put things back in an organized fashion. Group like things together. Make things easy to put away! Don’t put anything back on surfaces! Surfaces are not storage. If you find things that don’t belong, put those in a separate bin to work on later. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted.
While you’re at it, make a few special moments of pretty design or your favorite things.
IMMEDIATELY put everything you’re donating / discarding in the car. It’s got to go within 24 hours! We mean it. Otherwise, it’ll slowly creep back into your home. NO BUENO!
There you have it!
If you need a little help getting started, we have a free workbook to download right here that can help you brainstorm before you get to work!
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