Some of you may be doing alright; you have some piles here and there; you need some better organization systems; and you want a more simple life with less inventory to keep track of. The following advice is not designed for you. Take from it what you think will help you, but don't take any of it too seriously.
This article is for those who are buried in clutter: you can't find anything; you struggle to think in any room of your house; you know you need to get your space under control, but you have let things get so bad you don't know what to do. This advice is for YOU.
TAKE IT SLOW. This process you are about to embark on is a long one. Take it one pile, one box, one day, and one week at a time. Realize how far you have come since day 1, and congratulate yourself for small wins. That will keep you going. Just don't give up. If you keep plugging away, you will make it.
GET THINGS OUT: Don't sort for weeks on end without getting anything actually out of your house. Each day or every couple days, take things you've sorted to the donation center. Go to the dump every other week. Each time you fill a trash bag, take it to the bin outside. It's easy to feel like you are making progress when you are sorting, but then to get up and walk around and feel overwhelmed because nothing has actually gone away. So give your eyes some visual progress by getting things out ASAP.
MAKE IT A DAILY HABIT: Decide what amount of time you can set apart each day for decluttering. Your daily habit could be "decluttering for 15 min," "going through one box, bag, or drawer," "doing one 1/7th of room for a week then moving onto another room," or "decluttering 5 (or whatever #) items each day." Try a short, easy habit for a few weeks to get it ingrained, and then start adding to it.
DECLUTTER PROJECT DAYS: Once a week or a couple times a month, spend a full day decluttering. Go through a whole room or category at once. I recommend starting with the most problematic area or category. For example, the massive pile cluttering up the entry way or clothes if you struggle to find anything to wear each day.
GET HELP: Whether it be hiring someone like me, recruiting a family member or friend, or finding an accountability partner to text who will keep you accountable, I really recommend asking for help. This is probably going to take a long time, and a lot of frustration. So doing it alone is not going to be fun, trust me.
Let me know what you think of this advice by commenting below.
If you want to hire me to help you with this process, contact me today. I would love to just chat with you too.
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