STEP 1: FIND CLUTTER
Get started with my Free Decluttering Guide to remove visual clutter quickly and easily. This will go more in-depth and help you begin processing the psychological reasons people hold on to clutter. Meanwhile, ...
Quick Visual Clutter Checklist:
- Furniture and bulky items
- Trash
- Broken Items
- Stuff you've been meaning to toss but haven't yet
Look at the piles and open your eyes to the things that you don't need or use. Seeing the excess helps prevent you from falling into the same patterns. Make note of your findings.
Take it all in and breathe out a sigh of relief as you realize, it is going to get better. You and your home are going to feel lighter.
Q: Do I want to spend my time and energy to keep picking this up and putting it away?
Q: Do I really need and enjoy using this?
Q: If I were moving, is this an item I would bring into my new house?
Q: Is this an item I would use or enjoy today or in the next year?
DECLUTTERING ANSWERS:
MOSTLY YES - KEEP
MOSTLY NO - TOSS
TIEBREAKER QUESTION:
Q: Is it expensive or hard to replace?
If you answered yes, keep it. If you answered no, toss it.
Kids Tip: As moms, we accumulate excess kids stuff (clothing and toys, etc..). Are you holding on to stuff because the kids love and enjoy it, or because you do, or is it both? This is often a harsh reality to accept if they show no sign of interest but it’s “your dream for your kids to love it”. Once you understand this and embrace your kids for their interests and who they want to be, it changes everything.
Quickly look at your keep pile and see if there is anything else you've decided that you want to toss or donate before you move on.
STEP 3: TIDY WHAT'S LEFT
Yay! You've officially decluttered. Whether it's 1 item or 100, you're already on your way!
Now it's time to tidy what's left. First, take out the trash. Next, take donations to the center or mark a calendar date to do so and put them in your car. Do not bring donations back into the house, or look at them again.
Map out your storage spaces on paper and decide where you'd like each category and subcategory to go. You do not need new storage. Use what you currently have, it is good enough!
Leave space for gifts, pantry items, clothes, and other incoming items. Implement a one-in-two-out rule, or something similar so you never exceed your storage space.
By now, you are already well on your way to a decluttered and simplified home! Take these steps and repeat them to desensitize emotional attachments and make lasting progress.
My Declutter Your Life Course helps moms like you achieve a better home/work-life balance with abundant resources and step-by-step guides for decluttering, organizing, interior design, focusing on self-care, and so much more. Access is important, so it's affordable for every mom. Click the link to check out the full course outline.
On top of all of these amazing resources, you are welcome to continue your journey with my Free Monthly Decluttering Challenges.
Let me know your decluttering tips and tricks in the comments below or if you have any questions. I'd love to hear from you!
-Sara xoxo