Four Ideas that Make Decluttering Easy
Procrastination Will Disappear
Have you ever felt like your decluttering attempts were frustrated by indecision? Did you feel like you were spinning your wheels and making a bigger mess? These four ideas make decluttering easier and will give you the confidence to dominate clutter. I use these principles with my clients and we always get measurable results.
1. Gather Everything You Need First
If you’ve worked with me, you know I use:
- a BLACK TRASH BAG for trash
- a WHITE TRASH BAG for donations that are soft or lightweight
- a CARDBOARD BOX MARKED “DONATE” for donations that are hard or heavy
- a BLACK MARKER for labeling
- a CARDBOARD BOX LABELED “ANOTHER ROOM” for anything that just needs to move to another room
We start with only one question: Does this item stay in this area, or go?
If it goes, put it straight into the designated TRASH, DONATE or ANOTHER ROOM bag or box. This system prevents you from making a bigger mess, because everything is sorted immediately.
If you struggle to decide, keep it in the room where you found it.
2. Narrow Your Focus
We get defeated when we try to organize everything, everywhere, all at once. We find ourselves crisscrossing the house and we feel like nothing is improving.
Narrow your focus like a laser. Choose an area that you believe you can conquer in the time you have. NOTHING ELSE EXISTS. When I see my clients getting distracted, I remind them, “Nothing else exists right now. Just this shelf.” Anybody can conquer clutter one section at a time! Progress is progress.
3. Don’t Try to Organize Until You’ve Decluttered
We never try to organize until the decluttering process is finished for that space. Once you know what STAYS in this finite space, you’ll be able to see what you have and how much space it takes. Then you can think about how to organize it and choose the right containers if necessary. Even I don’t try to think about how to organize my clients’ stuff until we know what is staying.
Have you ever organized your markers, felt proud of yourself, and then found MORE markers? If we wait until we can see everything we are keeping, we won’t have to redo the organizing system.
4. Reserve the Last 20 Minutes for Recovery
When I work with clients, I use the last half-hour or so of our time taking out the trash, carrying out donations, and relocating the things that belong in ANOTHER ROOM. That’s how I can guarantee that no mess is left behind. Don’t skip this step!
When I met a recent client, she felt like she didn’t know where to start. When I returned for our second session, she excitedly told me how much she had accomplished between our first and second appointment. I asked, “What was the difference? How were you able to declutter on your own when you felt overwhelmed before?”
She answered, “You gave me permission to throw things away. I asked myself the questions you asked me during our first session and I was able to make tons of progress on my own after that.”
That’s what it’s all about! I want to empower you to keep going and no longer be intimidated by clutter.
Decluttering and organizing is always easier with support! I can help you gain skills you can use for a lifetime. Book an appointment with me.
-Beth
