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Declutter Your Home, Declutter Your Life
There are many reasons to get rid of the clutter inside and outside your home. Maybe you want to get rid of stuff because you’re downsizing your home. Perhaps you want to make things simpler so you’re free to travel. Another good reason to declutter is to liquidate assets so you have money to try new things. Still another is to organize your stuff so your family knows where to find important documents once you’re gone. Whatever the reason, here are a few tips on decluttering.
1. Decide why you want to declutter and get organized.
Set goals for why and where you want to end up after you’re done. For example, I want to have $5000 to make a down payment on a small RV so I can travel, or I want to take 3 truckloads of stuff to Goodwill so I can move into a condo. Setting goals reminds you of why you’re doing what you’re doing, even if the going gets tough.
2. Take stock of what you have.
When you stop and look around you with new eyes, you may be amazed/overwhelmed at how much you have accumulated over the years. Don’t beat yourself up about it, just go through each room with new eyes and make decisions.
3. Have everyone in the household onboard with the decluttering.
Teamwork is in order to get this big job done in a timely manner. The members of your home may have different reasons for getting rid of the clutter, but if you all pitch in the job will get done before you lose interest.
4. Start small so you won’t get overwhelmed.
Take it step by step, room by room. If you’ve got a lot to do, start with a closet. The more you do, the better you get at it. If you simply can’t get started, think about getting a professional in to help you. A caring friend can add a helping hand as well.
5. Devise a system.
Use bags or piles labeled Keep/Throw/Charity/Storage. Having a specific bag to put each thing in helps you move forward instead of becoming overwhelmed because you can’t think of what to do.
6. Keep it going with anything new that enters the home.
The amount of personal mail, junk mail, newspapers, flyers, and magazines that come into your home each month can be staggering if you put off dealing with them. After you get them initially taken care of, it’s easier to handle any incoming paper on a daily basis.
7. Document the little things.
Of course, your attorney will handle your will, but sometimes there are little things you want to let you kids know about. Perhaps you want to tell them your computer password or about any of the forums you attend online. Maybe you want to give them the combination to your storage shed. Write it all down on one sheet of paper and give one to your kids and a copy to your attorney. Decluttering is never a fun job but it’s one that gains momentum as you go along. Keeping in mind WHY you’re doing it will help. The amazing thing about decluttering is you feel so good when it’s done. Suddenly, you feel free to go on and try new adventures in your life. You’ve gotten rid of the old and cleared the way for the new, and I’m not just talking about new material possessions, although there is nothing wrong with that, but brand new freedom.
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December 23rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Great tips. I would also like to mention “Pareto’s Principle,” which is more commonly known as the “80/20 rule.” When applied to organizing or decluttering a home or office, it can be particularly useful. If you look at all your “stuff” you will note that you actually use 20% of it on a regular basis, while 80% of it is rarely used. Taking it one step further, one can say that 80% of the stuff that is rarely used is cluttering their space. If you were to eliminate some or even all of the 80% that just takes up space, you will have more room than you know what to do with. I realize it isn’t quite that simple, but it is a good mental exercise, and it helps bring clarity to the process.
January 30th, 2010 at 4:41 am
These are some great tips. You know, I always recommend to my sellers that they need to declutter in order to make their homes more presentable during the selling process. What a great point to make that decluttering is actually all about making your life in general more organized and more simple. These are very realistic goals and steps to make that will get the job done.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:09 am
Nice post, its about time I decluttered mine. :)