Decluttering Steps
If you have been following the decluttering series, then you have started or are ready to get started on your decluttering journey. I say journey because you will feel things you may not have felt for a long time. Decluttering requires taking a journey through your past, present, and future. At one point you may spend more time learning about decluttering than doing it. My hope is to help you find a happy medium and get you going on your way.
Ask yourself, do you keep putting off your home decluttering project? Chances are, you are overwhelmed or just do not know where to start. Those things can trip anyone up on the road to organization. When you find yourself stuck in a pattern of avoidance, the best method to change that pattern is to start with small tasks. Performing one little task is progress. Here are eleven tiny decluttering steps to help you get started today.
Clear Just One Surface
Clear your kitchen table. If that is too overwhelming, choose a segment of your countertop. Make it a surface you see daily, and be sure to keep it spotless.
Empty a Shelf
Now that you have a surface cleared that you will see every day to provide you motivation, you can move on to another small task. Empty just one shelf. Remember to continue to keep it neat.
Designate a Paper Zone
Nothing accumulates and gets out of control like papers. Designate an area as a catchall for your paperwork, and always place new papers in that ray or box.
We all have a few items that never seem to get put away. Carefully choose your five most commonly left-out items, and find special places to store them.
Donate Three Pieces of Clothing
Clothes are often the worst to declutter. Choose just three pieces to give away each day while getting ready. Soon you will have a bag full.
Dump One Drawer
Pick just one drawer in your home to declutter. Then dump it out. This lets you see everything at a glance and makes the sorting process easier. Before putting anything back, clean the bottom of the drawer so it’s neat and clean.
Organize Your Medicines
Medicines, bandages and other health supplies should be kept together. Tackle your medicine cabinet, creating a neat and tidy place to keep the up-to-date items you use most regularly.
Create a Simple File System
Remember that paper zone? Soon it will overflow. First, designate just a few file folders to hold your most common categories of paperwork. Next, sort through the documents in your tray to file them quickly in their place. Last, have a pretty waste can next to the area for easy tossing.
Take That Bin to the Car
Once you have a few tiny tasks underway, you will likely end up with a sizable amount of items to donate. Take the bag or box out to your car to deliver to a thrift shop. See how these decluttering steps make it easier to get rid of stuff?
Give it Away
If you struggle to get to a thrift store, there are thrift stores who pick. Otherwise, there is an online site called freecycle.org.
There are Freecycle groups all over the country. People join and give away items they no longer need or pick up items others are giving away. Otherwise, many people do not have the energy to hold a garage sale, so they opt to take the items to a thrift store.
If you cannot get to the thrift store for a while, Freecyclers (as they are called) will happily pick up your unwanted items. Using freecycle.org gives you the ability to offer your items to others who are local and in need.
Picture Your Finished Room
These small decluttering steps add up. Take a look around and picture how your room might look when completely pared down and organized. Visualization is a powerful motivator.
Taking small decluttering steps is easy. Soon you will be on your way to big life changes.
Until next time…
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