10 Tips on Decluttering

Decluttering is really personal. I don't believe in holding on to things I'm not using, wearing or loving in the hopes that I will one day use them, fit in them, or love them. I'm not telling you to get rid of your stuff...that's a lie. I am telling you that. Everyone has at least a few items they shouldn't have, me included.

I think people shy away from decluttering because they think it means an absence of things and a home void of personality.  It does not mean that. It means having the respect for the things you love and want on display to give them a home and space around them.  I have a lot of decor throughout the house. My walls are full of photos. I never, however, have more than I can handle. If it doesn't have a place, it doesn't belong.

My view on clutter in the home is that it leads to clutter in the heart and mind; it allows clutter to infiltrate everywhere. Too much stuff, then suddenly too much to do, too much chaos. In my mind, clearing physical clutter clears a path to a better life.

Here are some things I live by. I'm not a genius and these aren't things I made up. They're basic tenets of organizing in my words.

1. A place for everything and everything in its place. If something doesn't have a designated space, find one for it or get rid of it. Wherever it goes is its home, so when you're done with it return it to its home. I swear I heard my Grandmom say this 49030489038 times. The next one as well.

2. One in, one out. One of the best things my Grandmom taught me. Last week I brought home two cardigans, two t-shirts, and a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt. I also ordered a skirt and two dresses. That night at home I did a quick closet purge. That's how you keep from having too much.

3. Tough love evaluation. If you hold something in your hands and don't feel a connection to it because it's useful, beautiful, or because you love it, get rid of it. If you just want a memory of it, take a photo. Purging requires a shred of ruthlessness. When the urge hits, do it.

4. Cast a critical eye on your every once in a while items. I have seasonal items and entertaining items that I don't use daily or monthly. I make sure I keep an eye on them so I'm not holding on to more than I can use at any given time, or buying more to add to an already complete collection.

5. Zone by zone. I don't say today I will declutter my bedroom. I say I'm going to go through my top two drawers. Once I do that and deal with all the stuff (throwing out, packing up to give away, or putting away in a new home, NOT just moving it), I may move on to my shoes, two more drawers, the bookcase in my room, the box next to my bed. Or I may just stop with those two drawers. Scaling decluttering projects down to 10 minute intervals allows me to accomplish something in 10 minutes. Decluttering a closet sounds like a lot of work and something I might not be up for. Decluttering a shelf does not.

6. Know that organizing is circular. I typically declutter and organize some part of the house on a daily basis even if it's just a pile on the table. Some weeks shit lays on the floor in the closet for three days before I can get to it. Life happens around us. Still, I'm disciplined in continually putting things in their homes and reevaluating my organizational systems and whether or not things are still functional, useful, or loved. You don't organize something once and then never again. It requires upkeep and evaluation.

Real Simple

7. Do not transfer clutter. FYI, it's not decluttering if you're just moving shit from place to place. You have to actually find a home for it, toss it, or give it away.

8. Jammed in is not a good look on anything. We always get new things. Make sure there's a little bit of space for you to assimilate new items and still have some space around the items you have.

9. Someone might want it is not a good reason to hold something. Your home is not a storage locker. Don't treat it as such. Reach out to whomever may want or need it and give them a pick up deadline. If they don't meet it, it gets tossed or donated. MFD wants to hold on to things for months just in case. Nope. Not happening.

10. Use reminders. If you can't bear to part with something, set a reminder on your calendar for six months from now. If you haven't thought about it or used it since you set the reminder, get rid of it.

What about you? Is decluttering a part of your life or a foreign concept? Do you have any tips to share?

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Haikuesday

Purging is needed

or you will be on Hoarders. 

Then we can't be friends. 

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