When was the last time you had a good clear out?
Why should you even bother?
Like me, I’m fairly confident that you’re buying things or people are giving you things regularly.
I’m not even talking about being a shopper of unnecessary things.
- When you replace your gym pants or sports bras, are you tossing out the old ones? If you pick up a couple of new T-shirts, are you just adding them into the pile or drawer?
- When you buy a couple of new bowls, are you donating the old ones? I’m sure the old ones didn’t break?
- When you buy two new body soaps to try, and you try them for your next couple of showers, are you using up the old ones first? Do you now have four open bottles in the shower? 😉
Decluttering your stuff helps you feel clearer mentally, and opens you up to blessings and abundance in your life, not only of the physical kind.
Here are a few ideas to create great decluttering habits:
Conscious decluttering before birthdays and Christmas
I do this mostly for the kids but for myself too if I have a birthday lunch. People will bring presents so you might as well create space for it all.
One in, one out rule
This rule is probably the most unexciting and yet the most effective constant form of decluttering I do. I keep a donate tub on my washing machine in the kitchen and I keep putting things in there. If I buy two new mugs, I look through the cupboard to find the two that spark the least joy. I do the same with clothes too.
Physical boundaries
This is another one of my favourites. Everything in my house has a place where it lives. And since my Konmari days (coming up on 7 years!), there is usually only one place, no longer three spaces all over the house, unless the item is used there. When the physical space is too small for the item (s), it’s time to reduce the number of items until the space is comfortable again.
I still recommend doing a Konmari-type decluttering if you can – the biggest use for me is that you get to see everything at the same time and it shocks you senseless so you’re never tempted to hoard as many items again. If you click through to that post, you’ll see all the vases. I’m pleased to tell you that I’ve not bought one extra vase since the time all those were decluttered – yay!
My suggestion:
- Give yourself a small task every day for a week (one kitchen drawer, the bathroom vanity, your T-shirts, etc.) and set your timer for 15 minutes while you declutter.
- It is addictive once you get going and find the momentum to move onto problematic areas.
- But remember, as the Home Edit girls say, you can either have the stuff or the space.
If you’d like accountability and guidance to finally get your spaces organised, please book a virtual organising session of your choice. Both sessions come with a follow-up action plan for you to implement. I’d love to help you get organised, whatever your style.