What do you do when you're getting ready for a date and can't find that sexy little top you bought because it's buried in your closet? Or you can't remember which junk drawer the nails are in when you're trying to hang a picture? Thoughts about organizing your things may cross your mind after one of these frustrating moments. Perhaps someday you will ... like the next time you're trapped inside during a blizzard.
Not everyone has a passion for minimalism. Even though society is trending that way, most people live somewhere between hoarding and Manhattan-style living. While I have always leaned toward minimalism—a product of being flat broke most of my life—I have cycled through periods of having more than I need. Frequent moves tends to reduce this problem, but let's be real. Most people aren't gypsies.
Physical stability has many benefits, but one pitfall is accumulating excess stuff. Things we once used can become more a noose than a use over time. Sometimes we outgrow things. Other times we buy things to motivate us. New workout gear may give us the push we need to exercise, or a new food processor will inspire us to cook at home more often. But, you know that cliché about good intentions?
Over the years, I have helped people declutter and organize problem areas in their homes. Closets are often the greatest quadrants of mayhem, but often the entire house needs TLC. One of the most important steps in the decluttering process is understanding it is an emotional process, not just a physical one, and it takes time.
What also may surprise you is those with fewer things have a harder time paring down than those with more. It's like needing to lose that last five pounds versus 50. To help with this sometimes challenging task, I've identified 12 tips that have helped me declutter. You can do some of these things or all of them, but any one of them will help you address clutter problem areas that are blocking positive vibes.
1. Visualize how you want to feel when you're at home. Just like an athlete visualizes his or her performance, knowing how you want to navigate within your space is the first step you can take to declutter your life.
2. Identify the problem zone. Is there one area in your house you are avoiding—(kid's bedrooms excluded)? Consider how it makes you feel. Is it draining your energy every time you open that drawer, door, or enter that space? Are you avoiding that space altogether? Closets, desks, drawers, and under bed and sink spaces tend to be where things accumulate, often because they are out of sight ... and out of mind.
3. Start small. If your problem area is an entire room, such as a basement, kitchen, or walk-in closet, identify the area within that space that would give you the most relief if it was decluttered. Perhaps making space under the sink would provide the breathing room you need to move forward in decluttering and organizing your bathroom. Maybe, like me, you have a lot of shoes and trip over them when you walk into your closet. Or perhaps, your have to hold your arm over your head to avoid things falling on you when you open the coat closet. Pick one space—and only one—to conquer today.
4. Give to others. Having things to get rid of, in the scheme of things, is a good problem to have. You are among the fortunate. Many people have little or nothing. Some are homeless. Others are unemployed or underemployed. What you have may be of greater use to someone less fortunate. By giving away items you no longer need, you can be of service to others while at the same time doing something good for yourself.
5. Ask for help. Letting go is hard. It doesn't matter if you are talking about letting go of loved ones, relationships, or material possessions. Like anything else, it's a process. Asking for help is a commitment to change and a request for accountability. When we do things together, not only is the load a bit lighter, it also keeps us honest. It's easy to talk ourselves into or out of things when we go it alone.
6. Easy wins first. Duplicate items are no-brainers. I recently discovered I have two can openers, four Leathermans, two pairs of shoes that are almost identical, and far more workout tops than workout pants. Surely, someone else can have my extras and put them to good use. These are easy wins to get the momentum going.
7. Stay away from sentimental items. I recently posed a question on Facebook about whether or not to keep my useless, heavy, dust-collecting, never-looked-at high school yearbooks. The overwhelming consensus was to keep them or donate them to my high school archives. So, I begrudgingly stuck them back in my closet, trusting that those who are older and wiser than I, are offering solid guidance. Items that have regret potentiality are items best saved.
8. Timelines. When it comes to certain items, timelines are a great way to determine value. For example, I don't use my snowboard every day, but it should receive come level of use in the winter, right? I haven't used mine since I moved to Virginia ... 10 years ago. So, I'm challenging myself on this. If I don't use it this winter, I'm going to donate it. I love my snowboard and I don't want to get rid of it. So, the choice here is to get off my tush and use it, or give it to someone who will. Same goes for camping gear, and all that other cool equipment I've invested in over the years. I'm instituting my own use it or lose it gear policy. While there is no harm in keeping this stuff if I have space for it, it's not being used either, and when it comes to gear, it's meant to be used.
9. Inventory. Have you ever discovered something once edible in your fridge that turned into a science experiment? There is nothing wrong with conducting regular inventories to keep things fresh and edible in your kitchen. What's more, local area food banks and food drives are always in need. If you have non-perishables that you haven't touched in six months, chances are, you aren't going to eat whatever it is. Donate those items to a worthy cause and free up some space for something you will eat.
10. Organizing. Have you ever been in a hurry and can't find your keys, purse, or wallet? Nothing is more frustrating than misplacing important items in your own home. That's why everything in your home should have a comfortable, logical place to live. What do I mean by this? When your keys go missing, where do you look for them? This is the place you expect to find them. This is their logical home. Make it so.
11. Answering the daily mail. There are a lot of simple things you can do daily to keep your life decluttered. For example, I check my mail daily. I read it, recycle what I don't need, and set aside things I need to file. Weekly, I file that paperwork. This simple exercise prevents overwhelming piles of paperwork from cluttering my life.
12. Lists. For years, I avoided list making because I thought it would impinge on my [already elusive] spontaneity. But, what I discovered was my head was a cluttered mess trying to keep track of tasks. I always felt like I was forgetting something. So, I started making lists. I went from feeling scattered and unproductive to feeling accomplished, organized, and productive right away. I started using my time more efficiently on the weekends, and almost immediately, spontaneity was no longer an elusive ideal I only dreamed of.
