My living spaces are a messy mishmash of furniture and excess items. Nothing is cohesive. Items seem strewn about. I put zero thought into Feng Shui, zero thought into establishing a sense of organization.
Although I have created this situation, I want things to be different. I want to have a clutter-free, beautifully decorated living space. So, I’ve have a plan, and I’ve been working on it every day. I have faith that my desired outcome, a clean, decluttered, and beautiful space, is just around the corner.
In the meantime, I thought I would share my process. It’s simple and manageable, and easy to scale. If I only have a few minutes a day, I’m, still making progress, Here’s a look at my process:
Limit the Amount of Items I Buy
I love to spend money. I admit it! But, I think it’s gotten out of hand.
Today, as I was combing through my makeup drawer looking for my favorite liner brush, it occurred to me that I use maybe ten makeup brushes on a regular basis, and yet I believe I have at least three times that amount.
Why did I buy all those brushes? I don’t even use them all! It made me realize – if I want to eliminate clutter, it starts with my buying habits.
Set a Doable Consistency Goal
I spend a minimum of five minutes each day decluttering, and I very rarely miss a day. I try to do at least 15, but some days, I don’t even do the 15 minutes. Surely, I can show up for 5 minutes? Right?
The answer is yes. I show up every, single day for 5 minutes. About 80% of the time, I spend a lot longer than that. I just need that goal to get me started. My moment,
After months of doing this, I have given away or thrown out countless items I didn’t want. More importantly, I haven’t missed any of them.
This consistency goal is easy and not time consuming, which means that it increases my chances of showing up. Most days, I actually work on it for a bit longer. The momentum is what keeps me going.
Only Keep Items I Really Want
Think about this very carefully. Do you really need everything that you are keeping?
This seems like a simple question, but it’s a lot harder to answer than you may think. The goal here is to only hold on to the items that you really want and need. This is actually the one I’ve had the hardest time executing. In some cases, I am not sure if I really want it or not. I also might need it at some point.
I need to be sure I want it. I need to make sure the object has a place in my life. If I am even wondering if I really want it, chances are pretty good I don’t. I have learned to toss these into the giveaway pile, and I’ve never regretted.
Decluttering is an ongoing process. These tips are really helping me get my living space under control.