Decluttering is a bit like an exercise program: The results look exciting, but the starting process can be extremely hard. Additionally, there are a lot of authorities who have a great plan for their own requirements, but an effective program has to work for you, so it’s a good idea to start your own decluttering design.
How do you begin to declutter your house?
Before you start physically going through your stuff, monitor your behaviors. Stop shopping for fun. If you love to shop online, start a list or a basket of things you want or need for yourself in the future, but don’t put it in the basket or put yourself at risk of buying it. Don’t shop until you’re done decluttering.
The first step is to start with your own stuff. If you live alone, this is pretty simple, but if you have a spouse, a partner, or children, it’s time to set an example for others before you start going through their stuff.
The tools you will need are:
- a black trash bag, for things to be thrown away
- a white trash bag, for things to donate
- a box, for things you want to sell
- a plastic bin, for what you plan to keep
For best results, toss the black bag when it’s full. Put the white bag in the car to drop off for donation as soon as it’s full. List your possessions for sale before you box them, and carefully lay items you want to keep in the plastic bin until your possessions are ready to go back in the closet, on the shelf or in the drawers.
Why do you need to declutter your home?
Decluttering is only effective if it’s personal. The move toward minimalism is quite trendy right now, but minimalism is more than a pod wardrobe, an all-white apartment, or only three pairs of shoes. Minimalism is about mindset, about focus and should be based on your big life goals.
To make yourdecluttering really effective, you need to get to a point where everything in your home is appreciated because it works in your life. If you start with your clothes closet, that means that you get rid of everything that
- doesn’t fit right now
- doesn’t work with your daily activities
- can’t work for you in the foreseeable future
A trim black suit is lovely, but if you’re just hanging on to it because it was expensive even though it doesn’t fit and may never again, then it needs to go. Get the value out of it by selling it on Poshmark, Mercari, or ThredUp. Be aware that some online selling platforms take your things and sell it, while others require you to maintain the product. If you need money more than space, or if you have time, sell things one at a time. If you need to move quickly and don’t want to just donate possessions, use a reseller like ThredUp.
What happens when you declutter your home?
Once you declutter, you’ll get a better understanding of what you need instead of what you want. It will also make you vey careful about what you spend. A newly decluttered home can give you great peace of mind.
You can also raise some cash if you need it and will find that your house is much easier to clean. Finally, decluttering can give you great space of mind. If your television / gaming / computer area is a mess, you can declutter and sell the things you no longer use, add some cable organizers to tidy what remains, and enjoy the room!
Can decluttering change your life?
If you really dislike your home but don’t have the money to move, be aware that you can be one declutter away from falling back in love with the space. Clear out half a closet, re-hang your clothes, put a chest of drawers in the closet, and you have more square footage to set up your desk or create a crafting – sewing area. You’re a surge strip and some cable organizers away from having space to create.
Once you stop stumbling over what you have but don’t need, you can
- find what you have but couldn’t use
- use what you love instead of what’s at hand
- designate a spot for everything and put it away
Conclusion
Don’t expect your decluttering to look like anyone else. Expect your decluttering to help you and your family to shed the things that just don’t serve you. Fall back in love with the cute little house you bought. Show your family how fun it is to create new things, to put things away and be able to find what you need, and to really enjoy the things they own. Once you show them how easy it is to access and power up the tools you love, tied up in a neat neoprene cable sleeve, you’ll get them on the decluttering bandwagon.
