You can’t slice chicken for dinner and sort your bills at the same time, so when you come in the front door with a stack of mail, put it in the basket, box or whatever container you have handy for this purpose. If you can’t finish the mail, don’t start the mail. Martha Beck, life coach and author of Finding Your Own North Star As you consider each, ask yourself (1) Do I truly need it? (2) Do I truly adore it? and, (3) Would I trade inner peace for this? The answers can help curb your pack-rat impulses, allowing you to clear out and move on. With this in mind, walk into any room of your home and focus on 10 random objects. Empty space is more valuable-psychologically and physically-than almost any object. When I ask clients what they long for, the most common responses are “peace,” “space” and “freedom.” Clutter keeps us from achieving these goals, and we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars buying larger homes. Instead, use your powers of analysis to outwit the primitive logic of these phrases. Obeying these protests will keep you overstuffed and off balance forever. My clients’ top three are: “I have to go through those,” “Someone could use that,” and “But I need it!” Unless you use the object in question at least once a year, such righteous exclamations are actually symptoms of dysfunction. Create a box or bin somewhere in your house that’s designated for donations.So, the first step to a clutter cure is to write down your favorite pack-rat phrases. Luckily, once you’ve done a large purge, your regular decluttering should be quick and easy. To keep your home organized and tidy, you’ll need to declutter on a regular basis. If a tidying task takes under a minute-like putting dirty clothes in the hamper-do it right away rather than leaving it for later. Whenever you buy something new, get rid of something in the same room in order to prevent clutter from building. As much as possible, put things back where they go after they are used. Once you’ve discarded the items you no longer need, ensure all of the items left have a designated place. A place for everything and everything in its place.Since it may be difficult to sort through and discard some of these items, it’s best to tackle this task at the very end for extra time to reflect and hone your decluttering instincts. Basements and attics are where many homeowners store old photos, mementos, and other meaningful items. Visualize how you can take advantage of the space and make a plan for how to use it for storage. Unfinished basements and attics provide prime organizational opportunities since they’re typically large, unused spaces. Make the task feel more manageable by dividing these rooms into distinct areas, and tackle a single corner or shelf at a time. Cleaning and organizing basements and attics can be overwhelming because they’re large spaces often filled with junk. While it may be tempting to clean as you go, wait until you’ve decluttered an entire room before cleaning it. Decide which decluttering tasks will make the biggest impact, and start there. According to the Pareto principle, 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of action. Within your “keep” pile, make a separate pile for items that need to be repaired, tailored, or mended before they can be used. As a general rule, sort things into three piles: things you intend to keep, items you can donate, and unusable stuff you should dispose of. Tackle one space at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Decluttering takes time and effort, and it’s easy to become distracted by other decluttering tasks. Create a decluttering checklist that outlines each space that needs to be decluttered. The first step in decluttering is to make a detailed plan. RELATED: 28 Insanely Clever Ways to Beat Clutter Important Decluttering Tips to Keep in Mind
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