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Everyone says, “New Year, New Me”. How many people follow through with their New Year’s resolutions? Props to the people with the drive and motivation to keep it up throughout the year. The start of a new year is already here, have you accomplished anything off your checklist, or still in the holiday slump? Here’s the first thing that everyone should do, de-clutter. De-cluttering is good for our health. It gives our life freedom and clarity. We are always running around or too busy to keep up with our weekly chores, and over time our homes become cluttered with things we don’t need! It creates an overstimulating space which is not good for anyone. It distracts us from what we need to be focusing on. Here’s how to de-clutter and tidy your house and continuously live this way. You won’t want to go back!
Committing
- De-Cluttering your house isn’t just what you do when you have family or friends over. You must commit that it will get worse before it gets better. Committing to minimalizing your home takes discipline but all you need is the right method.
Donate and Discard
- First things first are to discard or donate any unnecessary items. Old mail that has been piling up in the corner of your office, old magazines, 20 different charging chords, duplicate spice bottles, expired food items, and so on. Your home may look organized and minimalistic but as soon as you open that pantry, you aren’t so organized. You cannot just hide everything from the cabinets and throw it in a storage container and say it’s organized. Consider smaller storage containers or be more specific about what is going on in them.
Inspiration
- Look on Pinterest to find your ideal lifestyle. Make a mood board for inspiration or even a goal for the future. Let me tell you the Pinterest kitchen isn’t easy; it takes hard work to keep everything looking perfect.
Clean by Item, Not by Room
- Clean by category, not by room. For example, the piles of laundry laying on the floor waiting to be folded, grab every single piece of clothing, and put it all away first. This allows you to objectively see how much you have and if you need to donate or discard anything. Remember, if you haven’t worn that shirt in 2 months, donate it. Chances are you aren’t going to wear that shirt for a long time and someone else could really use it. We aren’t just tidying; we are de-cluttering.
The Right Order
- The right order in how you tidy can affect your thoughts and perspective of why you are doing this. Start with clothes, once you get that huge pile of laundry folded and put away you immediately feel relief. Then you feel encouraged to move to books and toys. Children’s toys are always laying around and can ruin your mood if you accidentally step on one too. They are also just an eyesore in your soon-to-be Pinterest living room. Now, this is where a lot of people give up, the kitchen. Just push through. Get rid of those gross Tupperware containers, the saucepan that had a broken handle, and the forbidden snacks that nobody will touch. This might take a couple of hours and a few trash bags later but the relief after is amazing. If you are still alive and not burnt out move to miscellaneous items, like makeup, jewelry, and bathroom items.
De-cluttering takes hard work and lots of black contractor trash bags. Don’t forget to donate if you can. If you are not sure what your local donation centers accept, please call or just simply google it, heck even ask Alexa, I’m sure she knows. This process isn’t just for other guests in your home, it is for you. It is to spark that joy when you come home and see the accomplishment and organization of your life and home. Some people say your bedroom reflects yourself, but we aren’t judging ourselves for what our home looks like, we are just clarifying trying to reach our end goal of happiness.
