This post is all about breaking down, into steps, the task of decluttering a large cluttered area of your home without causing undue disruption. I am going to use the kitchen as my example area, however these steps can be easily adapted to any space. I chose the kitchen simply because, in Western Society, this space usually has lots of divisions of space with lots of individual items in them. So without further adieu let us begin. Step One ~ Setting up If you don't already have a space set up to store the decluttered items prior to complete removal from your home ~ I call this the Continue reading
The hurricane method of decluttering. Part 1
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The hurricane method of decluttering, as Moni dubbed it, is when one rips through the house decluttering a vast amount of stuff all at once. A person's hand is often forced into this action due to a sudden change in circumstances which makes a big declutter necessary. A hurricane declutter was exactly what I was helping a friend with on the weekend. She had been thinking of moving but found a new place quicker than expected, and just when her best friend was leaving for an overseas vacation. She phoned me in a panic on Wednesday last week begging for my help. I quickly agreed and took a three Continue reading
Have faith that you won’t need it one day
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As the saying goes ~ "Believe and the Universe will provide." Whether you are religious, spiritual or neither there is a good chance that this saying is true for you. It sure has been true for me, and that is why I never worry about letting go of the things that I don't use. I hold on to very little in the way of things that I only think I might need some day because I have no doubt that... ...I probably won't and never did "need" it in the first place and... ...and anything I do need want can be easily replaced at a later date. One of the reasons I believe these this is that I Continue reading
Declutter your mind to declutter you home
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The hardest part of decluttering happen in you mind. The clutter itself isn't really the problem it is the preconceived ideas we have about what we should, could and must keep and what we think we can't live without. If these thoughts are hindering your decluttering perhaps it is time to declutter your mind. Question every thought about what you should, must and have room to keep even though you don't really need or want them. And rethink what is really important to you when it comes to those items you feel you can't let go. We are often in a tug of war over wishing we had the space or that Continue reading
Control Issues
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All that "I might need it one day!" clutter is about control. Control over your future, a future that may never unveil itself. A future created in your own mind that won't allow you to relinquish items you don't have a use for right now, probably never will and in all honesty, although used in the past, were never really needed even then. What tragic outcome would ensue in the future if, today, you decluttered that spare potato peeler? If you got rid of that ever growing pile of ragged bath towels you save in case of a huge spill? If you put all those magazine clippings in the recycling bin Continue reading
In Denial
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Have your ever been or are you currently in denial about the state of the clutter level in your home? Do any of the following scenarios ring true for you? I am happy with the clutter level in my home. ~ While at the same time you wish your home was easier to keep tidy. I am comfortable with the level of clutter in my home. ~ But what you really mean is ~ you feel more uncomfortable with the thought of letting go of more of your precious stuff than you do of living with the resulting discomfort of keeping it. I am more careful about what I bring into my home. ~ But really you've Continue reading
Reverse Rationalising
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One of my readers commented this week that she often finds herself trying to rationalise keeping items rather than letting them go. I have two pieces of advice about this behaviour. 1. If you find yourself doing this just put the item aside and move on to something that is easier for you to declutter. My experience has been that we get better at this decluttering thing with experience. The experience of performing it and the pleasant experience of realising the advantages of owning less stuff. I don't need to repeat again what they are. There is nearly always something that we a willing to Continue reading
