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
My clutter categories ~ By Sanna
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I have been visiting family members in the past week. Being there and coming back I realized that my home still feels more cluttered than theirs although it isn't. How's that you might ask. Well, it's the quite simple fact that we live in a much smaller space. Our rooms and cabinet space are limited and require a more minimal lifestyle than a whole house would. Also, I realized that no matter how big a house is, the amount of daily mess you make is about the same. So, of course in my home, dirty dishes seem to take up all the kitchen - add a little floordrobe as well as paperwork in progress Continue reading
Slaying the “PROCRASTINATION†dragon †By Jackie
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Do you have trouble with procrastination? Is “later†always the perfect time to do something? Are you stressed, missing deadlines, and constantly playing catch-up? Well…..hello! It’s so nice to meet a kindred spirit! Procrastination has always been one of my worst habits. But I recently finished an online course in “Learning How to Learn†(www.coursera.org) that has taught me something new about procrastination. Brain researchers have discovered that when we dread doing an activity, the thought registers in the same physical area of our brain where pain registers. So naturally, we Continue reading
Manage your time
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How much time do you waste in your day then profess to have no time to get your house in order. No time to begin decluttering that stuff that is making it difficult to keep your house in order. We are all entitled to downtime. I am not going to argue that fact. The question is has your downtime taken over. And do you actually feel better or worse for it. I know that when I have been sitting idle for too long not doing anything useful I start getting agitated and feel the need to get up and make myself useful. I think it is a guilt feeling from being slothful. Once again I am not talking Continue reading
Setting Boundaries
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This is a subject I have discussed here at 365 Less Things more than once. It was brought to my attention again while decluttering with my friend. Also boundaries was mentioned by Vicki K on Tuesday in a comment regarding the boundaries she has set for her cookbooks. You might remember the much reduced boundary I had set and achieved with my craft supplies some time ago. Not to mention my overall boundary of fitting into a two bedroom apartment, also achieved. While decluttering with my friend we not only set boundaries but we also eliminated the extent of some. This took place all over her Continue reading
Why keep cookbooks
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Are you one of those people who has a shelf full of cookbooks with the good intention of being experimental in the kitchen but tend to stick to the same tried and true recipes? Or perhaps you are someone who steps that up just a notch by trying a new recipe only once in a while. Then this post is for you. In fact even if you are adventurous in the kitchen then this post may also be for you. Especially if you'd rather spread out your cooks gear than waste space on cookbooks that you don't really need. Or perhaps you are a want-to-be cook who buys foodie magazines and clips recipes that you Continue reading
Some challenges for you
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Sanna's success with her 20 thing a day challenge got me thinking about how short term challenges can be very inspiring for letting go of things. So today I have come up with some short term simple challenges that anyone can do. Hopefully they will inspire some of you to do a little extra decluttering. If any of the following challenges appeal to you give them your best shot and let us know how well you did when your challenge is complete. Each day for one week choose a drawer or shelf to declutter. You might be surprised how much easier it is to find what you need in small areas once Continue reading
When you’ve been clearing stuff out but can’t yet see a difference.
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A friend messaged me this week, with pictures of numerous bags of stuff on their way to a local charity shop, but bewailing the fact her home stills looks over full of stuff. Where am I going wrong she asked? After congratulating her on what she had achieved so far – any clutter going is great and builds up your de-clutter muscle, I came up with a few suggestions: I recommended now  focusing on one room. Choose the room that bothers you the most. Within the room, choose one cupboard or shelf and systematically go through every single item on/in it: handle each one and ask Continue reading
Avoiding Regrets
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The best way I know of to avoid decluttering regrets is to not let go until you are truly ready. This advice may seem counterproductive to reducing ones belongings, but trust me it isn't. That is because there is usually something else that you are prepared to part with instead. Making hasty decisions can be the cause of those later regrets. And regrets in turn can put you off decluttering, so they are best avoided. Just like I said in yesterday's post, there are things you don't question keeping, there are things you don't question letting go and the things in between are the ones to pass Continue reading
“…the answer is invariably in the question.”
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"...the answer is invariably in the question." Â This is part of a quote from a wise man. That man is Billy Connolly and the quote is from the same book I mentioned yesterday. So, how does this relate to decluttering? Well I am about to give my thoughts on that. In the Guides section of my blog you will find my Declutter Decision Making Guide. It is packed with questions to ask of yourself when deciding whether you should declutter an item. However this quote from Billy Connolly got me thinking ~ (Wise words from worldly people often have me applying their wisdom to the subject of Continue reading
