Frequently experts advise the way to achieve your goals is to work toward them daily.
I’m someone who rebelled against routine for many years, believing myself to be a free spirit, ready to go wherever the wind blows. Rather than a creature of habit – a creative creature of dreams and wishful thinking.
All of my spare time during my early 20’s was spent travelling the UK, bike and surfboard in tow.
As the years progressed the campervan turned into a family home packed to the rafters with stuff that a 4-person family gradually accumulates.
Crunch time came 27th February 2009. You can read all about it here.
Time for change. What had once been a free spirit had mutated into an overwhelmed woman in her mid-thirties.
‘Routine and habit’ no longer translated in my mind as ‘dull and boring’. Getting organised, and uncluttered, started to sound rather attractive.
5 years on I haven’t perfected home organisation at Chez Wright (doubt this? Ask the Hubby!). There has however been major improvements.
How has this happened?
By doing things each day to work toward my goal.
One such major goal is to live in a home where every item has a designated place, and that the item is in that place.
Rather than focusing an organising, focus of reducing clutter, when initially trying to achieve an organised home.
By making decluttering a daily habit, there is an effective path toward this goal.
We all have 24 hours in a day. Can we spare 20 minutes to work toward an important goal? Recent research suggests just 20 minutes a day of exercise is sufficient to improve fitness.
I’d suggest 20 minutes decluttering a day is enough to achieve an uncluttered home.
Stop press – start timer…
(A hand-me-down pile, a charity pile and a recycling pile)
Voila – 20 items in less than 20 minutes.
Want to try it? This is how you declutter 20 things in 20 minutes.
Importantly these piles will be removed from the house today. Lest they become clutter themselves, moved from place to place.
What can you declutter in 20 minutes (or less – my decluttering took just 10)?
Thank you for reminding of this. There have been weeks, even months, in the past where I would spend 10-15 minutes cleaning and decluttering. In doing so I made great strides in home maintenance and sanity. Lately, I’ve fallen out of the habit and this would explain my recent feelings of stress an anxiety. I’m off to the toy pile this minute!
Hope the decluttering went well!
It did! Three piles, like you described. Took me fifteen minutes and I had one bag and two boxes to remove from my house. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you for reminding of this. There have been weeks, even months, in the past where I would spend 10-15 minutes cleaning and decluttering. In doing so I made great strides in home maintenance and sanity. Lately, I’ve fallen out of the habit and this would explain my recent feelings of stress an anxiety. I’m off to the toy pile this minute!
Hope the decluttering went well!
It did! Three piles, like you described. Took me fifteen minutes and I had one bag and two boxes to remove from my house. Thanks for the inspiration.
We are getting a good bit of work done on the house. I have been finding myself procrastinating any tidying, decluttering and cleaning til after the building work is finished, even though the clutter is steadily making me tense.
It does do that doesn’t it…it’s amazing what a stress buster decluttering is!
We are getting a good bit of work done on the house. I have been finding myself procrastinating any tidying, decluttering and cleaning til after the building work is finished, even though the clutter is steadily making me tense.
It does do that doesn’t it…it’s amazing what a stress buster decluttering is!
As the FlyLady says, “You can’t organize clutter.” That totally agrees with what you are saying. Getting rid of stuff is the best way to get your house in order. Even though I’m much better at this than I used to be, I still seem to accumulate more than I need (or even want). Decluttering is like the laundry–there’s always more to do.
Agree – there is no end 🙂
As the FlyLady says, “You can’t organize clutter.” That totally agrees with what you are saying. Getting rid of stuff is the best way to get your house in order. Even though I’m much better at this than I used to be, I still seem to accumulate more than I need (or even want). Decluttering is like the laundry–there’s always more to do.
Agree – there is no end 🙂
I’ve been concentrating on going through everyone’s wardrobe and sending things out-out-out of the house; either handing them down or to charity. I was appalled to discover how many pairs of black trousers and capris I had, in all different sizes to boot! I don’t imagine we’ll ever be completely finished with decluttering but I’m making an honest effort to clear out a bit. And Jo, I love the pic of you with the camper! You must have had so many adventures – now why didn’t I do that when I was young and free??
Thanks Susan – always so lovely to hear from you. Good luck with the closet clearing!
I’ve been concentrating on going through everyone’s wardrobe and sending things out-out-out of the house; either handing them down or to charity. I was appalled to discover how many pairs of black trousers and capris I had, in all different sizes to boot! I don’t imagine we’ll ever be completely finished with decluttering but I’m making an honest effort to clear out a bit. And Jo, I love the pic of you with the camper! You must have had so many adventures – now why didn’t I do that when I was young and free??
Thanks Susan – always so lovely to hear from you. Good luck with the closet clearing!
And of course it’s important to make sure those ‘piles’ end up wherever they are supposed to be going as soon as you make them- It’s most embarrassing trying to ‘declutter’ the boot of the car outside the op/charity/thrift shop when you’ve got loads of bags of stuff in there from various decluttering the house sessions!
Cathy
Yep get those piles out the same day. Else they just become new clutter!
And of course it’s important to make sure those ‘piles’ end up wherever they are supposed to be going as soon as you make them- It’s most embarrassing trying to ‘declutter’ the boot of the car outside the op/charity/thrift shop when you’ve got loads of bags of stuff in there from various decluttering the house sessions!
Cathy
Yep get those piles out the same day. Else they just become new clutter!
This is great advice. You are absolutely right – a little every day adds up to a lot over time and is much, much easier to cope with. I’m glad you stressed the point of moving the items on straight away – a lot of people forget to do that 🙂
This is great advice. You are absolutely right – a little every day adds up to a lot over time and is much, much easier to cope with. I’m glad you stressed the point of moving the items on straight away – a lot of people forget to do that 🙂