Here are my words of encouragement for you on how to tackle the clutter chaos in your home as part of the Corona Declutter Challenge of 2020!
We’ve all got a little more time on our hands these days and a whole lot more time at home with the Corona virus putting the world on lockdown. 2020 hasn’t exactly started out the way that aligns with most people’s New Year’s Resolutions - or has it? Typically, people have getting a handle on their finances, losing weight, and getting organized at the top of the list when looking at how they want to head into a new year. While all of our financial situations are going to be a huge challenge until we can all get out and back to work - we CAN tackle focusing on a new fitness routine and getting more organized now!
I’m a professional organizer, not a fitness instructor, so I'll leave the works out to the trainers. Here are my words of encouragement for you on how to tackle the clutter chaos in your home as part of the Corona Declutter Challenge of 2020!
There are all sorts of areas you can choose to focus on in your home or apartment when choosing how to tackle the clutter in your life. Start small and let success build upon itself as you find a pace to your purge. Remember the 80/20 Rule of life! We use 20% of our items 80% of the time - my challenge to you is to streamline your possessions to that 20%.
Areas of your home to possibly work on:
Clothes
Bathrooms
Linens & Towels
Medicine
Kitchen
Pantry
Paper Piles
Books
School / Work Station
Quick questions to ask yourself during the decision making process:
Have I used (or worn) this item in the past year?
Does this item fit me well - my body and/or my phase of life?
Do I have a picture of this item?
Do I even like this item?
Is this item expired?
Does this item serve a real purpose in my life - does it align with the vision I have?
Is it broken? Will I ever really get it fixed?
Am I keeping this item out of guilt, obligation or expectation?
Could this item serve someone else better right now?
Could this item be easily replaced?
You don’t go on a trip without a map, so don’t start this project without a plan!
Walk your home and create a room by room / space by space plan.
Decide to either tackle a lot of little spaces or big spaces broken down into manageable bites. Be intentional with your plan of attack.
Get everyone on board. If there are multiple people in the home have a family meeting to go over the upcoming process.
Make it fun! Blast the music, turn it into a game, set a timer, create “Clutter Challenges,” call it the “Trash Bag Tango,” and have a reward in place.
Have the necessary supplies on hand. White trash bags for donations so you can write the name of the charities you are donating to on the bag. Black trash bags for items being discarded. Boxes for items that are being donated that you don’t want to break and a bin to place items in that need to go elsewhere in the home at the end.
Build in a reward! At the end of each of your sessions have a reward for yourself and others involved - you’ve earned it and so have they!
While we wait out this virus let's be intentional about how we spend our time at home. Clutter is simply postponed decisions, and postponing deciding on something is typically due to a lack of time to do so. We certainly all have a little more time on our hands right now, and we can choose to use that time well. We can choose to come out of quarantine a little bit more organized, and a whole lot more appreciative of our loved ones, our community, and all of those around us that have been so dedicated to healing the sick and protecting us. My hope is that the shine that once was on our "stuff" will be focused on that which matters: people and our relationships with them.
If you are overwhelmed and don't know where to start Step By Steppe Solutions is here to help you. Contact us at (704) 763-7435. We are here to help!