Decluttering: A 12 Step Program
De-cluttering your home is one of those needs that tends to move down the to-do list, below more pressing items. It can be put off for years, meanwhile you can't feel relaxed in your home or take pleasure in viewing things that express your life today. The excess of stuff can be confusing, and you may be reaching the point of serious overload. Here are some tips to help you remove the roadblocks and get started.
“I have wanted to de-clutter for years, but don’t know where to begin.”
First, acknowledge the need to take control of your environment. Are you about to show your home for sale? Or, are you are moving to a smaller place? Or do you dream of a cleaner, simpler lifestyle? Second, consider getting some help. Your stuff is personal and has deep roots. A friend or professional organizer can help you to let go of some of it.
“I’m not sure what is clutter, and what is important.”
Some people do not see clutter. They are more auditory or emotional in how they perceive. They don’t see the six hair brushes in the bathroom drawer, along with old toothbrushes, expired medicines, and pens that don’t write. If you are one of these folks, it would help a lot to enlist the help of a visually oriented friend or professional.
“I might need this someday.”
Famous last words. How often has my husband said, “No, don't throw that out. We might need it someday.” Ten years later we still have those extra rolls of carpet, fan pull chains, old manuals, etc. Lots of things hanging around tend to fit into this category. But, think about it. Can you live with having to replace something once in a while? After all, spices and canned foods don’t taste as good after ten years. Give yourself permission to need something someday and not have it. The cost of saving extra stuff can be quite high.
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