First Things First - Decluttering secrets
to make the job more fun and less exhausting.
Step 1. Get a Declutter Buddy Your biggest hurdle will be maintaining a strong sense of objectivity. Making all the decisions yourself will sabotage your progress if not stop you before you get started. This is a project that is loaded with emotional angst so to achieve the results you need to give your home that New look you desire, try to recruit some help.
Choose a friend who understands your goals and can cut through the inevitable sentimental resistance for those silly knickknacks (do I sense resistance already?).
Those piles of "I'll clip out the good stuff later" magazines need to be clipped, filed or tossed. It's time to be honest with your ever hopeful closet of clothes that don't fit. Those letters from boyfriends of the bygone days need to be evaluated.
Allow your declutter buddy ruthless license. She loves you and you'll thank her when you begin to see the exciting results from working together.
"Material blessings, when they pay beyond the category of need, are weirdly fruitful of a headache." Phillip Willie, Artist
2. Every item needs to be placed in 1 of 4 categories
Designate boxes or bags to place everything in one of these 4 categories. The number one rule is - Once they go in - they cannot come back out! The categories are:
- Must Keep - Be careful with this one - remember the goal is to declutter not move things to another space.
- Give Aways - Too valuable to throw away - yet serving no function in Your home
- Undecided - On the fence - allow your Declutter Buddy to validate your attachment. Our vote is - most of the time this category belongs in the Giveaway box - it's just a matter of emotional space.
- Trash - The liberation you will feel when you finally close that bulging can and allow the trash men to take it away. Gone for good!
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