The prospect of decluttering and organizing your home, or even simply tidying at the end of a busy week, can be daunting. You know it well. The accumulation of mail, papers, shoes, and who-knows-what-else seems like an insurmountable barrier to relaxation, much less joy, in our homes. It’s enough to make you want to crawl in bed with a glass of wine! There are even times when that may be the best solution (I’m Pam Holland and I approved this message).
But like all challenges, there are tried and true solutions to choose from. One extremely effective approach is to break down a daunting task into small, manageable steps. And the best thing about this approach is that once you do if consistently for a period of time, you will begin to see progress AND you will have created a new productive habit.
Decluttering and organizing is no different. In 16 years of mindfully decluttering, we’ve helped many clients see their organizing projects through fresh eyes and break them into doable chunks. While it is effective and powerful to work on projects with a professional organizer or a friend to provide support and keep you accountable, it is not necessary in every case. You can declutter and organize on your own!
Here is our gentle challenge to you: Spend 5 minutes every day decluttering or organizing
Seriously! Set a timer and pick one category of items or one small space to declutter or organize in your home. Let’s repeat: ONE CATEGORY or ONE SPACE! This keeps you from getting overwhelmed and ensures that the five minutes you spend organizing are hyper-focused on being successful at one thing.
For example:
- Monday: purge the fridge of outdated foods
- Tuesday: organize mail into ACTION, TOSS, and FILE
- Wednesday: put away books (and notice if there are any to donate)
- Thursday: put away shoes (and notice if there are any that you no longer wear and can pass on)
- Friday: hang up any clothes lying around to “hang up later”
- Saturday: put away stray items on one coffee table or other surface
- Sunday: rest : ) Consider reading on of those books you discovered on Wednesday
The above are just examples. You can choose your decluttering or organizing adventure!
A good way to decide where to focus is to start with the easy stuff. Then you will feel a sense of accomplishment and be encouraged to continue the next day.
Once the five-minute timer goes off, stop decluttering. A consistent, slow-drip approach like this will work wonders in your home. If you find that after five minutes you still have energy, extend it to another five minutes or even ten.
But note: it’s important to reset your timer and stop decluttering at a specific time of your choosing. As we declutter, it’s easy to zig-zag from decluttering the fridge to decluttering the countertops to decluttering the cupboards, and that’s how you find yourself overwhelmed, exhausted, and feeling as if you never want to declutter again. Do yourself a favor and set limits on your #decluttering! Share on X
As C. W. Wendte says:
Success in life is a matter not so much of talent or opportunity as of concentration and perseverance.
Do you accept the five-minute daily gentle challenge? Tell us how it goes in the comments!
Discover more ways to mindfully declutter your home or office here! >>
Discover more ways to mindfully organize your home or office here! >>
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