DECLUTTERING YOUR LIFE....3 EASY STEPS!

I want you to feel successful, be able to manage the clutter and find a system that is sustainable. This is not about being perfect. I do not have a perfectly clean house.... the dust bunnies are breeding like crazy, bins are not labeled and I don't have all the answers. You have to find what works for you. Just like with parenting, what works for one person may not work for another. Also, this is not something you are going to do once and never do again. PROGRESS is made one step at a time.

Let's start with 3 steps that will make you feel successful, release some clutter from your life and get you thinking about what's really valuable.

1. Start with trash.

Get a trash bag and walk into every room in your house and empty every trash can. Grab everything you see that is broken, ripped and in need of being tossed. Look in the refrigerator for expired food, take a walk through your basement or attic, clean the litter box and scoop the poop in your yard.

YOU DID IT! YOUR FIRST SUCCESS! 

Look at what is already leaving your house. Doesn't that feel good.

2. Stop buying!

Go for 1 month with only buying the things you NEED. I did this and it is changing my life. For me it was not easy. For a time, I had to stop taking my kids shopping with me and I had to switch to a store that only sold groceries instead of the everything, like WalMart.

Challenge yourself to try it for a day, a week, a month! You'll be surprised at what you learn about yourself.

3. Start with one drawer.

The junk drawer is usually the easiest one to start with since the name kind of defines the value...JUNK! Totally empty the drawer and separate things into categories like: tools, pens/pencils, tape and batteries. If these items live somewhere else in your house put them where they go (Everything needs a home.). Throw the trash away. Finally, if an item is useful and doesn't have another home then leave it here for now. Ziplocks are helpful for keeping same items together.

After you have done these 3 things you should be feeling pretty good about yourself. Are you ready for more?

In the next post we'll be talking about HANGERS, BASKETS AND BOXES!