Have you ever wanted to declutter your home, but felt overwhelmed trying to decide where to begin? I understand the feeling because I was right where you are now. I’ve found 5 decluttering tips that make starting your journey to a simple life easy.
One of the reasons people fail to stay on the journey to a simple life is that they try to do too much too soon. If you think about the whole journey, you may stop before you have the opportunity to see progress.
Instead, you need to be more intentional about choosing the projects to focus on from the beginning. By starting with a few simple projects, you don’t have to clean your entire home to make a surprisingly big difference.
Bonus Decluttering Tips for a Pumped Up Beginning.
You want to approach decluttering your home by beginning with the easiest ways to make an impact. As you complete these simple projects and see the benefits of your efforts, you’ll naturally feel more motivated to continue step by step, room by room, to create more space and energy.
“Out of clutter find simplicity”– Albert Einstein
I’d like to offer suggestions to make the first steps of your project easier to navigate. First, turn on a playlist of your favorite uplifting songs. Music makes everything flow better.
Then grab a large black trash bag and stroll through each room grabbing the obvious things that need to be tossed. Clearing the trash is an easy way to start decluttering without deep thinking or emotional discomfort.
When you’re ready to start your first project, set a timer for 15 minutes with the intention of stopping after this time. Knowing you will be working for a short amount of time has two benefits. You will feel a sense of urgency to work quickly and confidence you can do it easily for a short period of time.
Let’s start. Here are the 5 decluttering tips I find make the biggest impact with the least investment of time and energy.
1. Make your bed.
As you end each day, your bed is there waiting for you. It provides a place to become well rested and energized.
I know we all want to feel rejuvenated when we wake. To truly have a relaxing place to sleep, you need to create a serene, clutter-free environment.
The bed takes up the largest space in your bedroom. Simply spreading the covers out neatly each morning will create a feeling of tidiness. That’s some instant gratification in moments.
If you’d like to invest a bit more time and effort, you can do some tucking of sheets and fluffing of pillows. Think of a hotel room with the simple but plush bed that invites you to relax.
You want to anticipate the luxury of melting into your bed each night.
While you’re thinking about creating this peaceful haven, let’s consider the sheets you have. Owning 2 sets of sheets should be plenty in most homes. This provides a set of sheets to put on the bed when you’re washing a set.
Pro decluttering tip: If you want to be more intentional, keep one set that can be laundered and put right back on your bed. (Bonus: no need to attempt to fold a fitted sheet!)
Pick your two favorite sets, then put the others in your car to be donated. You might consider your local animal rescue for this donation.
2. Clear the clutter from your kitchen counters.
Kitchen counters are a magnet for clutter. Papers, keys, electronic devices, cleaning supplies, and kitchenware land haphazardly across them.
Since a large collection of clutter can occupy a small space, start with one counter.
After you’ve tossed any trash, move all the papers to a basket. Place that basket in your home office or other area of your home where you handle paperwork. You’ll sort those at a later date.
Are there dishes that need to be washed? Put them in the sink.
Are there small appliances you seldom use? Put them in a cabinet.
Gather any electronics and chargers together. Determine the best location for these items. If the kitchen counter is best, you can create a charging station that keeps these items neatly together by placing a basket there.
Now install hooks or place baskets near the door for keys and bags. See the following decluttering tips on creating a landing space.
3. Create a landing space.
Sorting the piles of papers in your home is the worst place to start your decluttering journey.
- Paper creates a steady stream of clutter in a home.
- Finding all the stashes of papers in your home, office, and car can be tedious and time consuming.
- You can work for hours and get minimal visual reward.
It’s better to start by stopping the flow of papers into your home. Over time you can work through the existing piles.
Pro decluttering tip: To stop the flow of papers into your home, create a landing space near the exterior door you most often use. In addition to managing the incoming papers, this space will keep the things you need to grab on your way out the door conveniently accessible.
Think of the things you most often carry into the house with you. Now create a place specifically for each of them. Here are some decluttering tips for your landing space.
- Hooks to hang keys will make them easy to find on your way out the door.
- A charging station for your cell phone ensures it’s charged and ready to go when you are.
- A shredder, waste basket, or recycle bin can stop paper clutter in its tracks.
- A basket or wall file with labeled folders can neatly organize bills and other common papers.
4. Place a basket beside your closet.
Most of us start the day by looking in our closet for something to wear. Choosing an outfit can be fun, but often it’s just one more decision you have to make in your day.
Creating simple, positive options can give you reason to start your day with a spring in your step.
Pro decluttering tip: If selecting your outfit means sorting through clothes that don’t fit and seeing tags on impulse buys you’ve never worn, your day starts with a sense of failure or guilt.
Do yourself a favor and eliminate those negative Nellie’s from your closet.
To do this, each time you’re in your closet, pick out an item or two you don’t love and place it in the basket. Donate when full and return the basket to the closet so you can continue the process.
If donating right away feels scary, use a box instead of a basket. When the box is full, close it up and store it for a few months. That will give you time to decide if you truly miss anything you removed from your closet.
5. Clean the kitchen sink before you go to bed.
There is something about waking to a clean sink that brightens your day. The first time you clean the sink can take some time. Take your time knowing you won’t have to spend as much energy on it each day.
With a daily routine in place, the maintenance of a clutter-free sink is simple.
Consider freshening up the area around your sink as well. You could create a charming arrangement for your dishwashing items with pretty bottles and new sponges or scrub brushes.
Remember to lay out a clean dish towel each night for a fresh start in the morning.
Start your decluttering journey today.
Let’s recap this post:
- Life changes don’t have to be overwhelming.
- Accept that the clutter in your home has built over a long period of time.
- Be realistic when setting your goals for decluttering.
By making peace with a slower pace of living, you can begin to gradually make decluttering a part of your daily routines. As you progress, you will develop habits that make moving forward in your journey easier and easier.
Finally, it’s important to understand simple living is a lifestyle. The habits and routines you develop are part of a long-term plan.
As you incorporate these 5 decluttering tips into your home routines, they will become a natural part of your commitment to a simple life.
What’s one small step you can take to start moving forward today? Leave your answer in the comments section below.