Getting Rid of the Clutter
Getting rid of the clutter sounds like an awesome idea, right? Clutter doesn’t mean that you are a “Hoarder”. Clutter can mean different things to different people. It really depends on your personality. To some, it means handling pile management (otherwise known as piles of miscellaneous items in a variety of rooms). To others it means too many unneeded or unwanted clothing – eliminating what the children have outgrown or won’t wear. No matter what level of clutter you are dealing with, it is personal to you, your health and your life.
Getting rid of the clutter is what we think of when the seasons change. Yard sales will be popping up with people trying to eliminate their unneeded and unwanted items. Sounds like a plan, right?
I have been meeting with many homeowners this year and they all are thinking the same thing. They have, somehow, accumulated too many things and the house is crowded and cramped and they are overwhelmed. They feel as if they are on the verge of becoming a hoarder and it is causing a ton of family stress.
Sometimes it is that they have moved (and downsized) from a home that was already too crowded. However, they did not have the time to eliminate items prior to making the move. Now, it is even more stressful. Others are just feeling the crunch of growing children and have too much “stuff” while others have been in their home a long, long time and not eliminated items on a regular basis.
How do you start the process of getting rid of the clutter?
- Recognize when you are able to focus your attention to getting rid of the clutter. It makes absolutely no sense to try to start a project, no matter how large or small, if your timeline won’t allow you to spend an affective amount of time working on the project. Help yourself be successful by planning the time out on your calendar and setting a realistic goal.
- When going through the elimination process make sure that you allow time to actually take it away for donation! Letting it sit around, having to look at it for the next two weeks, isn’t an effective process.
- Don’t bounce from area to area organizing a little here and a little there. I think that this is one of the biggest struggles that people encounter. They start in one area and make progress – but don’t quite finish up that project. Earlier this month I talked about the “squirrel” factor. Or, better known as, Bright, Shiny Objects that distract us all from reaching our goals. Stay focused on one area at a time and see if through to the end of the project.
I love the season of spring. Watching the trees bud, hearing the birds sing, being able to spend time out on the deck early in the morning, and just relaxing.
Plan to make the most of the season by making changes and getting rid of the clutter. I’m looking forward to hearing your success stories!
0 comments