Decluttering isn’t as hard as it is perceived to be. Most people don’t struggle with the actual task of decluttering but with figuring out where to begin. And even when they have all the motivation it takes to start decluttering their home, they eventually give up midway because they either lack the time to continue or they don’t know how to move ahead. And this is exactly why it’s important to prep yourself up before you start decluttering your home.
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Given how overwhelming a task decluttering is, you don’t want to create further roadblocks by jumping onto the decluttering wagon without any preparation. Imagine how stressful it would be to sort through the pile of clothes if you don’t have sorting boxes by your side or your kids are constantly creating a chaos or your schedule doesn’t allow you with enough time to complete the task.
If you are really motivated to declutter your home with ease and without any stress, you need to find a way to prepare yourself for the challenge. The good thing is that most of the challenges you are going to come across in your decluttering journey can easily be dealt with if you do a few things before you begin.
Here’s a few simple things that you must do before you start decluttering to make sure that everything goes smoothly and effortlessly:
1. Visualize Your Goal
You cannot let go of things in your home without a reason. There has to be a goal that would serve as a guiding factor on your decluttering journey. You may have one or more of the following goals depending on what your needs are:
- You want to have a home that is easy to clean and maintain.
- You want to be able to find things without wasting time.
- You want to make your home more welcoming for the guests.
- You want to cut the clutter and have more space to move around or store your stuff.
- You want to free up some space to start a new hobby.
- You want to be able to come back to a home that is chaos-free and lets you sleep peacefully.
2. Create A Plan
All your decluttering efforts can go in vain if you start without having created a plan. You need to figure out how much time you have available for decluttering your living space. If you get a 15-minute window to declutter while your child is taking a nap and a few 5-minute windows here are there, create a plan that helps you accomplish small projects like decluttering the sock and underwear drawer or sifting through the makeup & skincare.
Leave the bigger decluttering projects to be done when you have time. If your goal is to declutter the closet in your bedroom and you want to have at least an hour for it, do it on priority when you get the required time.
Your plan should have all the tasks listed in the order of their importance. For instance, if your priority right now is to declutter your bedroom, list the tasks on the basis of what needs to be done first. Your list can look something like this:
- Clear the nightstand surface and the drawer.
- Take away the clothes strewn about to the laundry room.
- Change the bedsheet and pillow covers.
- Go through the closet and declutter one shelf at a time.
3. Set Up Sorting Boxes
Always keep decluttering boxes alongside when you’re decluttering to save time and efforts. Ideally, you should be keeping at least four boxes labelled as Keep, Donate, Sell, Trash. Every time you come across an item that you don’t love or need, toss it in the relevant box. Keep these boxes at a place where they are easily accessible but fairly hidden so you don’t feel the temptation to bring the items back.
Wait until these boxes get full to get rid of them. Here’s a detailed post that can help you deal with these boxes in the best possible manner.
4. Do A Quick Clutter Pick-Up
The best way to kickstart your decluttering journey is to do a quick clutter sweep around the house. You can just grab a basket, take a home tour and gather everything that’s lying out of place. Pick up anything that’s plain trash or belongs in a different room of the house. It will help you get into the mindset of decluttering.
5. Take Before Pictures
If you want to keep a track of your progress while decluttering, it’s best if you take photos of every room before you begin. Looking back at those pictures will help you notice how far you’ve come thereby motivating you to aim for more.
6. Prepare A List Of Questions For Decision Making
This is something that I started following fairly recently. It always helps to prepare a list of questions to ask yourself in order to decide what stays and what goes. Here’s a few posts with questions that you should ask yourself to get the best decluttering results:
- Questions to ask when decluttering your entire living space
- Questions to ask when decluttering clothes
- Questions to ask when decluttering books
7. Gather Your Decluttering Tools
You want to make the most of your time spent on decluttering which is why it’s best if you gather all your decluttering supplies before you begin. You’ll be needing a stepladder to reach the uppermost shelves and many bins and baskets to toss your stuff in. Click here for a detailed post on what other decluttering supplies you will be needing.
I hope these decluttering tips help you in figuring out the most stress-free way to start decluttering your home and get the momentum going. You deserve to have a home that you will love to return to and these tips will go a long way in helping you achieve that goal.
Happy decluttering!