My parents often reminisce about the days when life was simple and not moving as fast as it does today. They tell me how clutter was almost non-existent when they were young because they didn’t own much stuff in the first place. But they said one thing that made me think hard.
“The pace of accumulation of clutter in your home is totally dependent on the speed of your life. So if you think that clutter accumulates way too fast in your home, watch the speed of your life.”
And I was left stunned with the power of those words. Because they seemed true in every sense. With all the chaos that comes with modern life, it’s hard to keep your home tidy at all times. And if you really want to keep your home clutter-free, you must learn to declutter at the speed of life.
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I know that aiming for a clutter-free home in today’s day and age is hard given that you have deadlines to meet, kids to raise and financial goals to achieve. But considering the fact that you’re reading this right now, it won’t be wrong to assume that you’re looking to declutter your messy house despite how fast and busy your life is.
Here are 10 ideas to declutter your home really fast even if you don’t have time on your side:
1. Start With a Plan
What really helps me declutter when I’m running out of time is having a plan in place. I may not have the time required to declutter my entire home but I do know that I’ll be getting few minutes here and there that I need to make count. So I make a plan or a To-Do list of the tasks that I wish to accomplish during these small breaks.
Planning ahead is a must if you wish to maximize the limited time you have. Considering that you’ll be able to have 4 to 5 breaks of 10 minutes each, prepare a list of the decluttering tasks you’ll do during this time. You can plan to declutter the kitchen countertops, or make your bed, or mop the living room floor. Aiming for quick wins can actually motivate you to keep going and take up bigger decluttering projects in the later stages.
2. Always Declutter With a Goal
If you really want to declutter your home at the speed of life, you need to know your end goal. When you have a goal in sight, you’ll be able to make better decisions as to what to keep and what to get rid of.
For instance, if you’re thinking about decluttering your closet, know your end goal. This goal might be to get rid of anything that doesn’t go with your personal style. Or to let go of any piece of clothing that you haven’t worn in the last one year.
3. Do The Easy Tasks First
Now that you know that you have a busy life with a demanding job, a family to take care of, a deadline to meet and little time to declutter, how would you plan to jumpstart your decluttering journey?
The best way to go is to start small or be done with the tasks that are easy and will make a big difference. You can simply grab a large basket, take a tour of the entire house and pick up anything and everything that’s lying out of place. This can be the empty bottles, bills & receipts, old newspapers & magazines or the packaging of the incoming orders.
Tackling with the easy tasks first can help you get rid of the clutter that’s visible on the surface. This will help you avoid any kind of embarrassment in case of a surprise guest visit.
4. Seek Help From Someone
It’s important to acknowledge the fact that decluttering is time-consuming and you won’t be able to do it alone with so many other things on your plate. Don’t shy away from asking for help from a close friend or a family member. You can also ask for help from your kids or your spouse. I’m sure they’ll be happy to lend you a hand given it’s their home too. If needed, try reaching out for professional help if that is something your pocket allows.
5. Don’t Start With The Sentimental Spaces
Sentimental clutter is the hardest to tackle with which is why you must never start with decluttering sentimental spaces. If you do, you might get stuck with all the emotional decisions you’ll be required to make. And by the time you move on to the less sentimental spaces, there will be no emotional energy left in you to do it.
So if you’ve finally gotten the time to declutter your living space, start with the corners that don’t involve emotional decision-making, for example, the kitchen, bathroom or the living room.
6. Don’t Let Distractions Get In The Way
The worst thing you can do while decluttering is to find yourself getting distracted by something other than the task you intend to complete. Many a times, I find myself being distracted by my phone while decluttering thereby forgetting the task in hand. And the regret that follows after having wasted those precious 15 minutes is real.
Set your sight on your decluttering goal and don’t let distraction get in the way. If you find an old makeup box while decluttering your vanity, don’t start trying the products or you’ll end up wasting all your time. If possible, keep your cellphone at a distance while you declutter.
Sometimes, the task of decluttering doesn’t get started simply because you think you don’t have time for it. But it’s important to understand that all your decluttering goals can be achieved if you learned to make the best use of the available time or set preferences for what’s more important to you when it comes to decluttering.
Now that you know that it needs a different mindset to be able to declutter your home at the speed of life, I’m sure that you’ll be able to stick to your decluttering deadline just as you do to your work deadlines. Because a simplified and tidy home is just as important as achieving your other life goals.