It’s almost May, which might still be considered spring where you’re from, but the warm weather we’ve been having say “summer” here in south Mississippi. So, once again, I’ve missed the boat, and spring cleaning has passed me by. Moms, I know you get me. Between track meets and holidays and end-of-school assignments, I haven’t had time to breathe much less do more than get the dishes done and the laundry folded. And, let’s be honest: those things don’t always get done either.
Still, I NEED to get my house in order. There are so many good reasons to declutter your home, and I have decided to set a summer goal and finally GET IT DONE. I want to be able to enjoy our home and invite others to do the same. Less clutter truly will mean less stress, and let’s face it: keeping your house clean and decluttered is easier than getting it there in the first place.
With that in mind, I though I’d share with you some easy steps I’m hoping to take in the effort to clean up the clutter this summer.
#1 – Set Goals
Okay, I tend to do things without much planning. It’s just part of my personality, but even I know that a good plan is a great place to start, especially when a task seems overwhelming. And, the thought of clearing out our clutter is definitely overwhelming to me. So, before I start pulling everything out of our closets, I’m going to set some goals. Which rooms are the most important? I can list three right off the top of my head: my bedroom, our kitchen, and our twins’ room. Those will be my big goals. There are a few smaller tasks that I’m going to add like getting rid of old towels and washcloths, rather than just adding new ones to an overfull cabinet, tackling the plastic containers in the kitchen, and getting rid of homeschool books we don’t need any longer.
That’s three big tasks and three smaller ones, and I already know the impact they will have on my home is HUGE.
Now, that I’ve set my goals, I’m going to break them down into manageable chunks because we all know that it’s possible to make the mess worse and feel defeated by dragging everything out, then having no idea what to do with it. So, for our bedrooms, I’m going to go through the closets and drawers first and get rid of things that don’t fit, are out of style, or have stains. After that, I’ll be able to put things away more neatly and in a more organized way. It’s a small step in the right direction and a great way to get started.
Start Small
With that in mind, it’s helpful to remember that decluttering doesn’t have to be all or nothing all at once. Start small and work your way up. This is a great way to avoid that overwhelming feeling that decluttering can often give you, and little successes can spur you on to get more accomplished each day.
Start small – by cleaning out a kitchen drawer, for instance – and you might find this leads naturally to more and more decluttering. The point is that you are breaking it down into manageable pieces that are much less daunting to tackle.
Find Waste Solutions
One of the biggest things to plan is what you’re actually going to do with the things you decide to get rid of, right? Some things do just need to find their way to the trash bin, but many things you no longer need might be just what someone else does. Look for places to donate items that are still in very good condition and then give it away. Sometimes, there are things that you just don’t know what to do with or how best to get rid of them. Eco-friendly options might be hard to find in your area, so you might decide to go through a professional junk removal expert like https://www.junkluggers.com/berks-chester-and-lancaster/west-chester/, who should be able to dispose of anything for you in the most eco-friendly manner possible. Did you even know this was a thing because I didn’t!
Having a plan in place for waste removal will make the whole process less stressful.
Take Your Time
In truth, all of this is going to be much easier and more of a joy if you are taking your time. Feeling rushed leads to trying to tackle too much at once so slow down and do one thing at a time. You’ll be less stressed, less overwhelmed, and more likely to complete the task.
Leave a Reply