I love the feeling of a nice clean, put together home. I am sure we all love that feeling when we actually take a few hours and tackle all of the clutter then get to the cleaning and be able to really enjoy our home. It feels like such an accomplishment! How nice would it be if you could set yourself up to get to the point where you feel like this almost every day!
Before you can really get to there you need to make sure you have yourself set up for success to begin with. Below are the top three things that will really help you get to a point where you are just maintaining and not always feeling like you are fighting to get ahead.
Minimize Your Stuff.
I know this is tough for most of us. We like our stuff! It’s always in the back of our heads, what if I need this later? But is it worth the space it is taking up? Is it worth the time it takes you to organize and reorganize. This is the mindset I have been working on in the past year. Do I really need it? Do I have a place to keep it? Is it worth the extra time to figure it out? If the answer is mostly no, then donate or toss it. Time is too precious. And the less stuff you have scattered about the easier it will be to stay tidy. Need some help getting started with the decluttering? Check out my 5 day declutter challenge.
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Make Sure Everything Has A Home.
A common reason for clutter piles to form is because you really don’t know what to do with the stuff. So, make sure everything has its place. Start with the biggest areas that tend to collect clutter, sort by categories, get rid of what you don’t need then find a solution. An example would be where the mail and keys always fall. Can you get a key holder for the wall? Possibly a small decorative bowl or box. For the mail, instead of putting it down open it and toss what you don’t need right away. Have an organized spot to put the stuff you need to address, if you don’t have time to address it right away.
Simplify Things.
There are so many great and beautiful organization tips out there! Pinterest is especially a fun place that you can spend hours looking at and dreaming up ideas. While most of this stuff looks great keep in mind that whatever changes you make should make things simpler for you. Not harder. Are you really going to spend the extra 20 minutes folding your clothes a special way to stand up in your closet? No, probably not. Find a system that works for you, that saves you time and not create more of a hassle. This will be different for everyone, and yes it can take multiple tries to find the best system for you. Do not be afraid to experiment.
Once you start working on these three things you can really start focusing on how to get ahead and stay that way. Now you will have less stuff to put away and the stuff you do have to put away you will know exactly where it goes. How amazing is that!
Check out Part 2 of How to Keep Your House Tidy
