8 Places to Tackle Clutter and Regain Space in Your Life!
The funny thing about clutter is, at some point, we stop seeing it.
It starts to blend in with our every day and becomes a fixture in our homes. It can even be said, physical clutter is a mirror reflection of mental clutter.
Take a peek inside your mind. Is it open and free, or messy, disorganized and full to the brim?
Break free of the mental clutter by eliminating actual clutter in your home! It will allow you greater space to think, breath and write your book!
Here are eight places to tackle clutter and regain space in your life.
More than anything, we hate to waste food. And the idea of throwing out perfectly edible products is almost too much to bear!
But, what ends up happening is a hoarding of leftover pumpkin pie cans, jars of unwanted olives and half-eaten boxes of cereal. What use are they, if all they do is take up space?
Clear out your pantry, entirely. Take out every last item and sort through what you eat, and what’s collecting dust.
You can easily donate the “reject” pile to a local food pantry or shelter.
Perhaps one of the most important spaces to keep tidy and organized is your workspace.
Is your desk merely a creative collection of piled up papers, files and unopened mail? Do you struggle to open your desk drawers, because of loose scraps you’ve jammed in there, over the years?
Make two piles:
It’s that simple!
From the “keep” pile, separate items by category, i.e. tax documents, personal information, work-related, so on and so forth. In my office,
In my office, I use color-coordinated tabs and labeled filing boxes.
Need more tips? Check out this previous post here.
Has your car become an ad hoc storage unit?
Clear out your trunk; sort through your glove compartment and console; get rid of empty water bottles, gum wraps, parking receipts, etc.
As a reward, treat your car to a thorough cleaning at the car wash, inside AND out!
Alright folks, let’s play a quick game of “What Not To Wear!”
Remember those leggings and headbands you looooove in the ‘80s? Well, I hate to say it, but I don’t think those styles are coming back anytime soon.
You don’t have to get rid of everything, but ask yourself, “Have I worn this in the past 6 months; 1 year; 5 years…?!” If the answer is no, pass it on to someone who may or donate it!
You may even have a few special items you can sell for a quick buck on eBay or Craigslist. Put that “bonus” cash towards your book project!
Check out my previous post on boosting your productivity by simplifying your closet!
We all have one (or many!)
“Junk” drawers are near and dear to our hearts because they accept the unwanted clutter, we’re not quite ready to get rid of. Your “junk” drawer is probably full of hidden treasures, you’ve long forgotten.
Empty that sucker out and toss the “junk “ you don’t need! Only keep what you use and find a permanent home for each miscellaneous object.
Vegetable spiralizer? Yes, please! Three different sizes of cupcake trays? Why not! More Tupperware? Oh yeah!
It can be disappointing to let go of neat or fun gadgets, but if you’re not using it, what’s the point?
Take any item in question and ask yourself if you’d buy it right now, if you saw it in the store. If the answer’s no– let it go!
Where broken tennis rackets, empty boxes and old soccer cleats go to die…
The garage is easily the biggest task on the de-clutter list, so enlist the help of your family or friends. Open the doors, turn on some tunes and get crackin’!
When all’s said and done, you’ll be surprised how big your garage is!
You know the one– the sneaky little closet tucked away at the end of the hall.
It’s filled with lonely gloves, devoid of their partner; tennis shoes missing laces; old coats you use maybe once a year.
Have a peek inside– what can go and what can stay? Make a donation pile and add it to your growing stack!
Decluttering can be hard work– not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, too.
My biggest tip, for those looking to clear up a little space in their lives: don’t get too sentimental.
Our things represent our memories, but just because we let go of an item, doesn’t mean we let going of the memory, too!
I hope you’ve found a little extra breathing room in your home so that you can get your book OUT of your head and ON paper!
Looking for more decluttering tips? Check out one of my favorite posts, Declutter Your Way to Productivity.
Let me know how you clear clutter in the comments below!
Image attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/kitchen-pantry-house-home-room-1078876/