How to Clear your Clutter
Layer 1 Assess & Schedule
Plan a schedule & stick to it. Begin by assessing the whole house, from attic to basement. Go through it as if you were a stranger. Open every drawer, closet, cabinet, chest and bin. Look under beds, over shelves, in armoires and through cupboards. Ask yourself if the way you are living is acceptable to you. If we are how we live, then what does your home say about you?
Layer 2 Detach and Purge.
The second layer is about deciding what you really need and clearing out the rest. First you detach (emotionally and physically) from your stuff -- Then you purge.
Do it in two rounds. First get rid of obvious junk. Then get rid of clutter.
You’ll need five labeled boxes:
TRASH obvious junk, destined for the trash bin.
REPAIRS items that need repairing, altering, renovating, etc.
RECYCLING things to be recycled, sold, exchanged, given away.
TRANSIT things on their way to somewhere else in your home.
DILEMMA things you are not sure whether to keep or let them go
As you go through your possessions decide whether they stay or go. Then decide where those you wish to keep belong. If you are working in that area and are able to put it away do that, otherwise place it in a box. In the beginning aim for small successes try doing a drawer until you get going. Set a timer and give yourself a certain amount of time, say 15 minutes. When the timer goes off you are finished for that session unless you choose to continue. Remember you can eat an elephant one bite at a time.
The secret to a well ordered home or office is to have a specific space for everything you own. If everything has a home it is easy to put things away. Put things closest to where you will use them. Every time something isn’t where it logically should be, move it immediately so that eventually your most used possessions are where you use them.
Let go of fear. People hold on to their clutter because they are afraid to let it go—afraid of the emotions they may experience in the process of sorting through the stuff, afraid they will make a mistake and later regret getting rid of something, afraid they will leave themselves vulnerable, exposed or at risk in some way. Clutter clearing can bring up a lot of “stuff” to be faced and dealt with. At the heart of why we hoard is a feeling that by having less, we are less.
Affirm to yourself as you sort through your things, “it is safe to let go.” Clearing clutter is about letting go and trusting the process of life to bring you what you need when you need it. Anything you are keeping “just in case,” you are keeping through fear.