Do you feel like your 'stuff' is taking over your life? If you're like many people, your home contains more items than you really need or want, yet you may feel overwhelmed by the thought of getting rid of it. This is completely normal, especially if you've been in the habit of hoarding things (even on a small scale) for many years. But don't worry, as it's perfectly possible to change those old habits, and with a bit of practice clearing clutter will become second nature. Here are some tips to get started with.
1. Start Small
Toy Bin Shelf
First of all, it's important to start small. One of the reasons why many people continue to live with clutter for years on end is because they look at all the stuff that surrounds them, and feel completely paralysed by the amount of work that needs to be done.
The best way to overcome this feeling of stuckness is to commit yourself to clearing just a tiny little bit of clutter each day, even if it doesn't feel like it's making much difference. There are two ways to approach this: you can either sort out a small space (for example, a small drawer, or part of a shelf), or you can spend a certain amount of time each day (such as five or 10 minutes to begin with).
The key thing here is to be consistent and do a little bit each day. After a week or two of doing this you'll be building a healthy new habit, and it'll become much easier to clear larger areas at a time.
2. Take Photos
One reason why many people accumulate too many possessions is because they hold onto lots of items that have sentimental value. While this is understandable, it can get very out of hand, especially if you're keeping every little scribble your child produces, or every dried up old flower that your partner ever gave you. While there will be some special items that you'll never want to part with, if you're honest with yourself, you're probably realise that most of your 'keepsakes' simply aren't that extra-special.
A good way to get around this problem is to take photographs of all of those sentimental items that you know that you'd be better off without. This way you'll always have a reminder of those special mementos, but they'll no longer be taking up valuable space in your home and collecting dust.
3. One In, One Out
It's all very well to be clearing clutter out of your home, but if you're constantly bringing in new stuff as well, you're not going to make much progress forward. So one of the most vital steps to creating a home with no more clutter is to stop bringing more stuff in - or rather, to ensure that less stuff comes in than goes out.
Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to establish a rule that for every new item you bring into your home, you'll get rid of one thing you don't need to want anymore. So if you buy a new book, sell or donate an old one to make space for it, and so on.
Getting into this habit will not only help you to stop accumulating excess stuff, but it'll probably help you to save money as well, because you'll become more conscious of your purchases and will be more likely to ask yourself if you really need something before buying it.
4. Store It Out Of Sight
When you start on your journey to becoming clutter-free, some things are very easy to get rid of, and you can toss these aside without a second thought. However, there are always those items that you know in your heart you don't really need or want, but you still find it very hard to let go of.
With stuff like this, one of the best things you can do to persuade yourself that it's not really a necessary part of your life is to box it up and store it out of sight (such as in a garage or attic) for six months. Put all these items into a box, and agree with yourself that if you don't take them out and use them within a six-month period, you will donate the box to charity without even opening it.
It's much easier to get rid of stuff when it's obvious that it's not serving any practical purpose for you and is just sitting there taking up space.
5. Donate or Sell It
One reason why many people are reluctant to get rid of clutter is because they feel that it's wasteful to throw things away. The good news is that unless your your stuff is outright junk, you can clear clutter without throwing that much away at all. If the things that you're getting rid of are in decent condition, there are a number of options open to you which don't involve chucking them in the bin.
The first is to sell them. You could try listing them on eBay or other auction sites, and many items (not just books) can be sold second-hand through Amazon's marketplace as well. If you have a lot of book clutter, there are many other sites in addition to Amazon where you can sell or trade second-hand books online. And don't forget any second-hand bookstores in your area that might take some of them off your hands. You could also try selling many items through the classified ads in your local newspaper or shops. In all these cases, you can make some money from your clutter, which may give you more of an incentive to get rid of some of it.
If you don't want to take the time to sell your things, you could always donate them to a charity shop, or list them on sites such as FreeCycle. In this way they can benefit other people, and many people find it easy to get rid of things when they know that they will find a new lease of life with somebody else.
Follow these tips, and you will soon be enjoying a shiny new clutter-free home!
Black Friday Nine Bin Toy Organizer by Little Colorado - Natural 2011 Deals
Nov 13, 2011 12:30:42
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Black Friday Nine Bin Toy Organizer by Little Colorado - Natural Feature
- Natural finish is easy to clean
- Bins: Six quart, 4.625" H x 14.5" W x 8" D
- Assembly required
- Baltic birch plywood construction
- Dimensions: 22" H x 26" W x 14" D
- Nine see-through bins
Black Friday Nine Bin Toy Organizer by Little Colorado - Natural Overview
With this Little Colorado Toy Organizer, keeping clutter under control has never been so neat and easy. This toy organizer comes with nine plastic bins and lids for storing all kinds of stuff. These six-quart capacity bins are excellent for organizing Legos, doll clothes, art supplies, rocks, seashell collections, etc. This wooden toy organizer is made from Baltic birch wood plywood and birch dowels for added strength and stability.SAVE NOW on Black Friday offers below!
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