It is that time of year again, when we crawl out of hibernation and hate the way our homes look after the winter.
So how do you purge like a pro when doing your Spring Declutter? You want to clear out the energy but have no idea where to start. Suddenly, it becomes such a daunting and overwhelming task. You just decide to hide all the clutter in the cupboards and hope they go away.
Not going to happen. The longer you postpone it, the worse it is going to get. Because you will still buy more “stuff”, some of which you think you still have, but don’t know where you’ve put it.
During the early part of our lives we constantly “need” stuff, and are on a never ending mission to have more and more things. From clothing to linens to toys to home décor. We just have to have it.
Then when the kids leave home you need less. You start looking at everything in your home, and wonder why you have all this stuff. Do not really need what you have?
The trick when spring decluttering, is not to look at you home as a whole, but to divide it up into each room, and plan your time so you can tackle one room per day.
So how do you purge properly when you do a spring declutter? Make it an objective to set aside that day and visualise on how you want the room to look. Get some large boxes and mark each with the following; RUBBISH; CHARITY; KEEP. BE RUTHLESS!! If you have young children, let them help you. They can often be more ruthless and are also willing to part with old toys for a child less fortunate than them.
Then start in the room and decide whether you have used that particular article in the last 6 months or a year. Do you really need it? Or do you just want it because you liked it? The last statement is the most dangerous and will encourage hoarding.
If it looks like junk, turf it into the junk box. When it looks like someone else could use it, dump it in the charity box. If you like it but don’t need it, you could consider selling it on one of the many markets on whatsup or FB. You will also be amazed at finding things you have forgotten you still had. And if you did not miss if for years, you certainly do not need it anymore.
Once you have your head wrapped around this concept, it will get easier and you will soon get into a rhythm. Move onto the cupboard in the room and clean it out completely. Then repack it with the things you wish to keep and can still use. A handy tip is to purchase some organising baskets to keep articles separated. It will keep the cupboards much tidier and it will also be easier to find things.
When you have filled the boxes, DO NOT put them in the garage.
Put them in your car and get rid of it as soon as possible. This way you will not be tempted to go through the boxes in order to keep some of the stuff.
Complete that first room and I can assure you, that you will have such a feeling of accomplishment. Just knowing that you did that by yourself, you will be totally exhilarated and motivated to get started on all the other rooms in your home.
As soon as you have completed all the rooms in the time that you allocated, you will love you home all over again, instead of hating the clutter that was there before. It will also give you a feeling of “lightness”. It will also be a lot easier to maintain that level of declutter.
Remember… Baby Steps when Spring Decluttering
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