How to find the right mindset for decluttering
Do you ever set the same goals for yourself over and over again?
That’s how I’m feeling at the moment with decluttering.
I am a closet minimalist, living with a hoarder husband and typical teen who doesn’t really mind what state the house is in.
And as I run my own business, finding the time, energy and motivation to tidy up after three people at the end of the day is a challenge!
Fortunately I’m pretty much a ‘live-and-let-live’ person so I just go with the flow and count my blessings (gorgeous husband, amazing daughter, beautiful home, cutest pet rabbit in the world) instead of focusing on the bits that aren’t quite right.
Every now and then though, I get bitten by the decluttering bug and with determination in full force I grab boxes and bags and set to work.
It seems stuff breeds overnight. And the more you get rid of, the more you seem to find.
What is it about our obsession with accumulating things?
I guess it’s a 21st century affliction and whilst I’m grateful for the things I have, I don’t mind admitting that maybe I’d just like less of it.
I’m inspired by people who lead truly minimalist lifestyles and wonder what they do with all the time they’ve freed up by not having to put things away, take care of them and clean them.
You know how it is when you seem to spend all your time picking up after other people…
Well I guess if you’ve only got a minimal amount of things, there’s only so much tidying to do.
And I bet they never spend time looking for things they’ve lost!
Or how about the fact the average woman spends something ridiculous like one and a half years of their lives deciding what to wear!
It’s crazy!
Unfortunately my new found enthusiasm for project decluttering lasted all of one day. I didn’t pace myself and have now lived with my clothes strewn over the office for about three weeks. I have to move piles of stuff to work in the mornings – that’s not exactly conducive for a stress-free environment…
Still, there are some great challenges going on around the web that should help me find my mojo again:
Over on twitter I head about #minsgame where you gradually declutter your space by pickikngn a month and get rid of 1 item on day 1, 2 items on day 2, 3 items on day 3 and so on until day 31!
I don’t know the maths, but that’s a lot of items by the end of a month and by partnering up with someone it kinda makes it fun and a bit competitive. Perhaps I’ll get Little Miss green on board.
And of course you can always change the focus by seeing how you can benefit others.
For example by offering your unwanted stuff on Freecycle or Streetbank you can bring a smile to someone’s face. Recently I gave away a rocking chair and the guy couldn’t believe his luck – it was exactly what he was looking for to put in a summerhouse in his garden.
You can donate to charity too.
For example,. the British Heart Foundation have teamed with M&S to have their unwanted sofas and suites collected. Since the partnership launched, over £33,000 has been raised which could fund 673 hours of heart nurse care, or 14 portable defibrillators plus CPR training equipment that could save a life in the local community.
Suddenly it seems easy to ditch those unwanted items, doesn’t it?
How about you – what motivates you to get rid of clutter?