Did you know that clutter can directly impact your productivity, mood, and ability to focus? It's true that our space can affect our ability to perform at high achieving levels. It can also cause us to feel stressed, overwhelmed and even depressed.
Many of us are working towards New Years Resolutions or goals in 2020. Why not focus on decluttering your space so that you're more likely to achieve the resolutions you set for yourself?
What you need is quick, actionable steps that you can take to make it happen today. Decluttering does not have to be a drawn out process. You can do it quickly and easily and move onto crushing your goals for the New Year without all the physical and mental baggage that clutter brings along with it.
1. Start with Your Junk Drawer
Yep, I am telling you to go right for the gold. Dig into that pesky junk drawer that drives you crazy. Make three piles; keep, toss, and donate. Anything remaining in the keep pile once you've gone through the entire drawer should be organized by its designated location. If it doesn't have one, leave it in the junk drawer.
2. Go Through Your Closet
Did you know that in traditional Feng Shui, when your closet is full to the brim, it symbolizes the blockage of new learning or blessings. If you're looking for a fresh start in the New Year, try doing a purge of all the items you haven't worn this year. No more hanging onto pieces because "you might wear it one day."
3. Purge the Papers
Create a system for managing the influx of papers that come into your home on a daily basis. School papers can be overwhelming. Make a habit of going through your child's folder with him/her each day and give them the chance to pick what papers they would like to keep/toss. When it comes to mail, create a drop zone for daily mail. Then go by the "touch it once" rule. When you go through mail, decide if it is toss, file, or action needed. If action is needed, try to take care of it then and there and then file as needed.
4. Designate Locations for Everything
Everything in your home needs a location. When things have a space to live, it creates a systematic flow for your home. It also eliminates the opportunity for random items to invade your space. If something doesn't have a home, it's likely clutter and can either be donated or tossed.
5. Keep a Donation Bag/Box Ready
I always have a bag or box for items that we are donating. On any given day I choose to donate at least three or four items. Having a spot to put these items allows me to make the decision to get rid of them once and be done with it. Then when the box is full, I put it in my trunk and take it to my nearest donation center.