Struggling To Declutter

Struggling to conquer your clutter? The struggle is real for everyone. Even the most motivated person ready to tackle clutter.  So maybe you need good reasons to declutter, and instructions on where to start to declutter too.  Everyone is talks about it but that does not mean you know how.  The words just do not sound all that glamorous. The job of getting rid of things isn’t all that fun either, but the results are so rewarding. You want to do something that will totally transform your living space, get rid of stuff.

Maybe you are still asking yourself,  why declutter? I am going to give you good reasons to declutter, where do I start? You will see the instant transformation and the feeling of letting go will be so good.

Don’t be afraid. The junk you are holding on to is holding you back. Take the steps today to take over your life. Make your days simpler and more productive.

Why Should I Declutter?

Struggling to conquer your clutter is a natural feeling, but you can do it. Let me be honest about one thing though, it is not a one a done process. So, get in the mindset this is a process, a life long process.

Have you ever been ready to get in the car and go to work to remember you forgot your lunch? Usually I have my arms full as I walk out the door and I am leaving at the VERY last minute. So I go to the refrigerator and look for the leftovers I put in there last night, but there is SOOO much in the fridge I can’t even see which container has what I want in there. I end up leaving in frustration without my lunch. 

Now, leaving your lunch is not a big deal, but if you think about this simple moment of frustration the impact of forgetting your lunch will seem minuscule. 

There are often very similar experiences that happen in other  areas of our lives.  The loss of something has become so common that we do not even think about it too much. 

I have a very unorganized and small pantry. I try to keep it organized but the space is just too small.  So I often just shove can goods and dry goods in there. Recently my husband was putting together a banana pudding. I told him that there were 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk in the pantry, at least I thought they were in there!  He waited till the very last minute to put the pudding together for a dinner that afternoon. After putting some of his ingredients in the bowl he opened that milk can and dumped it in his mixing bowl. THE MILK WAS BAD!!!!! It had expired in 2017.

Not only had he waited too late but now all the ingredients he put in the mixing bowl had to be replaced.  All of this was partially my fault also,  because I did not take the time to declutter my pantry. 

What Is Lost When We Search For Things or Stuff? 

1. Time!! You work hard and play hard, no one want to waste time searching for their lunch or ingredients for recipe.
2. Money, because you have to buy duplicates of items or a lunch you could have brought to work.
3. Well, if I had purged my pantry at some point in the last few years there would not be expired cans in there.
4. If my pantry was more organized and had been decluttered I would have known my inventory better.
5. We spend a lot of time looking for things. Having an organized space, free of clutter helps us to maintain order and find things more easily. 

I am showing you some of the things that were expired in my pantry and refrigerator. I actually moved in May and THOUGHT I had purged and decluttered these two spots, apparently not. 

• • 

•  

Ok, so how does decluttering help?

• Reduces stress.
• Helps you keep on task.
• It reduces anxiety.
• The organization helps us be more productive.
• The activity of organizing things we need is fun.
• It gives a feeling of completion and efficiency.
• It is immediately gratifying.

1. You Can Make Some Money!!!

So, stop struggling to conquer your clutter and be ready to take it on. Yes, it is true, you can make some money off of this stuff you get rid of. It is the truth that one mans junk is another man’s treasure. So as you unload drawers, attics, garages, and closets put all of the things in one place.

Go ahead a set up some tables in your garage or carport and set a date for a sale. Post this sale on Facebook, Craigslist or any source for yard sales. Get out there on Saturday morning and make some money.

Don’t be ashamed of anything you put out there. Someone will buy it. I am always shocked at what I sell and what I do not sell. You can make some real money. The last sale I had after my move was just things I did not need or want and I made over 700$ cash money!!

2. It Reduces Stress

No one needs more stress, right? When things are not in the right place it adds stress. I read a statistic one time that said, we spend 2.5 full days a year out of our life looking for misplaced things.. Pixie      Just the amount of important things we do need to keep up with is stressful enough.

The next time you need something, that question of whether it is there or not is answered. Remember running late and looking for a long time, trying to find something. That just starts your day out with stress. Extra stress is not what we need first thing in the morning. So, no stress if things are where they should be.

Too Much Stuff

Decluttering also helps to reduce stress because the number of things to keep up with is so much less. Reduce what you have to keep up with makes finding and keeping up with things easier.

Messes make me anxious, and let’s be honest stress and anxiety go hand in hand. Not having what I need for work makes me anxious. Especially if I keep going to the same place to look for something and can’t find it. Then my anxiety level just gets worse as I search knowing “I saw a can of sweetened condensed milk in here somewhere!”. No anxiety if what I need is where it should be and not expired.

3. Helps to keep you on task.

We all want to be more productive and working without a lot of interruptions is important. Interruptions while trying to cook, study, write or prepare a task just makes it hard to focus. Especially if you can not find what you need. It is really hard to stay on task without being organized. Everything ready to go and in the right place makes completing a task super simple.

I despise starting a project or working on something and can’t find what I need.  Often times only to find it days later or weeks later. Going to a drawer that is unorganized and full of unnecessary, outdated materials is a real bummer when it comes to staying on task and getting much done. Having things in the right place when I need them helps me to be more productive and stay on task. Kids aren’t the only ones with ADD, adults can have it too.

4.Helps with productivity

This is a no brainer, right? I can get a lot more done if what I need is available and within easy reach. Searching for the things I need all the time just reduces productivity.

My life is just as busy as yours. So, productivity is important to me. Days that I FEEL like I have been productive are rewarding. So I don’t want my clutter holding me back, right?

Order leads to productivity. To complete a project and get things done in a timely manner I need a clutter-free zone.

5. Organization is fun

Remember when we were little and sorting was something to do fun. We put all the little cars or blocks together. Sorting and organizing are part of decluttering. It is fun to see certain can good together and arranging goods in a way that makes sense to you.

When you stand back and look at the job you just did, well you are going to be PROUD of yourself. Everything in its place is a good feeling and organization is just the start of something good. Now it will be so easy to keep it organized.

6. It gives a feeling of accomplishment

After you take the time to go through all of the things and throw away what you don’t need. Then putting the items you want to keep back up in an organized fashion, that will feel good and look good.

Take a picture of your work and post it. You will be proud of yourself.

7. It is gratifying and gives a feeling of accomplishment!

You know what, it is immediately gratifying. Not like having to sand a piece of furniture 3 times before you can see how good it looks. You can step back and just reward yourself with something for a job well done.

Ok, so where should I start?

Start in your kitchen. It is an easy place to start. Everyone has a fridge and pantry that probably needs working on. I moved in May and clean my refrigerator out every Sunday, but I still had expired items in there! I know that is ridiculous, isn’t it?

Remember that, thingymajig you keep running across in your drawer. You know which one I am talking about. We keep pushing it to the back because someone gave it to us 30 years ago. You really didn’t know what it was then and still don’t.  Well, time to get rid of it.

Steps:

• Take everything out.
• Look at every date.
• Wipe off the shelves.
• Put only what you want or need back in.

Take everything out

Taking everything out gives you the chance to look really good at it. If you haven’t used it in the last year or two, get rid of it. Seriously, unless it’s a real heirloom get rid of it.

Look at every date

If you need a magnifying glass for this get one, or you may need readers. The dates on some of these things are ridiculously small. I am ashamed to say that some of the envelopes in my drawers expired in 2014 and I am cringing when I write this.

Examine your can goods and jarred items. Make sure they are still without dents and sealed well. Pasta boxes have expiration dates too. Even items in your refrigerator get forgotten about.

Wipe down the shelves

Now is the best time to clean the shelves. If you are doing your fridge it probably needs to be cleaned well. The pantry or cabinet may need some new paper on the shelf. A completely empty surface is the perfect time to clean.

Put Back Only What You Want Or Need

Oh Happy Day

You probably don’t want or need to put everything you took out back in the fridge or pantry. I realized that some of my purchases will never be used by me. You can donate to your local food bank, (if it is not expired). Local food banks can always use pantry or refrigerator items. Now the cans or packages that have expired, just throw those away. Nobody really wants your expired can goods or food boxes.

If You Are Struggling To Declutter, Think, this will reduce my stress in life.

It really is. When you can reduce stress, increase productivity and re-energize by such a simple and uncomplicated task it is a win, win.

I hope you will see the joy in such a simple way to make your life more enjoyable. Everything you need will be at your fingertips and if it’s not, well you know it’s not.

During your decluttering, you may even find something that has been “missing”. 🙂 That does happen sometimes. Usually, we find something that was hidden in the middle of our own mess.

Questions To Ask Yourself as You Conquer Your Clutter

1. Is This Somthing I Need?
2. Is This Something I Really, Really want?
3. Do I Really LOVE this?
4. Can Someone Else Be Using This Whatever?

Asking yourself these questions may help with the feelings that prevent us from moving forward. 

Here are some real reasons we can’t get rid or somethings. 

1. Sentimental attachment is a very real reason decluttering can be so difficult.  We keep things too long because of sentimental attachment. 
2. Feelings of being wasteful.  This is why my father in law kept coffee cans of every screw or piece of hardware that came with something. We think this could be used in the future, and it is wasteful to get rid of something you could use. 
3.  We don’t want the expense of having to buy another one. Even though many things are better now than they used to be and smaller but more functional. For instance, who wants the original microwave you had in your house, NO ONE. 
4. Starting a new project and wanting to do it right can be overwhelming. That is why I recommend starting small. Like your refrigerator, or maybe a make up drawer. 

So Change The Way You Think!!!!!

Just Plain Old

• How old is this? Especially if you decide to start in your pantry, refrigerator, or make up drawer. If you start somewhere else looking at how long you have had something is worth thinking about .  Get rid of things expired or the packaging just looks old.  Old looking can go a long way towards motivation.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love vintage stuff, but vintage and and old are not the same thing. 

Others May Need Or Really Want What You Have

• Re purposing is what some people call this.  For instance, I have been making quilts for a long time.  You only need so many quilts in your house. So, what do you do?  Give it away. Lot’s of people need what you already have. We love with plenty. What do I mean by that, well, I really want for very little.  

For example, we bought very nice bunk beds for our boys years ago. They were the kind you bought in the mall and had many pieces to attach to them.  Truth be known, we probably paid too much for them. Anyway, I deliberated on what to do with them.  I was never going to have a lake house or log cabin. So why was I keeping them. I asked all my children if they wanted them and most said “no”. 

I decided to get rid of them and I am so glad I did. My husband and I delivered them to a single mom with a 13 year old and 15 year old.  All of them had been sleeping on a sectional.  When we got them set up for the girls one of them said, “Now we can get something for you, mom.” 

If we have something others need, get rid of it. Even donating it to a cause will benefit someone else. 

Do You Still Need It

• Do I still need this?  It is a simple question, but one you must answer quickly and without hesitation. 

Ok, I have a lot of fabric.  I have had it a long time. Guess what, colors go out of style. So do types of fabric and patterns. Our local University extension office teaches sewing and other skills. They can use that fabric.  The truth is I don’t need it anymore and I don’t even like it anymore. 

I don’t need old VHS tapes.  You probably don’t have anything to play them on. 

You Can Make Some Money

• One man’s junk really is another man’s treasure.  Yard sales are a lot of work, but very profitable work. 

Take a weekend out of the month you would like to have a sale. Make sure it is the first of the month. That is the best time to have one.  When you remove something from a drawer or closet, immediately put it out of the house. Start making piles that will be in the sale. 

More Than One

• As I mentioned earlier, in our country we have a lot of things and because of that, we also tend to have more than one of a lot. 

There is no reason to have more than one hammer, stapler, iron, heating pad, etc. Having duplicates of so many things adds to clutter in your home. As you go through each room and each closet get rid of duplicates. 

Why Am I Keeping This?

• You may just need to ask yourself, “Why am I keeping this?”  Is there some real responsible reason for keeping this matchbox from 1970? 

You may find you don’t even remember why you kept it.  If you have a real reason for keeping something sentimental then find a way to display if or get rid of it. 

In Conclusion…..

We have no really good reason for getting attach to things, but we do.  The reality is we have too much stuff. The stuff we have cost us more time and money. We do not even realize it.  We spend hours searching for things and countless hours making room for more things.  Maybe having a simple life is the possible for you, but you can take the time to declutter the one you have. 

Set aside a deadline and goal of declutter your home. Make you days and weeks go smoother. Enjoy opening an organize closet, drawer or pantry.  Even your refrigerator could probably use a face lift.

It may take more than a weekend and it will definitely  take time to keep it up after you do the initial work, but it will be so worth it. 

So, let’s get busy. Honestly, Janet