We live in a chaotic world, we know that. We are faced with challenges every day that turn our world upside down. We go to the office and we’re immediately greeted with a pile of paperwork on our desks. We take a break for lunch and battle it out with a whole sea of humanity for that Shepherd’s Pie. We go home and are faced with clutter everywhere.
We know what it feels. We totally understand how overwhelming it all can be. Our homes, at the very least, should provide us with some sort of refuge from all the insanity and disorder we went through in our day. But that’s not the case with a whole lot of us.
It’s never too late to clean up your act (and house!). You may call for house rubbish clearance in Islington or Kingston, OR, so you can start decluttering and organising. Either way, turning minimal-ish is a great way to bring order to your home and life.
Rewire your mindset.
Decluttering has a lot to do with a mindset more than the act. A lot of us hold on to a lifetime’s worth of items that have no use other than sentimental value.
While holding on to precious memories and moments through objects and pictures are heartwarming, they all add up to the clutter that makes your home what it is today. Let’s face it, that little keychain in your trinkets box stashed in the corner of your closet, do you still remember where that came from or who gave it to you or how you got it?
In all honesty, a lot of the clutter in our homes has already “lost” its memories. We’re just too sentimental to let them go. At some point, we have to learn to adjust the way we think about material possessions and learn how to live without some (or a whole lot) of them.
Take out the junk.
That being said, most of the clutter in our homes is rubbish. That childhood toy you’ve had since the third grade no longer works, is brittle, and has battery compartments that are way beyond repair. It’s time to go over your stuff, even for just five to 10 minutes a day, sort them out, and take out all the junk.
Categorise each item.
Once you’ve disposed of all your rubbish, it’s time to get to the real work: categorising each and every item.
- Keep. Items you can not do without.
- Remove. Items in good condition that you can sell or give away. You may even take it a step further and start selling or giving away one item each day.
- Store. Items you used in the past six months but do not use regularly.
Take before-and-after pics.
Start decluttering and organising a corner of your home. Take a pic of it in its existing cluttered condition. Once you’re done decluttering and organising, take a photo of the results. You will find you are greatly motivated to stay on track and do more for your home.
Ask yourself the hard questions.
If somewhere along the way you find yourself struggling to let go of an item, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have any use for it?
- Do I only have one of them?
- Does it bring me significant and pleasant memories?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, then you may keep it. If you answer “no” to any of the above questions, it’s time to let it go.
Getting rid of all the junk and clutter in our homes can help give us a clearer sense of accomplishment and control. Turning minimal-ish allows us to divert our energy from possessions in life to a passion for life.
