Everyone loves to start a new year with fresh ideas and positive changes on the drawing board. While we all do this with the best of intentions, few people actually follow through with their resolutions throughout the year. This isn’t really anyone’s fault; unrealistic expectations can get the best of anyone.
Instead of the old fashioned New Year’s resolution, more people are looking toward more realistic goals that aren’t as drastic and unachievable. One of the better ways to make a change in the new year or at any time is to take things slowly and work with a plan, especially a plan that makes it easy for you to reach your goal without any undue stress.
One great goal for 2017 is taking on the task of decluttering your home. Decluttering is a hot topic these days but it’s actually a great way to not only free up space in your home but to free up space in your mind as well. Fewer things mean less stress and we could all use less of that.
So if you want to skip the resolution idea and try setting a goal instead these are some great ways to declutter your home throughout the year.
Start With Boxes
While it may seem simplistic, starting with sets of boxes throughout your home actually makes decluttering a daily activity that you may not even notice after time. Place three boxes in various parts of home. The kitchen, bedrooms, and near your front door are ideal places. You can cover them with wrapping paper so they look nicer but label each one as “keep,” “donate,” and “trash.”
Every day as you go about your routine, be mindful of the things you’re using. While you’re in the kitchen and you find a broken wooden spoon or a roasting pan that you haven’t used since you got a new one, take a second and put them in the appropriate boxes. Ask your family members to be mindful as well and before you know it you’ll have full boxes of stuff you can then dispose of in the proper way.
And once the boxes are empty you start all over again.
Allot Some Declutter Time That Suits Your Schedule
Since you now have your boxes at the ready don’t limit yourself to the random items you come across that need to go. Allot some time each day or each week that is dedicated to decluttering in one or more areas of your home. It could be five minutes or it could be thirty minutes but be sure to keep the time limit to one that doesn’t make you feel like it’s a chore or takes time away from more important tasks.
The goal is to get the job done in the time that works for you. So if that’s going through your magazine rack during a television commercial or quickly looking through a bathroom drawer while you wait for the shower to heat up even just a few minutes can make a big difference.
Keep Your Eye on Larger Items Too
One out of every ten people in the United States maintains a storage unit separate from their home. Oftentimes these units contain overflow of general items from the home but in some cases they contain larger items that one simply doesn’t know what to do with. This could be your grandmother’s behemoth of a china cabinet or even a boat or jetski that hasn’t seen the water in years.
If you don’t have the time or don’t want to go through the hassle of selling these larger items, donation is the best solution. Donating boats and other items that have more value is not only a great way to remove them from your clutter list, but in some cases can also result in a tax deduction if you donate the items to a certified charity.
You don’t have to fully embrace the minimalist movement to free up some space in your home and remove the things that you simply don’t use or need. Just make it a priority to be more mindful of the things you use and don’t use and have the tools you need to dispose of them quickly and properly. As you move through the year with this mindset you’ll be surprised at how much stuff you have and then even more surprised about how little of it you actually need.