As soon as the Christmas decorations got packed away, I was on a mission to start my first new year’s goal – to declutter my entire house! It was a lofty goal but it had to be done because…big news!!!…Ryan and I are listing our house to potentially move into another flip! It seems crazy to want to live in a big construction zone but this one we would do over the span of a few years much like my girl Justine is doing!
As soon as I started to declutter, it brought a huge sense of relief, like I was finally lifting a few years of stuff off my shoulders. Isn’t it crazy how much crap we accumulate over a couple of years?! It boggles my mind! And so, in keeping with a goal of living simpler and more organized, I managed to declutter my home over the span of a few days…and it feels great. And yet, getting rid of things can be hard for a lot of people! So, I have a bit of advice in how you too can reap the rewards of a decluttered home this year. 
Do It in Stages, Room by Room – there is no way that you can tackle a whole house in a short amount of time, unless you have a whole week off like I did. But even I did it in sections. I started small in the bathroom decluttering old product bottles and ditching jewelry I didn’t see myself wearing. Then the hall closet…second bedroom…and onwards from there. Once I finished a section, I took a break and felt really good about my accomplishment…not exhausted and cursing the job ahead. Take a lot of mental and physical breaks when decluttering!
Find a Way to Conquer the Emotions – this is hard because we develop a lot of attachment to our things. But I think it’s really important to remember that a lot of our things, once they are gone, do not take our memories with them. We still have those! Find a way to keep an account of your memories if need be (take a photo for instance) but unloading items doesn’t mean needing to lose the happiness behind them. At the end of the day, it’s just things. I once read something along the lines of holding onto anything that doesn’t have a working role in your home won’t allow you to create new space for anything new to come into your life and I think that is a great mantra to live by! 
If You Can’t See it, You Won’t Use It – if my closet is too full and I have to shove a bunch of clothes at the very back, I most likely will never think of them or wear them very often. Decluttering my closet allows me to see what I have and actually use what I have. And if things have a place to live, then I am much more likely to put it back in its place and stay organized! This year, I want to always have a bit of empty space in my closet too!
If You Didn’t Use it Last Season, Chances Are You Won’t This Season – Because I have to rotate between seasons in Canada, I’m often switching over my wardrobe, changing which coats are hanging in the front closet, and transforming the blankets and various accents in the living room and bedroom. If I packed something away and it didn’t see the light at all that year, then chances are it won’t again the following. I try to think of that when I am purging…”well I didn’t wear this sweater once last winter so why hang onto it for this winter?!” It helps me to categorize what I want to keep versus give away. I also try to ask myself, just like Marie Kondo says to do, whether or not the item brings me joy. If I can hold it and say that it doesn’t, good riddance!
Use Baskets – decluttering also means organizing what stays behind and I am a firm believer in the basket! I use them everywhere…to corral pillows and blankets in the living room, to section cleaning products and toilet paper in the hall closet, to store extra hand towels in the bathroom and to gather all the odds in ends in the office. They are the best for staying organized and decluttered!
And finally…smart decluttering also means controlling what comes in! I had a friend once explain her justification for purchasing something – for each dollar, she would have to use it at least one time. So if she was buying a shirt for 30.00 dollars she would ask herself if she could see herself wearing it at least 30 times. Now this rule can’t always apply to everything (like my wedding dress for instance lol) but sometimes its a good reminder to ask yourself “why?” and “do I really need this?”
And now, after my whole house purge, I am going to sit back and relax in my tranquil living room…until someone buys it off me lol!
ahhhhh so exciting about finding a new house!!!!!
Have you read the life changing art of tidying up?
I haven’t!! A good read??