Take Baby Steps to declutter your house and your life.
You can get organized!
Take Baby Steps to Declutter
Take a deep breath. Feel better? This is Step #5!
You can do this!! Don’t feel over-whelmed!!
You're about to declutter your house and your life! Time to get excited!
Any time you begin something new, there’s a tendency to think about everything all at once.
What to do?
Take some Baby Steps. Do one-thing-at-a-time. If you don't, you may not even start.
There is no one-size-fits-all organizing solution. Why?
- Rarely does one way of doing something work for everyone,
- Everyone is different,
- Everyone has different stuff,
- The space they live or work in is different,
- Everyone searches for their stuff in different ways,
- Everyone has different backgrounds and personal baggage.
Good news! You can declutter your life, just take it one step at a time.
Here are some general tips that work well for just about everyone:
Here are the
Baby Steps to Declutter!
Baby Steps to Declutter --Tip #1:
Stop buying stuff!
If you want to make a dent in your clutter . . . you have to stop the flow of stuff coming in. Curb your impulse to buy things. (Check out the information on Shopaholic).
What to do?
Put down that lovely item. Give yourself 24-48 hours before you plunk down your hard-earned cash. If it’s really that important (can’t live without it), you can always put it on your list to buy the next time. Your budget will thank you!
Baby Steps to Declutter -- Tip #2:
Become an Avid List-Maker.
Too often we go to the store and think we are out of something and buy it. When we get home, we find we have 3 of the exact same things already on the shelf! Sound familiar?
What to do?
Make lists! Keep a handy pad/pen in one central location. Out of shampoo? Write it on the list. Out of paper towels? Write it on the list.
Want to do it in a more organized way? Take your list and, when you’re ready to shop, divide your list by store. Plan your route. Don’t buy anything that isn’t on your list. You’ll save time, buy less and probably save gasoline in the process! Refer to:
Baby Steps to Declutter -- Tip #3:
Turn off the advertising!
Let’s face it, we live in a time when consumerism is rampaging! TV, emails, voice mails, radio, billboards, etc. There are voices everywhere telling us: “Buy more,” “You’ll be happier if you buy our product,” “Be more attractive to the opposite sex,” “You deserve it" (you get the point).
What to do?
- Watch less TV
- Listen to less radio
- Record the program and fast-forward through the commercials
- If you can't record them, switch channels if commercials are on. You will have less clutter and your budget will be blessed!
- Fill the time spent listening to commercials by doing something with your family or friends
- Learn a new hobby
- Get some exercise
You can kill clutter, fatten your checkbook and slim your waistline all at the same time! Now that's a win-win!
Baby Steps to Declutter -- Tip #4:
Become a Pile Sorter.
This is simple and effective. Look at the items in the one area you picked that was bugging you (see Start Somewhere).
Sort the stuff into piles:
- Trash
- Donate
- Consignment -- Garage Sale -- Ebay (make money from your junk)
- Repair
- Doesn’t belong here
- Keepers
Use the handy sorting tools under free stuff to help you get started.
What to do?
- Immediately take out the trash (and don’t go rummaging through it to bring something back in)
- Immediately take the donate stuff to a charitable drop off (but keep the receipt for taxes)
- Take things to the consignment store
- Plan your garage sale now or put it on a local area website for Facebook Marketplace (make money or just get rid of it)
- Take pictures of your stuff and sign up for Ebay (make money!)
- Fix what needs to be repaired
- Put what doesn’t belong here in the right place
- Go to Basic Principles to see what to do with the Keepers
Baby Steps to Declutter -- Tip #5:
Get rid of emotional baggage.
This can be hard. We all have things that family, friends and loved ones have given us.
The tendency is to:
- Keep it because you’re afraid you’ll hurt someone’s feelings if you get rid of it, and/or
- Keep it because it reminds you of that person.
Because of the associations that go along with the object, getting rid of it can seem like getting rid of the person.
What to do?
Realize that this is not true! Be prepared to deal with those unresolved emotional issues. Realize that letting go of these attachments makes us available to create new ones.
If you need additional help, check out the information under hoarding, ADD-ADHD, procrastination, kids with autism, and pack rat.
Baby Steps to Declutter -- Tip #6:
Beware of “Chunker’s Remorse!”
This is the reverse of Buyers Remorse. Ever thrown something out only to retrieve it from the trash! Have you ever looked for something later and then realized it's gone and said: “I wish I hadn’t thrown that away!”
What to do?
If you've throw something out that you later found a need for, realize it’s really not that big a deal! If you’ve gone through the steps recommended on this website, the chances of that are slim.
Unless the item was a priceless antique, most likely you can replace it with something new. Take heart, now you can go shopping!
However, please be sure to refer back to:
I hope these baby steps to declutter have helped you.
What to do next? Go to Step #6 Basic Principles
Here's the complete list of organizing steps:
Go to: Step #1: Start Here
Go to Step #2: Organized Mindset
Go to Step #3: Questions to Ask Yourself
Go to Step #4: Start Somewhere
Go to Step #5: Baby Steps to Declutter
Go to Step #6: Basic Principles of Organizing
Go to Step #7: Other Things to Consider
Go to Step #8: Last Things to Consider
Did you like this? Please share it! Thanks in advance.
Click the lavender bar on the left and subscribe to the RSS feed to be notified of new listings as they become available.
No matter where you are in life (stay-at-home mom, full or part time employee, retired, etc.) you can make a good income with a website. Whether you write books, make crafts or something else, I highly recommend SBI. It's the reason for this website. Check it out below and become another solopreneur!
Hello! This is Shelly Morton, the author of this website. I know you hear a lot of hype about making money from home and building a successful website. I speak from experience as a solopreneur, I have succeeded with Solo Build It! There is simply no better way to build an online business. Nothing else compares. It's not a "get rich quick" scheme. SBI provides you with all the tools and tips you need to be successful. You put in the work and SBI will help you succeed! SBI is simply the BEST way to get started for any "solopreneur."
Return to top of Baby Steps to Declutter.
