We started this “journey to less” last year when we packed up our house, sold most of our things online and moved to Ireland. I guess in some ways the best way to cut down and really organise your home is to move countries. If you are still looking to get rid of the clutter, live with less and keep your home organized like a minimalist, then I have some tips for you.
Looking to get rid of the clutter? Keep your home organized like a minimalist, with these tips Click To TweetThe most obvious tip is that you need to start somewhere. There are tons of challenges or steps you can follow online, but just start in one room or aspect of your life and work your way through. The sooner you start, the sooner it will feel so overwhelming. Waiting for the right time to sort things out is the height of procrastination, trust me I get that but just start and slowly you will start seeing the space open up. Just starting somewhere creates this knock-on effect where you see results so you feel motivated to keep going.
With that in mind, it’s very hard to get it all done in one day, so be patient with yourself – it’s an ongoing process. If you do a little bit each day, it becomes manageable. Try focus on one room at time, and don’t move on until you are happy with the look of it.
The key is to keep the mission of decluttering top of mind. So replace things, and avoid adding more into your home without acknowledging that you are bringing more into the home. If you are always buying things and adding to your home that is when starts to feel overwhelming. Try work with what you have before you bring more stuff into your home.
Find a home for everything. The best way to beat that overwhelmed feeling of drowning in clutter is to keep things in their place. Once you finish using something, make sure you put it back in the same place every time. If everything has a home or a space, you will clearly see if you have space to add anything more.
Try limiting the urge to buy in bulk or stock up on things that will take you months to use up. It’s not really saving if you don’t actually need it. You will end up storing it in the cupboard, forget you have it, and never use it.
Actually use and enjoy your things. We talked about this the other day on my Facebook group, don’t save the candles for a special occasion, or let the fancy glasses gather dust. Why live with things that you just store away and never use? Lately I have been making a conscious effort to use the things we have, give the items in your home a purpose or a reason to hold onto them and if they don’t spark joy or make you happy – then why are you hanging onto them?
Get into the habit of straightening up your home for 5 minutes each day – make your bed, clear your counters, pack away the things you are finished using. I find that if I start my day with my bed made and my room tidied, I feel far lighter and I am generally more productive for the rest of the day.
These are just some of the things that I do each day to stay on top of the clutter. Don’t think that it will happen overnight and be kind to yourself as you go through this journey. If you focus on your reasons why you want to get rid of the clutter – it makes the experiencing of organising your home far more enjoyable. It is also important to remember that being a minimalist is not about limiting yourself, and have zero items. It is about being conscious about what you spend your time on. If you are forever cleaning and tidying a messy home, or if you are always feeling crowded by things – trust me once you let go and open up your home, you will enjoy being in your home. So light the candles; use the fancy bubble bath, pour a glass of that good wine – you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy your home. Make your home your sanctuary by clearing it of things that don’t spark joy for you.
And if you are looking for a challenge to get you started, why not join me in a #minsgame created by The Minimalists. The rules of the game are simple: on day 1 remove one thing from your home; day 2 you remove two things and so on; all the way to day 30 where you need to throw out 30 items. Items can be big or small; you can throw out in the trash, donate, give or sell but it has to be out your house by the end of that day. I am going to start the challenge tomorrow; you can follow along on my Facebook page or in my Instagram stories.
JOIN ME; LET’S GET RID OF THE CLUTTER! SO WHO IS WITH ME?
Unlock the simple life,
~Meg~
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I can definitely vouch for the fact that moving really makes you re-evaluate all the random STUFF laying about the house. I moved cross country with a friend ten years ago with just a bit of space in the trunk and half the backseat for all of our necessities! Still, it’s easy to fall back into that old trap and find yourself surrounded with all these things that you just don’t need. I love your tip to actually use all those fancy things that are normally hidden away for company. Why not enjoy them, rather than allow them to collect dust??
Eliminating the urge to buy in bulk is so difficult. Thank you for the kick in the butt I needed.
I have embarked on a simple, minimalist approach to living recently too, and I don’t think I’ll ever look back! There’s something so freeing about getting rid of “stuff” and “things” that don’t add value to your life. Loving your blog, look forward to reading more 🙂