What I’ve Learned From 30 Days of Decluttering
Every new year I find myself dreaming of a home that is lighter and simpler after the business of the holidays, and this year was no different. When it comes to cleaning out your home it is easy to quickly feel overwhelmed and daunted at the task ahead, so in my search for a simple and consistent way to make my home feel less cluttered, I found a 30-day challenge to help guide me on my decluttering journey, in which each day of the month I had a different area/task to clean. One day was kitchen cabinets or toiletries, another a storage room, or even something as simple as going through my clothes, though I’ll admit I often think that’s the hardest one to deal with! There are many examples on Pinterest, so I had to look for one that had the most relevant items (as some examples included things like garages and basements of which I have neither) and most importantly feel doable and balanced so I didn’t feel like each day was a huge room that I would never finish with my current schedule. Once I found one that suited me, I started my 30-day decluttering journey and though it wasn’t easy, I wanted to share some things I’ve learned through this process so you can be ready for your next spring clean. Let’s dive in!
Know your why
It is likely you already know the challenge of decluttering, but we sometimes forget that motivation is half the battle. Having a clear idea of what your intention is before you get started is a sure-fire way to have more success in the process and actually finish it. For me, decluttering is associated with having a feeling of control and calm in what can sometimes feel like a hectic home. Now that I work from home, a lot of the time I am vividly aware when things are overflowing or out of place so having a home where each item has a spot was a big driver for me in this process.
You have more stuff than you think
Usually, in decluttering moments I have a naive mindset, thinking that I only live in a 1-bedroom apartment, how much stuff could I have? The answer is always more than you expect, and for us, a lot of that clutter lives behind closed doors which makes it that much more deceiving. Be ready to address and work through more content than you initially expected and remember that although you are decluttering this may also be an opportunity to organize your items a little more thoughtfully.
Don’t get caught moving things around
I can honestly say that this happens to me every time I start to clean out a space. I get into a mindset of “Well if this goes into a different room then this area is clean” but as you can see this isn’t the same thing as purging. Don’t let yourself move things inside of your home instead of cleaning it out. By resisting this urge you’re more likely to be steadfast in your approach to eliminate things that are no longer serving.
Do it when you have the energy
There will be moments if you decide to do a 30-day challenge when your time won’t align. This is an inevitable fact of life, so being prepared and knowing that there may be some days when you have to do two drawers or none at all will feel a little less overwhelming.
Be kind
You won’t always finish work with excitement in your heart to empty your linen closet so give yourself some kindness and know that it will all get done, and if it doesn’t that’s ok. This is something you have decided to do for yourself so you also get to decide when to finish. Trust in yourself that you’ll get there, and maybe even enjoy the journey knowing you did something to make your day and life a little better.
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