Procrastinating? Distracted? No Excuse Guide to Decluttering

By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

At the beginning of the year, did you promise yourself that this was the year you were finally going to declutter and get organized?

Here it is, 02/22/22, almost 2 months have passed and you are still struggling with clutter.

You’re overwhelmed because clutter just continues to pile up.

• Never-ending streams of paperwork.
• Clutter from unfinished projects.
• Unread books/articles on your nightstands.
• Bills and receipts on your countertops and bookshelves.

You’re distracted, having difficulty focusing, impacting your productivity and ability to get things done.

Clutter is taking its toll!

You’ve been procrastinating, putting off dealing with clutter because you can’t decide where to put it, so you just leave it out, adding to the clutter.

• You’ve started to judge yourself because you feel like you’ve lost control of your life, you’ve lost confidence that you can get this done and you’re starting to feel like a failure.
• You’re exhausted! You’ve had enough! You just want to dig out from underneath all of this clutter that is weighing you down so you can get your life back!
• You just want to know how to stop procrastinating and make decluttering a priority in your life.

But first, it’s helpful to understand the connection between clutter and procrastination.

Procrastination is simply delayed or deferred decisions.

Clutter is just one result of those deferred decisions.

Think about it:

• The clothes you were too tired of to put in the laundry are laying on your chair.
• The corporate clothes that sit in your closet even though you retired two years ago.
• Those unopened boxes in the basement or garage were to have been stored for a temporary period of time.

Each of these delayed decisions compounds the problem, creating a snowball effect they make the clutter feel like it will never end, making us feel uncomfortable in our own homes and reminding us of work that is never ever done.

Clutter is bad for our brains because our brains crave order. Clutter is a constant reminder of chaos and disorganization and it causes overwhelm, stress, distraction, and lack of focus and productivity.

Not making decisions about clutter is what causes us to feel stuck, unable to move forward.

While there is no magic bullet to cure clutter and all of the emotions associated with it, there are some life-changing steps you can take right now to start the process of letting go of the clutter that is weighing you down.

 

 

STEP 1: DECIDE how you want to use a particular room

i.e., master bedroom purpose: sleep, relax, intimacy, clothing

Then ask, “Why is the elliptical in the master bedroom?” It is cluttering the room because it doesn’t belong. Put it in a room where it does belong.

 

STEP 2:  DECIDE to reduce items in that room to only what you need, use, and that matter to you

Item by item: touch it, try it on.

Then ask, “Do you need it? Will you use it? Does it fit? Does it belong there?”

If not, put it where it belongs.

 

STEP 3: DECIDE on a “home” for each item

For all the items you’ve decided to keep, decide where each item belongs so that you can find it when you need it.

 

STEP 4: DECIDE on a system that will help you stay organized

• So you know where it belongs.
• So you can commit to putting it back each time you use it.

These 4 steps are life-changing.

Decide to decide. Don’t let indecision weigh you down any longer.

The emotional impact of finally making decisions to let go is cathartic, empowering, and liberating.

Check Out My New Online Course:

8 Proven Decluttering Methods

You can schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation with me if you have any questions regarding right-sizing, downsizing, and decluttering.

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