When I’ve spent a lot of time doing a project, I become much more motivated to keep up the progress so that my efforts are not in vain.
Decluttering is no exception. I have worked really hard to get all the STUFF out of the house–and I intend on making this new-found peace in my home!
But…
I, and the rest of my family, am constantly bringing more stuff in, which causes the clutter to reappear. UGH!!!!
So, I have found some ways to keep up the decluttering habit on a regular basis so that the stuff doesn’t overtake the house EVER again!
Tip No. 1–Keep An Eye Out For Messy Troublemakers!
When an item is constantly out of place, it may be sending us a very clear message that we are not able to properly manage that item. If we continually are picking up the same toy pieces, that probably means the toy needs a new home. Not being able to effectively manage every single item in our homes doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with us or the way we manage our homes. It simply means that the particular items that are always out of place do not fit well in our management system–and getting rid of those items will make us better able to manage the items that are left!
Tip No. 2–Use Laundry Day As Clothes Decluttering Day!
Since we are going to be handling clothes during the laundry cycle anyway, that is the PERFECT time to sort through and remove items that we have decided no longer work for us or our kids. If something is torn (and you don’t want to or can’t repair it), if it has a stain, if it has…ahem…shrank, or just isn’t our style anymore, getting rid of it will allow our closets to be more user-friendly and less crowded. If the kiddos have destroyed those play clothes and they are just not worth keeping, cut them up for rags, recycle them or dispose of them! If they have outgrown their nice clothes, you can sell them, pass them down to friends or family, or donate them! There are a million choices to find good use out of our unwanted clothes, but keeping them in the closets for months on end shouldn’t be one of them!!
Tip No. 3–Make It Easy For the Family to Donate, Too!
Setting up a central location for all donations to be placed, and letting the whole family know they are free to put ANYTHING in the donation box, will encourage all the family to participate in the decluttering process. When we model decluttering in front of our kids, and show them that we have found a better way than accumulating too much stuff, they will begin to feel confident in letting their things go, too! I have started VERY early with our toddler, encouraging him to put items in the donation box and garbage so that he will not be afraid to let go when he gets older and has more things to manage. Another wonderful benefit to including our children in the donation process is their growing awareness of the needs of others. When we teach our children to be givers instead of storers, we are showing them one of the most wonderful parts of life–generosity! Make a goal of filing up your donation location every single month and watch the clutter disappear in NO TIME!!!!!
Tip No. 4–Make Clearing the Clutter A Lifelong Process!
Decluttering once is great. But it won’t last.
We bring things into our homes every week–and if we are going to keep a handle on the clutter, we are going to have to constantly remove unused or unneeded items to balance out the new additions. Remember that we sometimes can only get limited use of the things we have decided to buy, and keeping things that are no longer useful or needed does not bring us any money savings–it actually might be costing us dearly to keep those items! Give yourself grace and patience as you build up your muscles to declutter, knowing that you will get better and better. As you practice clearing out the clutter, you will also begin to make different buying habits! And when we can get in the habit of not bringing so much in, we will have less and less to manage!
I am so glad you stopped by today!
If you would like to watch the YouTube video on this topic, you can find it here!
I hope that you are finding a wonderful sense of peace and freedom through clearing out all of your clutter!
I love you!!
Lori