Are you feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by mounting clutter and are not sure where to start? Would you like to activate your decluttering rhythm? If so, think mini projects. Each tiny step you take will help you feel lighter, less stressed, and happier. Using short, quick energy bursts, focused on easy projects, will result in the “voilà” factor.
Are you curious about the “voilà” factor? It’s that sense of satisfaction and positive energy surge we experience when a task is completed and we stop to appreciate the results.
I’ve identified five mini projects for areas that clutter collects. Try one and let me know what happens.
5 Quick Decluttering Tips
1. Pencil Cup – Is your pencil cup overflowing with writing utensils that don’t work or you don’t like? Time to declutter.
Grab a piece of scrap paper.
Empty the cup of pens and pencils. Test them.
Let go of the ones that don’t work. Sharpen the pencils you like.
Refill the cup with only your favorite and working pens and pencils
Voilà! You’re pencil cup is functional and clutter free.
2. Magazine Bin – Do your magazines enter your home and rarely leave? Time to declutter.
Set a date parameter for how many back months of magazines you will keep. For example, “I will only keep the last 3 months of magazines.”
Empty the magazine bin.
Separate the last 3 months of magazines into one pile.
Recycle all the rest. Refill the magazine bin.
Voilà! Your reading time will be more focused and your bin is now clutter free.
3. Handbag – Is your handbag so full that you can’t find what you need? Time to declutter. Empty the entire contents.
Gather the obvious tossables first, like used tissues and food wrappers. Release them. Set aside any items that you want to keep, but don’t belong in your bag. Route them elsewhere.
Of the remaining items, group like things together (cosmetics with cosmetics, snacks with snacks) into pouches or an organizer such as the Purse Perfector.
Arrange the keepers back into your bag.
Voilà! Your bag is organized and clutter free.
4. Clothing Closet – Is your closet so full that it’s difficult to get dressed? Time to declutter. This might seem like a huge project to tackle. For now, just focus with the basics. At another time, continue to the next phase.
Remove all extra hangers. Recycle, giveaway, or reroute hangers that don’t belong. Pickup your clothes from the closet floor. Hang them up or reroute to laundry, dry cleaners, or giveaway.
Set the timer for 10 minutes and quickly remove clothes that you absolutely no longer want. Reroute them to giveaway.
Voilà! This is a great beginning. Your closet feels more spacious and on its way to being clutter free.
5. Email Inbox – Are you inundated by incoming email? Time to declutter.
Focus only on the “junk” email.
Unsubscribe to as many as possible.
After unsubscribing, delete them.
Voilà! You are on your way to a clutter free inbox.
Come join the conversation. I’d love to hear about your “Voilà!” moment. What quick decluttering tips work for you?
