The 4-Step Streamlining System That"ll Help You Declutter Just About Anything!
It's easy to get overwhelmed by huge amounts of clutter in your home, workspace or life.
If that sounds like you, and you don't know where to start, this tried and tested system may be exactly what you need to sort out your stuff once and for all.
This system has just four steps.
Step 1: Reveal Whatever area you're clearing out, it's always best to reveal the full extent of your clutter.
This way you know exactly what you're dealing with, and you can estimate with more accuracy how long the decluttering process will take.
For example, if you're tackling a junk drawer, empty out the entire contents instead of trying to get them in order by shuffling them around inside the drawer.
In the case of a wardrobe overhaul, take out every single piece of clothing in your wardrobe.
Once your clutter's out in the open, It all might seem like an unholy mess to begin with, but you'll soon eliminate this when you get started on...
Step 2: Review This step is where you literally review each item, and decide whether to keep it or let it go, using the following criteria: • do you love it? • is it useful/fit for purpose? • have you used it regularly, or at least within the last 12 months? If it fits all 3 criteria, keep it.
If not, it goes.
Try to make a decision as quickly as possible on each item, otherwise you'll start to overthink things and end up keeping stuff that you really should get rid of.
Your intuition, or gut instinct, is your best guide for deciding what stays or goes.
Step 3: Reorganise Once you've had your clearout, it's time to reorganise what's left.
To help you stay clutter-free, this is the part where you arrange your environment - home or workspace - to support and harmonise with your lifestyle and needs.
Here's an example.
Let's say you've just decluttered your work area.
Can you move the furniture around to create more space or an easier-to-navigate layout? Can you move your reference materials closer to your desk for easier access? Decide on the function(s) and needs of the relevant area, and arrange your remaining possessions accordingly.
And when you're done with the reorganising process, it's time to move to...
Step 4: Release And here's the empowering bit - release your unwanted clutter into the wild.
You can donate it or sell it, but please get it out of your space as soon as possible.
If you decide to sell your stuff, put a deadline on it by which it has to have been sold off.
A 2-week deadline's usually sufficient.
If anything hasn't sold by then, give it to charity or friends.
Once your unwanted junk is out of your home or workspace, you'll feel a tremendous sense of release and achievement.
You may even find you have more energy, and everything seems to 'flow' more easily for you.
And if you decide to declutter more areas of your home or life, just follow the 4-Step Streamlining System for pain-free clutter clearing!
If that sounds like you, and you don't know where to start, this tried and tested system may be exactly what you need to sort out your stuff once and for all.
This system has just four steps.
Step 1: Reveal Whatever area you're clearing out, it's always best to reveal the full extent of your clutter.
This way you know exactly what you're dealing with, and you can estimate with more accuracy how long the decluttering process will take.
For example, if you're tackling a junk drawer, empty out the entire contents instead of trying to get them in order by shuffling them around inside the drawer.
In the case of a wardrobe overhaul, take out every single piece of clothing in your wardrobe.
Once your clutter's out in the open, It all might seem like an unholy mess to begin with, but you'll soon eliminate this when you get started on...
Step 2: Review This step is where you literally review each item, and decide whether to keep it or let it go, using the following criteria: • do you love it? • is it useful/fit for purpose? • have you used it regularly, or at least within the last 12 months? If it fits all 3 criteria, keep it.
If not, it goes.
Try to make a decision as quickly as possible on each item, otherwise you'll start to overthink things and end up keeping stuff that you really should get rid of.
Your intuition, or gut instinct, is your best guide for deciding what stays or goes.
Step 3: Reorganise Once you've had your clearout, it's time to reorganise what's left.
To help you stay clutter-free, this is the part where you arrange your environment - home or workspace - to support and harmonise with your lifestyle and needs.
Here's an example.
Let's say you've just decluttered your work area.
Can you move the furniture around to create more space or an easier-to-navigate layout? Can you move your reference materials closer to your desk for easier access? Decide on the function(s) and needs of the relevant area, and arrange your remaining possessions accordingly.
And when you're done with the reorganising process, it's time to move to...
Step 4: Release And here's the empowering bit - release your unwanted clutter into the wild.
You can donate it or sell it, but please get it out of your space as soon as possible.
If you decide to sell your stuff, put a deadline on it by which it has to have been sold off.
A 2-week deadline's usually sufficient.
If anything hasn't sold by then, give it to charity or friends.
Once your unwanted junk is out of your home or workspace, you'll feel a tremendous sense of release and achievement.
You may even find you have more energy, and everything seems to 'flow' more easily for you.
And if you decide to declutter more areas of your home or life, just follow the 4-Step Streamlining System for pain-free clutter clearing!
