Declutter To Reinvent: Cat Coluccio
The change of season is here – be it spring, or autumn if you live Down Under like me.
Declutter For The New Season:
This is the perfect time to declutter your home, refresh its energy, and create a sense of calm. Working out where to begin can feel overwhelming, however, so I’ve compiled 10 tips to help you declutter for the new season.
“Sit down and make a general list of the items you want to declutter and mark if you want to toss, donate or sell them.”
From your bathroom cupboards to your messy pile of shoes by the back door, these general tips can be applied to every space in your home and workplace. And will help guide you towards curating a simplified and refreshed environment. Without it feeling like an impossible task. So let’s get started. Grab yourself a bottle of water, put on some tunes, and get ready to dig deep into those drawers!
10 Tips To Declutter Your Home:
1. Make a plan:
Before you start decluttering any room or space, it’s important to have a plan, otherwise, you’ll find yourself simply moving objects around without actually accomplishing anything. Sit down and make a general list of the items you want to declutter and mark if you want to toss, donate, or sell them. (I say generally as once you get into the swing of decluttering, you’ll find yourself adding so many more items to that list!)
2. Set a goal:
In my book 21 Hacks to ROCK your Life, I refer to setting goals and then creating your plan to achieve them. In this case, however, we’re getting creative and doing things in reverse. Once you’ve made a decluttering plan for a particular space, it’s time to set some goals. Examples might be:
- How long you want to spend in each area.
- Deciding if you want to declutter each space in one session, or break it up into a few smaller sessions.
- Determining how much of the job you will do, and how much you will delegate to family members.
- Setting yourself a target to have your entire home completed within a certain timeline.
Having a specific goal for each space, will help you stay motivated, and on track with your plan.
3. Don’t procrastinate:
It’s easy to put off these tips to declutter because it appears overwhelming, however the longer you wait, the worse it will get as clutter has a knack for multiplying. This is where your goals will help you.
If you have set a goal to spend three one-hour sessions decluttering a particular area over the course of a week, take action and do not give in to procrastination. It will help you both achieve what you are aiming for and feel great because you are getting results! Even taking just 15 minutes of action will help strengthen your “anti-procrastination” resolve!
“get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy, that’s broken beyond repair, or hasn’t been used in months, if not years”
4. Be ruthless:
When you’re decluttering, it’s important to be ruthless. If you haven’t used something in six months – get rid of it! Don’t keep things just because you think you might use them someday. Chances are, you won’t, so, get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy, that’s broken beyond repair, or hasn’t been used in months, if not years.
5. Get rid of duplicates:
Do you really need five coffee mugs per family member? Or six pairs of black shoes? Probably not, so get rid of any duplicates you have, being ruthless as suggested in the previous tip to declutter. This is a quick way to start freeing up space and has the added bonus of giving you some “quick wins” which will inspire you to keep your decluttering journey going.
6. Invest in storage solutions:
Once you’ve decluttered your home, it’s important to invest in storage solutions so that your home stays organized. This could mean buying some new furniture or adding some shelves to your walls.
Whatever it is, make sure that everything has a place and that everything is easily accessible so that you can easily return objects after use. Notice I didn’t suggest getting the storage solutions prior to decluttering. That’s because the main aim is to get rid of clutter, not just re-package it into pretty containers! Your fun trip to Target for cute storage solutions is your reward AFTER you’ve decluttered a space!
“Don’t keep things just because you think you might use them someday.”
7. Label everything.
Labeling is key when it comes to staying organized! Label all of your storage containers and shelves so that you know where everything goes. This will save you time and frustration in the long run. Imagine not having to search the house for hours to locate a note from your child’s school that came in weeks ago!
8. Donate or sell unwanted items:
Once you’ve decluttered your home, don’t just throw away all of the unwanted items. Instead, donate them to charity or sell them online or at a garage sale. This way, someone else can use them and you can make some extra money to purchase those cute organising solutions you’ve had your eye on. Just don’t make the mistake of carrying your decluttered items around in a box in the boot of your car for six months before finally donating or selling them! (Speaking from experience!)
9. Deep clean:
In between the steps of decluttering and organizing each space, it’s time for a deep clean! This means cleaning all of those hard-to-reach places that tend to get neglected when clutter has built up. Dust all surfaces, vacuum under furniture, and wipe down skirting boards. Your home will look and feel brand new when you fit this step into your decluttering process – perfect for greeting a new season!
10. Enjoy your new space!
“your physical surroundings can directly impact how you think and feel”
Once you’ve finished using these tips to declutter and reorganize, take a step back and enjoy your surroundings. You’ll be surprised at how much better you feel when your home is clean and organized. As I’ve written many times over the years in my blog and my books, your physical surroundings can directly impact how you think and feel – wouldn’t it be great to start the new season ahead feeling lighter and refreshed. Why not experience your beautified environment?
This time of year when the seasons are changing is perfect for decluttering and refreshing your space. I encourage you to take your time and apply these 10 tips then celebrate your hard work by having fun creating pretty organising solutions. Here’s to looking forward to letting go of what no longer serves you, so you can start the new season feeling fabulous and refreshed along with your home!
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About the Author:
Cat Coluccio is a qualified Educator, Personal Trainer and Life Coach – and a champion of midlife women. She is the host of the Rocking Midlife® Community and Podcast, and the author of a number of books, including 21 Hacks to ROCK your Midlife. Join my FREE 30 Day Love your Home Decluttering Challenge for 30 days of email prompts to help you fall in love with your home once more!
Cat is passionate about helping midlife women create fulfilling and purposeful lives yet understands how challenging it can feel to consider reinvention when your world is already so incredibly full. Hence she firmly believes that the first step to building the life that you desire in your next season, is to declutter and create space right now – be that physically, mentally or digitally.
Don’t know where to start with your decluttering adventure? Make sure to register for my 30 Day Love your Home Decluttering Challenge! It’s FREE and you can work your way through the daily emailed prompts at your own pace! What have you got to lose other than your clutter? Register now at www.loveyourhomedeclutteringchallenge.com
