Our homes can feel so full of clutter that it overwhelms us and we give up before we have even started. I remind my clients of the old proverb “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time”. If we break the mammoth task of decluttering our homes into small parts and baby steps we can make it seem possible. To find those baby steps I developed the Stop, Focus, Notice strategy.
It might seem counter-intuitive, but the first step on your decluttering journey is to stop. Albert Einstein said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” yet we often do this in our homes, and get upset when nothing changes. We need to jump off the hamster wheel that is life and take a moment to really look at the problem.
Now that you have stopped, you have given yourself the time and mental space to really focus in on what is causing you stress, anxiety or overwhelm in a particular area of your home. Get specific. What is the problem or issue? Why is it an issue? Explain it. Talk to other people in your home. Do they see the problem? Does it affect them? Do they see things differently from you?
Write it down. When we can see an issue or problem on paper it frees our mind of holding and remembering all the details which declutters our mind. We can come back to the piece of paper and add more detail as we remember it and build a complete picture of the problem.
Now that you have a detailed picture of what the problem or issue is, it is time to notice what your options are. How can you solve the problem? Again brainstorm a list of all your options on paper. Get them in front of you so you can physically see your options. Write low cost and high costs options down. Think laterally. What is something that you own that you can repurpose in a different way to solve a problem? Once you have noticed your options, choose one to trial and do it. Hopefully, that option works but if it doesn’t you have a list of other options to try.
Bridget Johns
Declutter Coach & Life Organiser at Be Simply Free
www.instagram.com/be.simplyfree
Bridget Johns is a farmer’s wife, mother of two and Declutter Coach & Life Organiser. Through her business, Be Simply Free, she empowers women to create lives where their homes and minds are uncluttered so they can be simply free.
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