Successful Decluttering in Just 5 Minutes a Day
Do you feel overwhelmed by the task of decluttering and don’t know where to start?
Have you tried decluttering before but gave up because it was too time-consuming?
If you feel daunted by the task of decluttering, try this method of creating a well-organized home. All you’ll need is five minutes to spare every day.
At the end of a year, you’ ll be astonished by how many items you’ve removed (see below for an estimate).
Let’s get started!
Label Boxes
Find three large boxes and label each one:
- Trash
- Donate
- Sell.
If you wish, label a fourth box as “undecided”. Once it’s full, write the date on it, seal it, and keep it for six months. If you don’t open the box during that time, get rid of it.
Set Priorities
Write a list of all the areas of your home that need decluttering.
Rank each area in order of importance.
So, your spare bedroom would be your top priority if it’s filled with clutter and guests are coming to stay soon.
Decide on a Time
Do your five minutes of decluttering at the same time each day, so that it becomes a habit.
Decide which time of the day would be best for you to declutter.
Set a specific time when you’ll be at home and won’t be too busy, such as straight after dinner.
Track Your progress
To track your progress, set up and print out a simple spreadsheet consisting of 2 columns:
- Date
- Number of Items Removed
Daily Decluttering Process
Now you’re ready to start sorting through your clutter!
Take these items with you:
- A watch or cell phone to time yourself
- The three or four labelled boxes you’ve prepared
- Your daily totals spreadsheet and a pen.
Time 5 minutes.
Look at each item and make a quick decision to:
· Keep it,
· Throw it away,
· Donate it, or:
· Sell it.
Put each item you’re getting rid of into the appropriate box.
As you go along, count how many items you put in the “throw away,” “donate” and “sell” boxes. Write the total next to today’s date in your spreadsheet when the five minutes are up.
Weekly Tasks
At the end of each week, take your “donate” box to your local Goodwill store or charity of your choice.
List all the items in your “sell” box on eBay, Craigslist, or other websites. Or, store the box and hold a garage sale after a month or two of decluttering.
Organize the items you’ve decided to keep. Buy new storage boxes, linen chests, drawer dividers, hangers and other storage solutions. Store your possessions efficiently so that you can find each item quickly.
Expected Results
If you consistently devote 5 minutes a day to decluttering, you could expect to remove between 10 and 20 items per day. Over the 365 days of the year, that adds up to between 3,650 and 7,300 items.
This method of de-cluttering is ideal if you have a busy life.
It’s also effective if you find it difficult to make de-cluttering decisions for more than a few minutes at a time.
In return for an investment of just 5 minutes a day, you can create a calm, well-organized and clutter-free home within a year.
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