Three Simple Steps to Living Clutter-free!

Recently, I realized that my mother followed three simple rules to stay organized.

Over the years, I’ve worked at being clutter-free and have improved, keeping belongings to a minimum; however, I still end up with too much STUFF!

Recently, I asked myself, ‘What did Ev (my mother’s nickname) do to keep up with decluttering?’ She had an impressively meticulous and minimal style, but it took me until now to pinpoint precisely how she organized her home and life.

Last month, I realized my mother’s success came from three simple steps. Here they are:

1. First, she knew where everything was in her home.

2. She sorted it out whenever she opened a drawer, cupboard, or closet (or at least every few times).

3. She kept what was of value.

That’s it! The secret to Ev’s success was that she took the opportunity to look through and systemize EVERYTHING quite often. For instance, she reviewed what was in a drawer when putting something away. The more I thought about it, I realized she made it a requirement to know the contents and remove what was unnecessary.

From my childhood to when I helped my mother with her paperwork during later years, I’d hear this recurring question, ‘Do we need this anymore?’ A simple question, and a Yes or No answer is all it took.

Today, I’m close to carrying on my mother’s clutter-free ways. I achieved this by going through every area in my apartment so I’d know what was where and its value, and then I repeated the process until it felt streamlined.

Maintaining success would be by simply following these three rules:

• Knowing as much as possible where everything is (especially essential belongings and important papers).
• Frequently sorting out and systemizing my place.
• Deciphering the value of my possessions to keep what is necessary.

It’s nice finding things, such as pictures, cards, etc., quickly and taking time to look at them once in a while! What is the sense of keeping so much memorabilia when you don’t take time to enjoy it? My mother made a large, thick, red-covered scrapbook with memories from family and friends, newspaper clippings, or unique cards she received and took time to look it over.

Keep in mind Ev had no advice from podcasts or tips from social media. She aced both organization and style! Her closet had an outfit for every occasion, purchased on a shoestring budget. (I have written about her fashion sense before!) The house didn’t look minimal; it looked pretty, and we always found everything we needed.

Granted, occasionally, we’d miss some things. My dad, sister, and I would be looking for something never to be found.

“Oh, I didn’t think you were using that,” was her response.

Looking back, she helped eliminate things that weren’t of value to us anymore. We survived without whatever the item was, and maybe it opened doors for something that we enjoyed more.

Now, I aim to have fewer possessions by sorting the last few areas in my place and maintaining a clutter-free life. I’m not sure I’ll be as meticulous as she was in her almost 98 years of life, but the system is in place. Ev’s spirit is with me by keeping essential belongings while remaining style-conscious. She’d want me to stay fashionable through this all! And I also hope to live a long, healthy life like her!

Please share any clutter-free tips that work for you. I’d love to hear them!

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