Spring Forward to a Decluttered Home

As the tulips and daffodils push their way past the dirt, I like to push my way through the clutter in my home and give my house a fresh start.

The easiest way to declutter and organize is to commit to working in one room at a time. It is easy to get distracted and go from room to room, but if you commit yourself to one space at a time, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble and time!

Once you are in the room you want to work in; my big tip is to make three separate spaces to assist your organization. The first space is for things you want to keep. The second and third, you can place a box or bag in, as those are items you wish to donate or throw away.

For more immediate results, I suggest focusing on items you can see, items placed on bookshelves, dressers, or closet shelves. It is, of course, great to clean out dressers and drawers as well, but for a quick cleaning that won't take the spring out of your step, take care of items that are out. Save the items that have a home for when you have more time.

Once you pick up each item, decide where it will go: keep, donate or toss. Sometimes it is hard to let go of things because of memories attached to them. If you struggle with this, as I do, I try to remember that the memory is mine. It doesn't matter if I actually keep the item or not; I will always have the memory behind the object. I also try to think about how much good the vase, paintings, or cups will do somebody else, that might really need them, as well as how great I'll feel in a clean, clutter-free home.

For items that are to be kept, I make the pile before returning them to their location. Once that pile is completed, I like to look around the room or space and see that item's best place. Since things have been cleared out, it may not necessarily go back to where it once was. Sometimes just moving around objects can give your room a fresh look. Before I put anything in its place, I make sure it is dusted and cleaned. I also make sure to clean the area where I'm locating the object.

For items that are being donated, I find it is easiest to donate the items right away. If you hold onto the pile for even a week, it is easy to go back into the box and pull things back out. Regret may start to seep in, and things start making their way back into the area you just cleaned. I have found that once the items are donated, I tend to forget about them. It's funny that things I had found so hard to let go of, I don't ruminate about them when they're gone. Even if you leave the donate box in the corner of your room for a few weeks and manage to resist going back to it, the box itself defeats your decluttering progress.

For the items to throw away, I also find it is best to toss quickly and be done with it. While there is less chance of regret for things that are obviously trash, you again don't want anything to hinder your progress.

Decluttering and cleaning can take time. But, if you take a few easy steps to set yourself up for success, it can make it a much easier project. And, all the work will be worth it! Just being in a clean and decluttered home feels good and makes your house feel fresh as a spring daisy!