Decluttering or how to organize your life

Define declutter? Well this term comes from the English word "clutter", which means disorder, declutting or decluttering is the process of organizing. And we are not talking about decoration. We are surrounded by things, ideas, relationships, habits and memories that do not serve us. People tend to accumulate everything and, throughout life, we do not realize how this prevents us from feeling free and being happier. We recently spoke of minimalism. Although decluttering is not a trend directly associated with this, let's say that one serves the other, because in the end it is about having + quality + freedom + time and with it + happiness. The decluttering was conceived with the intention of eliminating everything that steals space, energy and money. MATERNAL INHERITANCE We learned from our mothers and grandmothers that it is our responsibility to make the world of everyone work. But, in the process of doing it, we tend to leave the last. Our life is more complex than necessary because the first thing we have to discard is our ideas of what is right and what "we" should do. 6 KEYS FOR DETOXIFICATION Here I share some powerful questions so you can get started. With them we seek to define what is more in your life, in your closet, in your office and in your home. 1 As a team everything is easier. Find a friend so that together they can offer moral support. With it you will negotiate dates and commitments and will be motivated together to fulfill this purpose. Tell each other the benefits of change, so that this generates in your brain the chemistry necessary to motivate yourself. 2 Enter into action. Commit yourself to this year being the year. Look for magazine cuttings or on the internet how you want your life, your mind, your home, your relationships, your body ... stick them in a place where you can see them and put a date of completion to each thing. Your brain and your reticular activation system RAS will do the rest. 3 Start with the closet. That which does not serve you, that you keep for years because someone gave it to you or because it meant an important stage in your life, those clothes that are already out of fashion and you think that in a few years you will return, all that could be more useful in the hands from someone else in your closet, blotting it out, occupying unnecessary space, preventing you from seeing exactly what you can actually use. This includes shoes, wallets, accessories and perfumes. 4 Who gives receives. When you donate, sell or exchange these things that you no longer use, you do not get rid of something valuable because its value over time has suffered a depreciation. What you do not see is that you do something greater for others and that is when the natural law of cause and effect is applied. As you give, everything you give comes back to you and soon you will see how you begin to receive blessings, gifts, clothes, etc. In December I brought out many clothes that I donated. In January I received almost double. 5 Celebrate your achievements. Before starting, set a prize. That ice cream that you almost do not allow yourself to eat, if you meet, you deserve it! 6 What else do you need to let go? Schedule the next area of ​​your life. I hope I can share more resources to help you. How to declutter and organize your wardrobe How to unclutter an entire room in two steps, three moves! My family is moving to a new home this weekend, and to prepare for the move, we are searching the entire house and getting rid of everything we do not need. The new house has a lot less storage, which I consider a blessing: it means that we have to go back to basics. I'm pretty good at making things simple, but things tend to accumulate over time (especially in children's rooms!). The day of the move, by the way, is a perfect time to unclutter. I often recommend doing this in small steps, but sometimes it can be fun to make an entire room at one time. Here is the method we use to unclutter each section of the home, one room at a time: Clear a workspace, probably in the middle. We use the beds in the rooms. Start from one side of the room and go to the other side. Make a drawer, shelf or floor area at a time. Remove everything from the drawer or shelf (or the floor area or anything else), and stack it in the work area. Thoroughly clean the drawer or shelf in question. Sort the stack into two piles: 1) what you use regularly and like, and 2) what you will get rid of. Take one object at a time and decide instantly - when did you last use it? If you have not used it for months (6 months maximum), get rid of it. Apart from course seasonal business such as winter coats and others. When you have sorted the stack, store what you like and use carefully. Put the other pile in a box that you give, recycle or give to friends or family. Go to the drawer, the shelf or the next section. Repeat this process until you have cleared a path through the entire room. Do the same with your closets: one part at a time. An easy guide to uncluttered storage spaces Even though many readers seem to appreciate my minimalist approach to the home, especially the uncluttered worktops, as well as the tables and floors, this seems to be an area that poses constant problems for some people. Keeping your work planes (and other flat surfaces) clean, tidy and uncluttered should not be difficult. Here is a common scenario I get from my readers - and I should note, it was me only a few years ago: you come home, you swing on a counter, a work plan or a table of things such as your keys and your bag / briefcase, your papers and mail, your shopping bags and anything else you could take home This disorder is aggravated over the weeks, as things accumulate. Over the years, you will end up with a brothel such as I do not even want to imagine. And no effort of decluttering will change the disorder problems caused by this habit, because as soon as you have ordered, things start to accumulate in a few days. Some simple changes in your routines can overcome this. Let's see how. How to start If you start with a messy house full of cluttered worktops, tables and floors, things can be a bit difficult. Do not try to unclutter at once. We will start small, as always. I suggest choosing a single table or worktop. Maybe something near your entrance, or in your living room or kitchen if you want. It turns out that I enter my house via the kitchen, so it's the same for me. Then put away this table or worktop. Start by removing everything . This includes devices or anything that can be put here. Make a single pile. Now sort this stack quickly: things you like and use, things you do not need or use, and a pile of "maybe" if you can not decide on some things. Make room clean and clean on your worktop, and put the objects "loved and used". As little as possible - keep it clean and uncluttered. If you still have too much stuff and it's still cluttered, find a new place out of sight, like a drawer or closet. Or make some tough choices and get rid of more things. For the pile of things you no longer need or do not use, recycle or dispose of them, or put them in a bag or box to give to charity or a friend who might need it. For the "maybe" stack, put them in a box, mark the day's date on it, and set it aside somewhere for 6 months - open after 6 months and if you have not had need only one of these objects, get rid of them. It's a good way to deal with things you are not sure about. In any case, you should now have a clean, uncluttered worktop or table. If it still seems cluttered, see what's left, get rid of some items and find a new place for others until you have a clean and tidy space. This is your starting point. Your goal from now on is twofold: keep this space tidy, and expand the tiled area to a new space at a time, using the same method as above. Once you have uncluttered these surfaces, go to the floor then drawers, shelves, and cupboards. But start with the flat surfaces. Let's see how to keep them tidy. Keep worktables and tables tidy That's the difficulty. Decluttering is not very difficult, but to keep things tidy, you have to create new habits. Let's start with two simple rules: #1 Everything you bring home must have its place, and it can not be a flat surface like a table, a worktop or the floor. #2 When you come home and unload your bazaar, or if you're already home and you're done with something, you have to get rid of it and put it in its proper place. These are the ancestral rules that you must have heard from your mother: "A place for everything and everything in its place. It's a classic because it works. So here's how to implement these two rules: Readers of this article also read: The 4 laws of simplicity, and how to apply them to your life 1. Examine everything you bring home, and anything you are tempted to put on your flat, uncluttered surfaces. Find a place for these things. For example, if you usually bring back mail and other papers, have a box for the papers received. For many things, it's best to find a drawer or other similar storage for them to be out of sight. 2. Have a place for your keys, purse, wallet, briefcase and similar items that you always bring back home. I prefer a place near the entrance so I never forget anything - I just take them out of the house. 3. Now, take this habit: when you get home, put your keys and stuff in the place you chose. Always do that. Also put the papers in the box and the rest in the places you have chosen. 4. If you find yourself putting these things on your uncluttered surfaces, look for why. In general this means that you have not chosen the right place for these types of objects. It only takes a minute to find another one. Another reason is that you simply do not get in the habit of putting things where they need to be. It's just a question of concentration, and to remind you until you get used to it. 5. Have a system to handle mail and other papers so they do not stack up. I like dealing with them immediately: open the mail, discard what is no use and the envelopes, pay the bills or do any other necessary action immediately, scan (or store) the ones you need to keep. It only takes a few minutes. Another effective system is to do it weekly. Whatever the system, do it regularly so you do not have large piles of papers. These simple steps, if you can stick to them and make them a habit, will leave your work plans and tables tidy. Once you are used to it, you will really appreciate seeing it crisp and clean. It's incredibly soothing and it creates a much more pleasant environment. Again, extend your uncluttered area to the rest of the house and soon you'll have a pretty, minimalist home.