Getting and staying organized is all dependent on how well you stay on top of your decluttering. Here’s a decluttering 101 class for you with seven decluttering tips. When it comes to organizing the most simple starting point is to get rid of ANYTHING you do not need or want.

Decluttering 101

A general rule is – if you haven’t used something in a year, you should really consider getting rid of it! Donate to someone who will actually use it.

Keep in mind, that the more things you have, the more you have to keep track of and maintain. What we spend so much of our time doing is moving things from here to there, looking for things, and then taking care things.

So, we need to avoid collecting things that we simply do not use. I recommend a full home purge three times a year, I believe the more you stay on top of it, the less time it will actually take.

Seven Decluttering Tips:

Start with your easiest room(s) first, where you are least attached to things.
Include your family members as appropriate – many hands make light work.
Carve out designated times, treat it like a job with a start and stop time.
Turn off any and all distractions, make it a focused time of productive work.
Have a plan for discarding of unwanted items quickly (garage sale, donation center, sell etc.)
Be honest with yourself as you go through all of your belongings.
Have a reward for yourself upon reaching your goal(s)…dinner out…

I do my purges the beginning of the following months, January, May, and September, you should pick whichever times work for you. By focusing on a room or two per day and I am able to purge my home in about two weeks every four months. We work though closets, drawers, shelves, under beds, garage storage etc. It’s important to not let any area of your home escape your focus! Trust me, once you begin to unload some of the things that you don’t need you will begin to feel more organized. While you are doing this it is also a great time to do some deep cleaning – although this will depend on the time and energy you have! Decluttering should be priority numero uno.

*Tip: Declutter your entire home on a regular basis. At a minimum, once a year!

Happy Organizing!