“Be Totally Organized” Top 10 Tips for Decluttering (PLUS 2 Bonus Tips):

If you dream of having a clean and sorted home… and life, here are 12 things you can do right now toward total organization.

(This is one of my many articles on organization, decluttering, minimalism, mindfulness and productivity) Click Here for more

1. Start with just 5 minutes of tidying a small area
If the thought of tidying fills you with dread, focus on one small area for just 5 minutes, for example, a pen and pencil pot, an area of a shelf or a desk surface. Tell yourself that it is only for 5 minutes; however, continue your efforts if you get into the flow or feel the need to complete the task. Let your motivation lead you. Often when we simply start a task, we will see it through to completion. The magic of decluttering is that you will find instant reward in that small area you have chosen. Tackling a large space can be quite overwhelming and frustrating but taking small steps will help you to see further reward at the end of your efforts.

2. Set a routine for certain areas and use triggers
For example, as soon as you get up in the morning, make your bed enough for it to look tidy, you don’t need taught military style flat surfaces to pass inspection in minimalism. If you have finished using a dish and cutlery, put it in the dishwasher or wash it up. Don’t leave it on a surface. Have a place for certain papers so they don’t lie on your surfaces, sort them into a certain area ready to be processed for reading, recycling or following up on. The art of tidying as you go will reduce the dread of cleaning tasks multiplying into mountains of chores within your home.

3. Empty an area such as a drawer or cupboard
Lay out the contents and ask the following key minimalist questions:
Do I really need this?
Does it work?
Is this in its right place?
Do I have more than one of these and is that really necessary?
Do I actually use this?
Would I prefer this object or the space it would create by not having it?

4. When practicing minimalism, learn to make gut decisions
Have a donation and recycling bag ready. Look at each item and ask the questions in the tip above, then make a decision to donate it, offer it to someone (outside of your household), recycle it or put it on the street to see if anyone else might take it (if that is allowed in your neighbourhood). Don’t debate with yourself too much, remember minimalism is about making quick decisions with the objective of making new space through using your gut feeling as a guide.

5. Be a ruthless minimalist
Most of the stuff you have, you will probably never use. Have one or two good pens and get rid of the other 20 cheap pens. If you haven’t used something in the last year, get rid of it. Don’t hold onto broken items that are collecting dust. Most of the stuff you possess can probably be replaced for a small sum of money if you later decide that it’s a must have as part of your lifestyle. Minimalism is about resourcefulness with the few quality items that each of us individually choose to own.

6. Be rid of paper Articles, magazines and newspapers
If you really must, cut out items you want from your papers and put them into one ringed folder, then recycle the leftover paper. I pretty much guarantee you will probably never look at them anyway. Even better, take photos with your smartphone and store them digitally. Digital recording and digital storage of items is a master technique practiced by those who follow minimalism in their lives.

7. File your important paperwork somewhere secure
Especially bills, tax-related correspondence and anything that is legally need for the future. For birth certificates, ownership records etc. store them safely in a fireproof lockable box, safe or bank depository and have printed copies certified and signed by a Justice of the Peace or other legal professional. Even when you practice minimalism, you need to keep the documents that everyone of us must legally retain in our lives.

8. If you really can’t decide, temporarily store your things in a box
Keep them with other undecided possessions and place them out of sight. You will soon know if you really need this thing or not, and eventually, after time, you can make an objective decision as to what you wish to do with that possession. In minimalism, we only hold onto the things that are significantly personal and add value to our lives. You save more energy when you can quickly access your significant things rather than having to be drained searching through all your clutter.

9. Remember that everything you possess needs a home
Whenever you finish using a thing, immediately return it to its home. This is another key practice in minimalism. Avoid the storage of things on surfaces such as shelves, furniture tops, tabletops and floor space unless it adds some aesthetic to your house and makes you feel good about its presence. Drawers, cupboards and other closed storage are ideal for storing important things but fill only a third of these spaces and you will find things faster in that less cluttered space instead of hunting for the object of your search. A minimalism philosophy discourages the overwhelm of storage units stuffed to the brim with things, freeing up the space in your home.

10. Admire and appreciate your newly organized surrounds
Make sure your personal spaces are aesthetically pleasing to your eye and contain the functional stuff you need in life. Get out into nature and find beauty in the world and enjoy yourself with friends and loved ones. When you come back to a beautiful and clean home, you can start to relax and have some recreation and fun, rather than the dread of clutter and living to clean. Be excited by the new space you have created!

2 Organization Bonus Tips:

• As newly practicing minimalists within the philosophy of minimalism, be resourceful with what you already have and make good use of it, rather than it being lost amongst all of the clutter. Many of the special things we own serve multiple purposes, and we typically don’t use them properly until we have to.

• Rather than proclaiming to everyone that you live a lifestyle of minimalism, show it through the actions you take. Minimalism is a word for choosing to practice freedom from possessions, it is not a lifestyle every one of us will embrace. You can feel perfectly proud to be living minimalism and share your mindful practice with those people who seek your advice, but respect those who do not wish to be minimalists. It’s a personal choice.

If you would like to explore other ideas to inspire to living a simplified and organized lifestyle, now is the time to check out my further Productivity “Pep Talks”