It’s that time of year when the brooms come out & the garage sale box starts filling up! If you are like most though, it can be a bit overwhelming to do your day to day tasks, while also trying to make time for additional cleaning, organizing, and decluttering.
While it may be difficult, it’s not impossible to get your spring cleaning done, while still maintaining your regular schedule. I know it seems to be my answer to everything, but the KEY TO SUCCESS is to have a PLAN!
..And with every great plan, the best way to start is to write down your whys. What positive outcomes will happen from this cleaning spree? This will keep you motivated!
Once you have your whys, it’s time to set your priorities. Especially if you are a person who starts a project and often doesn’t quite finish. If we determine what the most important things are and start with them, our higher impact tasks will get done. When it comes to spring cleaning, the best question to ask yourself is, “what bothers me the most?” Whatever that is, START THERE! For example, if you have a closet that is overly cluttered and gives you anxiety when you have to dig through it to find something, that would be the first thing you should tackle. Why? Because you know that organizing that closet will lessen stress in the future and MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU.
After we have our priorities set, let’s get SPECIFIC. If you plan to tackle one room at a time, don’t write something on your checklist like, “clean bedroom”. Instead make a list of things that you want to do in that room, like: declutter closets and dressers, clean under beds, organize shelves, etc. Being specific will help you get things done the RIGHT way.
Now.. it’s time to get to the tough conversation. If you struggle to declutter, it’s probably because you have a fear of letting go. It’s ok to keep things for sentimental purposes. Just remember that often the reason we struggle to keep our homes organized, is because we simply have too many things to manage. Letting go of things we don’t need helps us to find a place for the important things in our home. There are lots of methods to help you determine what to keep and what to let go of.
If you haven’t used it in the last 90 days, you probably don’t need it. Now this doesn’t quite work for seasonal items, but definitely a good strategy for mostly everything else.
THE 5 SECOND RULE.. If you can’t remember the last time you used it in 5 seconds, consider letting it go.
If you can replace it for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes, it may not be worth taking up valuable space.
When it comes to wearable items, if you are trying to convince yourself that you will wear it again, place a tag on the hanger with a date. If you haven’t worn that item by whichever date you choose, let it go!
Spring Cleaning can be a great way to start fresh, organize your life, and relieve day to day stress. If you aren’t sure where to get started, listen to episode 14 of the DWP podcast where we dive into some of these topics. You can also download the FREE DWP Spring Cleaning Checklist once you become a subscriber to the page!
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