Last week I introduced you to the 30 Day Clutter Bootcamp. The author, Tanja, says that most of us just dive in head first when we decide to cut back on the clutter, then quickly get overwhelmed. Hmm, that sounds rather familiar! It’s important to really get to the root of why you want to do this, what it is you want from the experience, what you want from your life. Once you know what is motivating you, what your intentions are, it makes the journey a little easier. That’s why Day 1 of Bootcamp is The Master Plan.
In my words, here are some of the master plan questions, and my answers:
Why do you want to make this change?
- I don’t like mess, it depresses and overwhelms me and wrecks havoc with my anxiety.
- I don’t like not being able to find things when I need them.
- I don’t like spending my free time tidying up only to have to do it all again the next evening or weekend.
- I don’t like holding on to unused items that could be useful to someone else.
- I believe that eliminating the unnecessary opens the way to abundance.
What is your current clutter reality; what’s bothering you the most?
- The front entrance way. It’s a very small area that gets used as a dumping ground for things that are on their way out of the house (donations, borrowed items), and things as we come in to the house (coats, shoes, bags, etc.)
- Study desk. Dumping ground for bills, mail, flyers, to-do items, etc.
- Kitchen counters. Another dumping ground for items that don’t have homes, and dirty dishes that never seem to go away.
- Laundry/Back Door Area. Major dumping area for toys, laundry, recycling and garbage. Also has Matt’s tools and our pantry. Disaster that keeps on coming back no matter how many times I try to eliminate it!
- Basement. Major dumping ground for everything I’ll get to later (you know, that day that will never come). The biggest area to tackle but also the lowest priority as it is out of sight and not a day-to-day hassle.
Am I the only one seeing a common theme here? Dumping ground, hmm….
Imagine the way you want your house to be.
- Open and airy, inviting. Everything I need is readily at hand, easily found. I love everything that I own. My home is warm and welcoming, relaxing, soothing, it even smells great! Comfortable and comforting.
- Less about how it looks (ie, décor) than how it feels and makes me feel.
I can make it happen by doing the following!:
- Dedicate 30 minutes a day to decluttering; easy to find by cutting back on tv or internet time.
- Keep only what you use or love.
- Reduce belongings by at least 30%, or; keep two, toss one.
- Top priority – work from the front of the house to the back.
- Address the areas that are the most used or most frustrating on a regular basis.
The Bootcamp takes you through your home by categories, not rooms. As in you sort through all of your CDs at once, or all of your shoes. However I’m not going to restrict myself to doing only what she suggests for specific days, if inspiration strikes, I’m going for it.
For instance tonight I went through my jewellery and reduced my necklaces by 50%, and my earrings and misc. jewellery by roughly 30%. It was actually easy because I was in the right mindset to do it. If you’re not ready to let go of something, it’s not going to happen. When I first sorted through my books I thought I had donated everything that I could. When I went through them again after a significant amount of time had passed, I emptied entire bookshelves!
What area of your house would you most like to get under control? If your home is already the home of your dreams, do you have any helpful tips to share? I could certainly use some!
Image source: Joel Penner
If you want to work through the 30 Day Clutter Bootcamp e-book with me you can purchase it by clicking on the link. I only recommend things that I believe in, plus, it comes with a 100% money back guarantee if you aren’t happy with the purchase. No risk there!
