| Clutter is a particularly low form of energy, which | | | | When you've sorted out your piles of items, you have |
| means that you don't have to spend much time in | | | | a much clearer overview of your clutter and the |
| amongst it before it drags you down. This is part of | | | | chance to ask yourself some questions about it... |
| the reason why you may not feel much enthusiasm | | | | * What have you simply got too many of? |
| for getting started on your decluttering. Plus... at the | | | | * What's so old it's not worth keeping? |
| outset it can seem like such a mammoth task that you | | | | * What are you ready to let go of? |
| feel daunted by the prospect of getting started. To | | | | * What's genuinely important to keep? |
| extend the mammoth metaphor a little further, it's like | | | | * Have you realistically got space to store all the things |
| the stone age challenge: how do you eat a | | | | you want to keep? |
| mammoth? ...One bite at time! | | | | As you review the piles and answer the questions, |
| I've undertaken plenty of decluttering in my time and | | | | sort the contents into new piles... |
| am fortunate enough to get a buzz from it and to | | | | * Items to keep and store tidily |
| positively relish the liberation factor. But I do recognize | | | | * Items to throw away (actually you don't need a pile |
| that it can be hard work and involve painful decisions. | | | | for this one, you just need a trash can!) |
| So the technique that I present here is designed to | | | | * Items to sell |
| make your decluttering as simple, painless and | | | | * Items to recycle. And so on.... |
| effective as I know how. | | | | Now you've got a new selection of piles, and at this |
| All this technique involves is identifying the area you | | | | point it's important to take the intended action with |
| want to declutter and sorting everything in that area | | | | them. By that I mean store the storage items away |
| into piles. For example, if it's your wardrobe you want | | | | tidily, get the garbage items into a trash can outside of |
| to deal with, find all the T-shirts and put them into one | | | | your home or take them straight to the garbage dump, |
| pile. Then locate all the scarves or ties and pile them | | | | get the for sale items on sale, take the recycle items |
| up together. Then all the jackets. And so on... | | | | to your local recycling center. |
| You can use the technique with just about any | | | | It's often tempting to postpone this last step of getting |
| category of clutter - toiletries and cosmetics respond | | | | the clutter out of your home. But if you don't do it, the |
| particularly well. And it works for papers, magazines, | | | | clutter's still there in your space. So go on, finish the |
| gadgets, crockery, you name it... | | | | process and you'll feel fabulous! |