Ok, ok, so your belongings seemed to multiply over the winter this year. Your pantry is so overstuffed, you can’t tell how many jars of peanut butter are hiding in there. Your closet is so overflowing with who-knows-what, it’s hard to find anything to wear. And your home office, let’s not even talk about those towering piles of paper you can’t bring yourself to look through.
There’s no better time than Spring to indulge the urge to purge — to rid yourself of all the stuff weighing you down, getting in your way, and stealing your energy rather than fueling you when you try to relax at home.
The process of decluttering is what I call SHEDing. By letting go of the tangible clutter in your physical space and schedule, you gain the clarity, energy and insight to move forward and discover what’s next. The SHED process involves 4 steps:
Separate the treasures — What gems are truly worth hanging on to?
Heave the trash — What’s weighing you down?
Embrace your identity from within — Who are you without all your stuff?
Drive yourself forward — Which direction connects to your genuine self?
Decluttering helps you to create a calm, welcoming home environment, where you can recharge and ready yourself for the challenges outside your door. You will also unearth treasures you forgot you had — which might even save you some money now. Perhaps most of all, lightening up gives you the energy and time to engage in life more fully.
Here are 5 keys to successful decluttering:
FIND THE POCKETS OF CLUTTER
The most common question is —“How do I know it’s clutter?” Consider this zen parable. A wanderer on a lonely road came across a torrential river that had washed out the bridge. He stops for a few days to build a raft out of branches, which carries him safely across to the other bank. When he gets to the other side, he looks at the solid and heavy raft and thinks, "This is a good raft. If I ever come across another river, it will come in handy.” So he put the raft on his back and carried it for the rest of his life.
Think about the meaning of this story. How often do we hang onto things that served us well at one point in our lives but are no longer relevant or useful? Search your home and office for the rafts. Clutter is something that no longer serves you, that depletes your energy, weighs you down, or has become obsolete. Remember: clutter doesn’t have to look like a pile of junk, clutter can be hiding in perfect organization.
GET IN THE MOOD
You need energy and enthusiasm when you SHED. Weekends are a good time; late nights (for most people) are not. Open the windows and get some fresh air in the room. Make yourself a refreshing drink. Play music that fuels you. Now, focus. SHEDing burns a lot of energy because it requires you to make so many decisions.
KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE GOING
Decide in advance who'll get your castoffs: a charity, a shelter for the homeless, your sister. Have a series of boxes or shopping bags for each organization or person to whom you're giving things. For the trash — sort regular trash from recyclables. Find out if your city picks up bulk trash or arrange for a service to haul off your discards.
BEFORE YOU DIVE IN, CREATE TREASURE GUIDELINES
If you do all your thinking on paper first, decluttering can be incredibly fast and painless. Ask yourself: If all of this were to be gone tomorrow, what would I miss? Write your answers on a sticky note and post them on the wall. Keep referring to it while you sort and SHED. Expect the first 30 minutes to be slow going, until you find your rhythm. It takes about three to four hours to tackle most pockets of clutter.
CONQUER TOUGH DECISIONS
When you come across items you’re unsure of and can’t decide whether you're ready to part with, ask yourself three questions:
1) Is this the best reminder I have of this thing, person, experience, time in my life … or is it just another reminder? Save only the best and most meaningful reminders.
2) What has more value to me? This object, or the space I will have for something new?
If you find yourself belaboring decisions and your process slows to a crawl, take a break. Get some air. Before you dive back in, ask yourself one more question:
3) How much of my life is worth investing in the salvaging of these items?
Remind yourself what you’re clearing space for and give yourself a reasonable time limit to power through the rest of the job. You’ll be glad you did. The space you clear will generate new energy and help you think more clearly.