Declutter Challenge

Since reading and being inspired by Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up last May, summer happened and as it always does, clutter crept back into my life.

Now that we are into a new school year and our routines are humming along, it's time for a declutter challenge. This is both a personal challenge on my part, and a challenge for you, if you choose.

Here are three tips to help you declutter this fall:

1) Find Your Why---Why is it important for you to declutter? For each of us, the answer will be different. While I have little "surface clutter" in my life, I still feel bogged down by excess "stuff" hidden away. For me, a life with less clutter is lighter, freer and easier. For you, it might be about readying your home for the upcoming holidays. Find your why and be inspired!

2) Just Start---Marie Kondo's book outlines a very specific process for decluttering, starting with our clothing. David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, has you start with capturing, or writing down, everything that "has your attention". These approaches and others work great, but the most important thing when decluttering is to just get started. At the end of the day, that's what will matter most.

3) Make it Go Away---When I have a big pile of paper clutter on my desk, I say to myself "I am going to make this go away." Likewise, if we have clutter that is on it's way out, it's best to get it out of the house as quickly as possible. This might mean scheduling a donation pick up, heading to the recycling center or rolling your garbage cart out to the curb. You will feel better with the cleared space.

Let me know if you will join me in decluttering this fall! I love hearing from you!