There just aren’t enough hours in the day, are there?

Once you’ve worked, shopped, cooked and cleaned, there’s barely enough time to fit in enough sleep, let alone time for decluttering and organising.

And if a window does open up in your schedule, there are a bazillion things you’d rather fill it with than decluttering and organising, right? What about all those friends and family members to whom you owe a phone call, if not a visit? How about the creative stuff you love to do? Or maybe you just need some downtime with some rubbish telly or a magazine.

So decluttering and organising your stuff stays on your mental ‘to do’ list and never actually gets done.

Does that ring true?

Meanwhile, you’re embarrassed to invite people into your home because you’re suffering from Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome. You can’t get on with your creative projects because there’s nowhere to set up your stuff. And you don’t relax into your downtime because the clutter surrounding you crushes your energy and constantly depresses you.

Am I right?

There is a solution

You don’t have to be trapped in this situation. With the right support, you can find your way out.

1. Don’t try to do it all at once

If you’ve got a large clutter backlog to clear, trying to clear it all in one go will be overwhelming. No wonder you feel you haven’t got the time!

Break it into smaller chunks and tackle them one at a time. You’ll be amazed at the progress you make.

2. Set aside a regular time for decluttering and organising

The hardest thing about putting regular time aside for something is choosing when that time will be. You look at your diary and it seems impossible.

Yet once you’ve created the slot, and made the mental commitment, it simply becomes part of your weekly routine. And, before you know it, it’s natural to spend time decluttering and organising.

3. It’s not forever

Well, not to this extent anyway. Once you’ve cleared your clutter backlog, you won’t need to invest nearly so much time in decluttering and organising. While you’re clearing the backlog, set aside two two-hour periods a week: the first for sorting your stuff and the second for taking the actions you’ve identified as a result.

Once you’re through your backlog, you can reduce the amount of time you dedicate to it.

4. Remember you’ll get the time back

How much time do you waste looking for stuff that’s lost in your clutter mountain?

How often do you go to the shops specifically to replace something that’s lost in your clutter, or that’s got damaged because it wasn’t stored carefully? How often do you think you go shopping to buy something you’ve forgotten you’ve already got?

When you’ve cleared your clutter mountain and you’re regularly decluttering and organising, you’ll know exactly what you’ve got and where it is. You’ll be able to lay your hands on anything right away.

You’ll have so much time!

Plus you’ll have more energy so you’ll fit more into the time available to you.

5. Stay in touch with your motivation

“If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got”. Lee Iacocca (American businessman)

No-one’s expecting you to enjoy decluttering and organising for its own sake.

And it’s hard to make time for things we don’t enjoy doing.

The trick is to remember why you’re decluttering and organising. Create yourself a vision board. If you’ve got loads of magazines lying about, it’s a great way to use them! Cut out pictures that represent the life you want – the life you could lead if you cleared your clutter mountain.

Put it somewhere you’ll see it often. And use it to remind yourself why it’s worth spending time decluttering and organising.

 

What’s your biggest barrier to decluttering and organising?

How do you make time for decluttering and organising?

Leave me a comment below and join in the discussion.