One Simple Idea To Clear the Clutter!

My new life philosophy: Do more with less.

Actually, this is neither new (I've been toying with this idea for years) nor really mine (articles on de-cluttering, living with less, minimalism etc. clutter the internet).

But after much thought, I finally homed in on my exact problem, I need a simpler life. I need less.

No more buying the perfect boxes, just to organize more things that I don't know what to do with in the first place! As Graham Hill says in his TED Talk "Less Stuff, More Happiness", I need to "edit" my life to "make room for the good stuff."

Now like I said, I've thought about this for literally years but have never managed to do anything about it. Why? Quite frankly because... well where would I start? There is chaos and clutter in ever corner of my home that makes me want to give up just by looking at it. And I never seem to run out of excuses for not tackling it!

Then today, on a short road trip, it finally came to me.

Baby steps. Fun. Dedication.

So I made a list of all the small sections of our house that we could de-clutter. I wrote each item on a separate index card, folded it up and stuffed it in a jar marked De-Clutter.

Our family will now pull out one card each day. It's a small 5-10 minute commitment (we started right away today when we got home). The boys, for now, are intrigued.

We'll do it in baby steps - one card a day, it will be fun - pull out a card and see what we'll tackle and we will be dedicated - a short daily commitment of 5-10 minutes.


Of course during the actually process, I make sure to follow these two main tips from experts that write articles on minimizing clutter. (I especially like http://www.becomingminimalist.com/)

1. Stop the inflow of things - this is a BIG one for me. I am trying to only buy essentials (like school uniforms) or if I really want something new, I give my old one - and somethings I try to give several old ones - away in exchange.

2. Be ruthless - really get rid of stuff. For each item on my index card, I am really looking with an eye to eliminate and liberate.

I can already breathe better.

If you have any tips for getting rid of clutter or living a simpler life, feel free to share in the comments below!