Many people find the thought of having a simple life, free of clutter very attractive. They have thought about it and have weighed the positives of having less stuff: less debt, more money, more energy to pursue their passions, less to clean, less stress, and less to keep organized. They have decided they are ready to take the next step and get rid of all the clutter in their life- but many are not sure where to start.

Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, many people begin to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and even completely defeated at the thought of decluttering their home and lives.

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However, the truth is, it really doesn’t have to be all that complicated and painful. In fact, there are some creative and fun ways that you can get started with this process. Check out Declutter Fast for some great tips on decluttering your home and consider implementing the following tips into your life to get you started.

Tips for Decluttering

Allow yourself FIVE whole minutes to clean/straighten and organize a particular area. This way, you’re breaking it up into smaller increments, you’re not focusing so much on the BIG PICTURE.
Every day, find one thing to give away- in one year, you’ll have 365 less things. This will make you feel like you’re more in control of your stuff instead of your stuff controlling you. Make a point to not replace those things with more things.
Early on in your journey, get a trash bag and fill it up. This can be with things you are throwing out or things you are donating. Either way, you’re getting rid of things. This is a wonderful way to kickstart your path to decluttering.
Go into your close and turn all of the hangers backwards. When you wear an item, turn the hanger back around to put it back. Within six months, you’ll have an idea of what you wear on a regular basis and what you really don’t. Anything that is not facing the correct direction can be gotten rid of. You can also use this same idea to clear out the clutter in the rest of your home.
Take the time to make a list of the various areas in your home so that you can figure out which one is the easiest to get done. Then, as you begin to declutter and organize, as you complete one area, STOP. Of course, your list can be as easy or as complicated as you want, depending upon the areas of your home that you put on the list- and it can work with any schedule at all.
Follow the 12/12/12 challenge in which you find 12 things that you can throw out, 12 things you can donate, and 12 things that you will return to their proper location (everything you own should have a place). You can even make this a family competition- whoever is the first one finished is the winner.
Often, since we live in the clutter, we may not necessarily see what we need to do. Therefore, try to change the way you see your home. Imagine inviting over the CEO of your company, a toddler, or take some pictures. This will help you to see your home from another perspective and you’ll be more able to see the clutter that you so desperately need to get rid of.
Try to involve your imagination in the decluttering process. When you’re clearing out the clutter, pick something up and decide how much you’d be willing to pay if you were to purchase that item right now- or if you’d but it at all. This could be very helpful in helping you to remove things you don’t really need anymore.
As you are on your path to minimizing your possessions and decluttering your life, try the four-box method. Simply take 4 boxes and label them: Trash, Keep, Relocate, Give Away. Then, take one room at a time and place everything in that room in a box. You may only need an hour or two in one room and you may need a week in another room. The point is, you’re getting rid of the clutter one step at a time.

Of course, no matter how you get started- whether you use one of the above tips or some other advice that you come across- the point is to be excited about it. You’ll find that there’s a wonderful world of freedom and freshness waiting for you on the other side of the clutter. How you get rid of the clutter is entirely up to you. For more help getting started- or maintaining your motivation- try Declutter Fast.