My House Is A Mess! Where Do I Start?

Is your home a mess? Do you feel like giving up? Friend, you have come to the right place! I want to share some tips to help take your home from a ball of frustration to a place you crave coming home to at the end of a long day. 

We are prone to consumption, meaning we tend to accumulate many items over the course of our lifetime. Having a house full of stuff can make figuring out where to start an overwhelming task. Use the tips below to help you get started. 

GIVE YOURSELF A QUICK BOOST OF MOTIVATION
Give yourself an immediate boost by clearing the “easy clutter”. Simply put, “easy clutter” is trash. Grab a trash bag and walk around your house tossing in trash such as junk mail, old magazines, empty containers etc. This simple task will get you moving and boost your motivation by seeing some the clutter start to disappear. 

VISUALIZE THE ROOM
When deciding which room to start with, visualize what you want the space to look like. What are you hoping the end result will look like? What will you use the room for? What does your dream room look like? Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage and retreat to your space. As you sit, relax and let your imagination take you away to visualize a beautiful haven. When you have a clear goal in mind, you are more likely to have the motivation to continue

START WITH WHAT YOU SEE
It can get overwhelming when you think about all the things that are in drawers and closets. Start with desktops, floor space, and the tops of dressers and tables. Clearing these areas will help you make real progress toward your goals and can motivate you to feel less stressed and more confident in conquering the clutter. 

CONSIDER THE FURNITURE
Furniture can also contribute to how cluttered a room looks. Look at every piece in the room, ensuring it is functional and placed correctly. Reorganizing your space can transform a room, sparking your inspiration to keep going!

PREPARE YOURSELF MENTALLY
Decluttering requires being physically and mentally prepared to tackle the tasks at hand. Before tackling the clutter, gather bags, boxes, post-it notes, and markers to label and prepare your decluttering stations. A pep talk can help get you mentally prepared for the decluttering process. Understand that this process will take time and that you will not transform your home overnight. 

USE A TIMEKEEPER TO KEEP YOU ON TRACK
Decluttering can be overwhelming, so break your work time into small, bite-size chunks. I recommend 15 minutes at a time. Set a timer, get to work, and take a break when the buzzer goes off. 

GIVE EVERYTHING A HOME
One of the most important ways to succeed in decluttering is to ensure that every item in your home has a designated space. 
Remember the mantra: a place for everything, and everything in its place. 

PHOTOGRAPH SENTIMENTAL ITEMS
It can be hard to let go of things that have meaning. One option is to take photographs of sentimental items. Remember, the person who gave you the item would not want you to be weighed down and obligated to keep it. 

Getting your home in order and decluttering can feel like a mission impossible, but as long as you keep going, stay strong, and complete each task, there will be plenty of benefits. You can enjoy reduced stress, more space to enjoy and, maybe even reduced housework! Breaking down your decluttering tasks into small chunks increases your chances of success. All you have to do is get started–YOU GOT THIS!

Hugs and Love, Nikki