Wishing your life was just a little less complicated and less full of ‘stuff’? Maybe it seems like a difficult task to even think about beginning to declutter and simplify, where should you start? Use these 7 ideas to start decluttering and simplifying life now.
Doing a little at a time is what works best for most people; you don’t have to wait to get started.
–Put things away as soon as you are done using them, starting now. To begin with, you may want to grab one or two extra things that you’ve left out in the past…umm, 5 minutes? But, seriously, if you make this a habit, you will find your desk, your home, your car and an unlimited number of other places will all of a sudden be tidier.
–While you are putting your stuff away, grab one or two extra things, they don’t have to be big, from the area you are putting things ‘away’ that you don’t use anymore. Put them in a box out in the garage, on the porch, or under the bed. Just make sure you don’t forget where you put them. Make a quick note on the calendar a month from now, something like ‘box’ will do so you can pull it out, realize you didn’t miss any of it, and take the whole thing to a donation center.
–Limit dinner to three items, four if you must. Sautee` fresh veggies in a skillet in some olive oil, remove, throw some fish filets in there to cook while you are making some quick brown rice on the stovetop. Or, go with Bobby Flay’s fast steak recipe, we love it at my house. We add a HUGE side of greens with vinaigrette and a roll or two. Each of these meals takes around 15-20 minutes to make start to finish and are healthy as an added bonus.
–Take a look at your calendar for upcoming events in the next three weeks. Did you make too many appointments back to back? Volunteer three times for the PTA? Schedule too many lunch dates with friends? Pick one thing and cancel it, or in the case of an appointment, reschedule. Taking even one thing off your calendar will reduce your stress load. If you can manage to get rid of two, even better!
–Head to your closet. Open your sock drawer and pull out a couple pairs of your least favorite socks. You know, the ones that work their way down around your heel and end up as a wad under your foot by the end of the day. Don’t think about it too much, but toss them in the trash. Donation centers won’t usually take socks and underwear, unless they specifically recycle clothing. If you can bring yourself to do it, glance at your underwear too and do the same thing.
–Say no to one thing. It doesn’t have to be anything huge, it could even be saying ‘no’ to one more episode of your favorite TV show on Netflix, or ‘no’ to one more cookie, or ‘no’ to a request to work late. It’s up to you, but say no to something today. It will empower you to start looking more closely at what you are actually saying ‘yes’ to.
–Go to bed 10 minutes earlier and get up 10 minutes earlier. An extra ten minutes in the morning can mean a big difference between feeling hurried and starting the day stressed, versus beginning on a calm note and feeling gathered and ‘with it’. You’ll end up happier during the day and more productive.
Simplifying life shouldn’t be complicated. Start with these 7 tips and you can begin seeing and feeling benefits immediately.