Declutter 101 FREEBIE final version · 2019. 10. 17. · Based on the size of your house and how...

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Do you struggle with work-life balance? Are you sick of never-ending house chores? I hear you. I’ve been there. I spent hours tidying, putting things away, trying to keep up with the laundry…And you know what? I neversaw the end of it. I was frustrated, stressed and felt like my life was passing me by. I wanted more freedom. Freedom to spendquality time with my family. Freedom to be more focused and calm. Freedom to focus on my goals anddreams. I knew that I wasn’t focusing on what really mattered. I just didn’t know what to do about it. So I started doing some research online. I came across a few blogs on Minimalism talking about the joybrought on by decluttering and downsizing. I picked up a few more books on minimalism at the bookstoreand read them through in a couple of weeks. That’s when I fell in love with the concept of Minimalism, anddecided I needed to give it a go. Soon after, I started decluttering my home with the intention of letting go as much as possible. I would onlykeep what served a clear purpose OR what made me happy. It took me weeks of intense declutteringsessions to get to a point where I felt comfortable. We had a LOT of clutter. Everywhere. It was not an easytask but it was so worth the effort. Your life changes in many ways when you start letting go of things that don’t serve you. And this is why I created this document : to show you how I did it and guide you step by step through thedecluttering process. In this guide, I cover: Enjoy the ride!

11 reasons to embrace a minimalist lifestyle

A worksheet to ‘Find Your Why’ and keep motivated throughout the process

A workbook to create a simple but effective plan + schedule

A week-by-week category by category decluttering guide

Fred

Before Youstart

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One of the most obvious and amazing benefits of simplifying your life is TIME. Decluttering your house will

make you gain precious time on a daily basis. Imagine what it would feel like if you had an extra hour a day

to go to the gym or spend time with your kids or your spouse. Imagine if you didn’t have to spend your

entire saturday on house chores and instead do something you love.

Living in a cluttered home is stressful. A recent research shows the link between messy, cluttered rooms

and higher stress levels as measured by cortisol levels in women in the study. Women who live in a tidy,

restful home had lower stress levels.

Quite a few minimalists have lost weight and regained their health after they let go of the clutter. This may

have to do with Chi or the ‘life force energy’ referred to by traditional chinese medicine. Blocked energy has

a negative effect on your mental and physical well-being. By decluttering your home, you will become more

energetic and even may end up losing weight.

Clutter brings us down. It does not only take space in our homes but also in our minds. Clearing the space

around you will take away unneeded confusion and free up your mind for things that truly matter.

BEFORE YOU START

LESS STRESS

MORE ENERGY, LESS WEIGHT

FREE MIND

MORE TIME

11 REASONS TO EMBRACE A

MINIMALIST LIFESTYLE (1)


BEFORE YOU START



Your ‘things’ rule you; they tie you down. Having less means you can choose to live in a smaller place that

costs less and takes less time to ‘maintain’. It means more time to do what you want to do and become

whoever you want to be.

In a cluttered environment, it’s hard to find your keys, the matching sock, your glasses and more. As you

start letting go of what doesn’t serve a purpose, things get much clearer. Everything is in its rightful place

and you don’t waste any more time looking for things.

Minimalism leads to a more engaged life. You have more free time and energy to engage with people

around you: attend events you’ve been dying to go to, nurture relationships with loved ones or even make

new friendships.

Because we’ve accumulated so much, we don’t give enough value to the things around us. Clutter makes

it hard for us to identify what we really love in our home. Once you’ve let go, you start appreciating the few

possessions you have left. You give them the care that they deserve.

MORE FREEDOM

EASY TO FIND EVERYTHING

MORE ENGAGED

YOU APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE


Just think for a moment. What are your fondest memories? The memories you cherish the most. I bet

they don’t involve things, but rather experiences. Our fondest memories usually relate to feelings or

emotions, not to things. Focusing on experiencing rather than accumulating is the quickest route to a

fulfilled life. After all, we are the result of our experiences, not our things.

The decluttering process is therapeutic. Detaching yourself from your possessions gives you a chance to

part with past emotions associated with the things that you held on to. Letting go of the old gives you a

chance to make space for the new.

More things mean less focus. Japanese Minimalist Fumio Sasaki calls it the ‘silent to-do list’ saying that

each item sends us a silent message. Each of those items triggers messages in your head like the empty

soap on the bathroom sink ‘I’m running out’, this doorknob you’ve been meaning to repair ‘please fix me

now!’ etc. Those silent messages clutter our minds and make us lose track of our priorities. As we let go

of all those things, the messages get less and less and our ability to concentrate improves.

BEFORE YOU START

EXPERIENCES, NOT THINGS

THERAPY

MORE FOCUS




STEP 1: FIND YOUR WHY

Fill out the answers in the worksheet below.

Print it out and pin it on your bedroom wall, your fridge, on top of your desk or

anywhere you are sure to see it a few times a day.

Ask yourself why you made the decision to download this document.

Maybe you spend most of your free time cleaning, tidying, organizing and you’re just sick of it! You feel

like your ‘stuff’ is weighing you down and preventing you from moving forward with your life; preventing

you from focusing on what truly matters.

Whatever your reason is, take a few minutes to think about it.

See, when I started decluttering, I was pumped about the idea of having a tidy, clean home. I gave it all

for a few days but then as with anything, the first excitement fizzled out and I couldn't find the

motivation to go on. I found all kinds of excuses to quit.

And do you know why? Because I forgot my WHY.

Only when I remembered WHY I had started in the first place did I find the motivation to keep going.

Reminding yourself why you are decluttering in the first place is a powerful way to ensure your

success in the process.

So take 5-10 minutes to do the following to keep focus on your goals, on what really matters.

BEFORE YOU START

TAKE ACTION


Find Your Why

Write below your top 3 reasons for decluttering

Write below your top 3 goals for this year. Remember that decluttering your home will support you in achieving those goals by freeing up timeand space in your head.

1/ 2/ 3/

1/ 2/ 3/


BEFORE YOU START STEP 2: CREATE A PLAN (1)

Many people quit halfway through because they get overwhelmed. They have convinced

themselves that it is too hard, there is too much to do, too many rooms to declutter and not

enough time to do so.

When I started decluttering, I didn't have a plan. I decluttered here and there without ever

making real progress. I felt frustrated and almost quit as a result.

How do we prevent this from happening?

- We get organized

- We cut the tasks into smaller chunks

- We work with a schedule

- We create an easy-to-follow, yet solid and actionable plan.

There are so many reasons why creating a plan BEFORE you start is critical.

Here are a few:

- take the guess work out of decluttering (ready to execute instead)

- help you make real progress

- give you a much higher chance of seeing the process through to the end

- keep you on track and schedule to achieve your WHY.


BEFORE YOU START STEP 2: CREATE A PLAN (2)

1/ Print out the form on the next page 2/ Assess how long it will take you to complete the whole process Based on the size of your house and how much clutter you have you should be able to estimatehow long it will take you. Below is an estimate - feel free to adjust it to your own needs). 1-2 bedroom apartment = 4-5 weeks Medium size city flat = 5-6 weeks Average size house = 8-10 weeks Large house = 10 -12 weeks 3/ Write down your frustrations in ‘Observations’ for each category. Example: for category1, go to your closet and take inventory of what frustrates you. Write it down in the ‘observations’column. Do the same for all the other categories. Look at the example below for inspiration. 4/ Based on your frustrations, put together a goal or action step and enter it in the ‘actionstep’ column. For example, if your frustration is that you have too many clothes that no longer fityou, your action step should be to get rid of those clothes that are too big or too small or awrong fit. 5/ Enter your dates in the ‘timeline’ column. Based on the size of your house, determine howlong it will take to tackle each category. For example, it should take you 1 to 2 weeks todeclutter all the closets in a medium size home. That means you should enter under timing forcloset : week 1-2. Do the same for all the other categories. 6/ Once all your columns are filled out, pin your plan to the wall where you are sure to see itevery day. Make sure you follow it to ensure maximum success!

TAKE ACTION


CLOSET

BOOKS

PAPERWORKPhase 1*

PAPERWORK Phase 2**

MISC. Kitchen items

Appliances

Decluttering Plan + Schedule (1)

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MISC. Make up Self care

items

MISC. Electrical

Equipment

MISC. Sports

Equipment

MISC. Household

Equipment +Supplies

Decluttering Plan + Schedule (2)


There are many discarding methods to choose from.

But I what recommend is that you choose the one that works for you. It doesn't matter whatthis or this expert said and it doesn't matter what I say. Try a few different methods and if onedoesn't work move on to the next one. That's the only way you will be successful.

Letting go isn't as easy at it seems. That's why if you choose a method that doesn't resonate with

you, you won't stick with it. It could be a make or break type-of-situation.

After trying a few different things I chose to use the following method:

1. I pick up an item

2. I ask myself "do I ever use this item?". If the answer is yes, I keep. If it's no, I discard.

3. For the item that I kept, I ask myself a second question: "Do I love this item?"

4. If the answer is NO, I discard. If I don't love it then it shouldn't be cluttering my home.

Another method you could use is the one from Minimalist Guru, Marie Kondo:

- Pick an item in your hands

- Look at it, feel it and ask yourself : ‘does it spark joy?’. In other words, does it make you happy?

- If the answer is yes, KEEP. If it's no, then discard. As simple as that.

Once again, be critical, do your research and use the method that feels right to you.

BEFORE YOU START

STEP 3: CHOOSE ONE METHOD AND STICK WITH IT

THE DISCARDING PROCESS

TACKLE CATEGORY BY CATEGORY

One thing that most decluttering experts suggest is to declutter category by category rather than

room by room. And after trying both approaches, I can say that I agree.

Why? Because chances are that you have books, paperwork or other items scattered around the

house. Also, tackling your mess by category means you will be better organised and have a higher

chance to see the process through to the end.


Time toDeclutter!


WEEK 1 EMPTY YOUR CLOSET

1/ Take out ALL of your clothes from your closet (even the ones stored away)

2/ Lay them all on your bed (or floor if not enough space)

3/ Create 3 piles:

- Throw away : clothes that are stained, have holes in them or are too worn out

- Donate : clothes that are in good shape but that you never wear (or haven't worn for a long time) or

don't love

- Keep

Use the 'does it spark joy' method or any other method that you have chosen in Step 3

It's funny how, even with closets full to the bream, we never seem to find anything nice to wear.

I don't know why that is but what I do know is that, in this case, less is definitely more.

Decluttering your closet is fun, liberating and it can bring many benefits into your life such as:

- a chance to re-assess your style

- a chance to wear clothes you love day in day out

- finally knowing what you have in your closet

- being much quicker to get ready in the morning

- being more thoughtful of compulsive purchasing habits - buying fewer but quality items

In my case, re-organizing my wardrobe taught me that I had very few clothes that I liked, few clothes

that were actually 'me'. I also realised how compulsive I was when it came to buying clothes. and it

opened my eyes to how wasteful my habits were.

TAKE ACTION


GET DOWN TO 33 ITEMS

33 items for 3 months

What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes.

What not: these items are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring, underwear, sleep, in-

home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

How: over the next two months, outline your 33 items, by the 1st of the next quarter, box up the

remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of site.

What else: consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three

months. If you purchase items for project 333, stick with the one in, two out approach. Consider the

essentials and stick to 33.

The method on the previous page helped me get rid of about 30-40% of my clothes. I still had too much

though.

I wanted to take it a step further and that's when I came across Project 333. If, like me, you're looking to

experiment with a more "radical" approach, then I suggest that you check it out.

Project 333 is a simple and effective method that makes it easy and quick to dress up in the

morning. The movement was launched by Courtney Carver, a former advertising sales executive, now

owner and blogger at www.bemorewithless.com

Below are the rules of Project 333 that can also be found on Courtney Carver's website.

WEEK 1

PROJECT 333 RULES


1/ Gather all the books scattered around the house 2/ Lie them all on the floor 3/ Create 2 piles DONATE * Discard books that you’ve already read and are not planning on reading anymore KEEP * Books that you refer to often such as your favorite recipe book * Books that you are very fond of and are planning on reading again and again * Books that make you happy Note: Discard books that are in your possessions for over 2 months and haven’t been opened yet. Thechances you will ever read them are slim to none.

If you love reading like I do, you've probably accumulated piles and piles of books throughout the years. I

always had a good reason to hold on to them. 'Who knows? I might reread that one at some point' or 'I

haven't had a chance to read that one yet but I'm sure I'll get round to it at some point'...

No way! I never got around to reading what I had not opened after a month or two. And I rarely ever re-

read a book I had already read.

None of those excuses are good enough to keep a thousand books lying around.

Remember that unattended books turn into clutter and attract unwanted dust into your home.

Plus, I guarantee that you will feel much lighter once you've let go of your books.

WEEK 2 LET GO OF YOUR BOOKS

TAKE ACTION


Sorting through the paperwork was a huge undertaking for us. It took us a few days of hard work to

declutter that space. But I am so glad we did, because paperwork has a way of sneaking up on you

and multiplying like crazy. It tends to silently (but quickly) stack up in a corner of the house. And before

you know it, you have countless drawers filled with paper.

I've divided paperwork into 3 sections:

1/ Miscellaneous Paperwork

This is the bulk of all your papers. Depending on how organized you’ve been over the past years, it

would include:

- Invoices (due or already paid)

- Pay slips

- Work contracts

- Life insurance paperwork

- Pension fund info

- Bank statements and other bank notifications (current and past)

- Health insurance (current and past)

2/ Personal communication

Postcards from friends / loved ones, wedding / birth cards, love letters, ec.

3/ Important Personal Papers

Passports / IDs, driver’s license, social security cards and other important identification details.

WEEK 3 TACKLE THE PAPERWORK (1)


Guard category 3/ Important personal paper in a safe space, one that only hold those

‘important’ papers / IDs

Discard most of category 2/ Personal communication - The likelihood of you ever

feeling the need to go back to old postcards or love letters from exes is very slim. If you

find it hard to let go because of the sentimental value it holds for you, remember that:

It’s a piece of paper, no more, no less

What matters is the present connection you hold with the person who sent it, not

the faded memory of it

Memories live on in your head and heart

Sort Category 1/ miscellaneous paperwork - the only category left

WEEK 3 TACKLE THE PAPERWORK (2)TACKLE THE PAPERWORK (2)

TAKE ACTION


1. From Category 1/ miscellaneous paperwork, KEEP:

3. DIGITALIZE

Contractual documents (current employment contracts)

Active contractual relationships (only currently relevant documents): Pension funds (contract

number, bank account details, relevant contact info), Health insurance data (insurance name,

contract number, etc.) Life insurance (life insurance name, contract number, validity, relevant

contact info)

Warranty documents (for appliances with a currently valid warranty contract).

The KEEP pile should fit in no more than 1 or 2 folders.

2. THROW AWAY

The rest of the paperwork can go. That includes:

Credit card and bank statements

Paid invoices

Pay slips

Other irrelevant / non-legally binding documents

Should you want to take it a step further and go paperless, you could digitalize all your paperwork.

With a high-speed scanner and the appropriate software like Evernote, you can store all of your

important documents online. It makes it easy to locate a specific document quickly and prevents the

paper clutter in your home.

Note: I advise to look into going paperless only once you have completed the entire decluttering

process.

WEEK 3 TACKLE THE PAPERWORK (3)

TAKE ACTION


Kitchen items / utensils

Make-up - self care items

Electrical equipments and appliances (digital cameras, electrical cords, anything that seems vaguely

‘electric’)

Sports equipment

Household equipment and supplies

Other

The miscellaneous category is a combination of smaller items that tend to scatter around the house.We usually find it difficult to find a specific, designated area to store those items and they end upcluttering every single room of our home. Even if it takes a while, find a designated area for each of those items. This will ensure that youmaintain a clutter free house on the long term. Here is the list of things that can be classified inmiscellaneous:

Proceed category by category. Only once one category is fully decluttered you can move on to the

next one. As done previously:

1/ Lay all items from that specific category on the floor

2/ Create 3 piles:

Discard (anything that doesn't serve a purpose or that you don't love)

Donate (items that you've discarded that are still in good condition)

Keep: items that bring joy or serve a specific purpose currently

WEEK 4-6

TAKE ACTION

FINALLY, MISCELLANEOUS


It wasn't so hard, was it?

With a solid plan of action, a schedule to keep you on track and the "remember your why"

sheet to keep you going, decluttering can be pretty painless and liberating even.

Once you get organised and get into execution mode, you can achieve your goal of living

in a tidy, clutter free home in less than 6 weeks.

And believe me, you will be amazed at how freeing and energising it feels!

So enjoy the ride and remember that:

You've done it!

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot beseen or touched. They must be felt with the

heart."


Hey, I'm Fred! A 30-something woman, wife, mom, professional and more. Once upon a time, I thought I had it all. A great job, a house full of things and a good income thatallowed me to go out, have fun and buy… ….more stuff! Until I realized that my definition of having it all did NOT make me happy. I was (a bit) burned out,running low on energy and had lost sense of who I was. But most importantly, I was missing one essential ingredient. FREEDOM. I had NO time for what really mattered and felt like I was missing out on the important things. SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE. 1. The first thing I did was to make space around me so that I could think clearer. I cleared ourhouse of all the clutter and let go of over half of our possessions. That alone renewed my energyand increased my focus. 2. Second, I reorganised my life so that there would be no more weekends spent tidying, cleaning,laundering or folding. Weekends would be all about living, cuddling, playing, learning or connecting. 3. Last but not least, I worked on regaining my freedom. My dream was to be able to set my ownhours, have more time for my family, for myself and to work from wherever I want doing something Ilove. Enters Pretty Simple Days. I found a new passion in writing. Combined with my love for simple living, I created this blog where Ishare how powerful and life-changing simplifying can be. My mission with this blog is to share myjourney and tips on how to live freely, simply and with purpose.

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Declutter 101 FREEBIE final version · 2019. 10. 17. · Based on the size of your house and how...

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