Do you know what needs to be done, but can’t seem to get it done?  Are you lacking the motivation to get going?  Sometimes the projects can seem overwhelming in size, when actually they are not that bad.

Getting motivated

I recently converted a storage room into a playroom for the kids.  Initially I was excited about the idea.  Honestly, I wasn’t even sure where to start.  The room as it was, appeared completely overwhelming.  If there was so much stuff, where would it go?  But if I could declutter and make the space a useable playroom, it would be worth it.  The end result was my motivation. So, when it comes to decluttering, it doesn’t matter where you start.  It is more important to just start.

Assessing the Clutter

As I looked around, I found things we no longer needed to keep:

• Old papers, bills, and statements, unused checks
• Baby toys
• Tvs
• Stereo equipment and speakers

By grouping the items, it made the project more manageable.

Picking a Starting Point

Once I assessed the situation, I felt better.  I picked my starting point with the paper.  Ours was contained in white file boxes.  I went through one a day, and kept very little.  What did I do with all of the paper with personal information on it?  Although we have a shredder, it would have taken me weeks to feed each piece in one at a time.  Luckily, I read that there would be a paper shredding event in our town at the end of the month.

Setting a Deadline

So, I gave myself two weeks to go through 10 boxes of paper.  (I know.  I can’t believe there were 10 white storage boxes of paper!)  After recycling some of the paper, and combining the remainder, I was down to 5 boxes.  Then I just drove these boxes over to the site, and put them in one large blue recycling trash can.  I brought the kids, and they loved watching the can go up into the truck.  There was even a tv screen on the outside of the truck so you could confirm your papers were being shredded.

Next, I gathered all of the baby items we were not using and put them in my laundry room.  My plan is to bring some items to the consignment store, give some things to friends, and donate the rest.  Honestly, I made a mess in my laundry room.   However I chose this area because I knew it would bother me to keep them stored in this room.  By looking at the baby items every day for a week, I was motivated to deal with the items and get rid of them one way or another.

So the storage room has been decluttered.  Stay tuned for how I planned and organized the playroom. 🙂

Preventing the Clutter from Coming Back

When it comes to all of the paper we had, I found that it was mostly old bills and statements.  We have since gone paperless to reduce the amount of paper coming into our home.  So we now receive these items via email, or can access banking statements on-line.

To read more about how to go paperless, click on the link to read our article:  Do You Still Receive Bills and Statements in the Mail? How to Go Paperless

Ready to get started on your clutter?  Next Steps

1.  Read the following article,  where you will find our free printables to help you get started, and tips on getting organized.

How to Declutter Your Home – Once and For All

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