Decluttering can be daunting, but it can also be fun if you find a way that suits you and feels comfortable. There are so many ways you can enjoy fries: straight, curly, crinkle-cut, cheesy and the list goes on, so why wouldn’t there be options for how to declutter?

Let’s quickly go through some of the ways you can clear your space:

The Four Mountains

How does it work?

Take everything out of the space you want to declutter. Go through each item and put them into one of four piles:

• Keep
• Donate
• Recycle
• Trash

Grab three garbage bags and label them for the donate, recycle and trash items.

Why it works:

• It’s simple (easy): each item must go in one of your four piles
• It’s efficient (fast): you go through one area once and categorize everything
• It’s thorough: by taking everything out of the space, you see exactly what you have

WHO MIGHT LIKE THIS DECLUTTERING METHOD?

You are going to love this method if:

• You’ve got the time and energy to work through one space all at once with minimal interruptions.
• You are motivated to take care of the 3 bags for donation, recycling, and trash right away
• You’re ready for a thorough clean out.

PRO TIPS:

1. Go through the keep mountain pile again once it’s been created — you never know there might be more things to let go of! 
2. Consider adding a ‘Maybe’ category. You can keep your ‘Maybe’ box somewhere out of sight for a few months and see if you really do ‘need’ that stuff. Make sure you set a calendar reminder for you to go through the stuff and make a decision to remove or keep them.
3. Keep designer or high-quality items separate to drop off at a consignment store for a little extra cash!
4. You don’t have to start with a whole room: you could use ‘The Four Mountain’ method to start with a drawer or cupboard.
5. To work faster and not feel overwhelmed set a timer for 20 minutes then take a quick break. 
6. When you’re putting your ‘Keep’ items back, create a system that works, like putting like with like, or organizing it by colour.
7. Invite a friend over to help. Make sure this friend is fully supportive of your decluttering goal and can actually help you remove items, not talk you into keeping them!

 

 

The Number Game

How does it work?

Start at the first of the month and for 30 days (or 14 days, or any number of your choosing) get rid of one item on day 1, two items on day 2, three items on day 3 and so on.