Declutter Your Home : Beginner's Advice

When you decide to declutter your home, there are many things to take into consideration and many traps to fall into.

If you are not already convinced that to live with less material possessions is beneficial, I can affirm that since I have been living clutter-free - that is the whole last decade - this purging process has not only made my life more simple, it has also enhanced my ability to enjoy every moment of it. Through the decluttering process I have resolved issues related to low self esteem and recurring negative habits that were only leading me into depressive states.

Decluttering is not just about the objects in your home, it's about the reasons why you accumulate those objects. Parting with them consciously will transform your home into a sanctuary and it will also make your inner self more at peace.

As you set about to declutter your living environment, take into consideration these factors:

1. If you are sharing your living space with other people, get them involved in the process. Otherwise, it will be more of an uphill battle than is necessary. If they are not interested to join in, you will at least be making your position clear. Ultimately, don't depend on other people for your motivation - make your own resolve. It will have an influence on those surrounding you.

2. Make a plan before you start. If you gather good decluttering advice and strategies before you start you will be more effective and will thus loose less time and remain motivated. Decluttering a house need not to drag on endlessly., even if you are swamped with clutter.

3. Be sincere. There are many possible excuses to keep an object. You may think you will need or use an object later on. You might be keeping a broken item with the good intention of fixing it someday. Worse yet, you may be cluttering your home with items in double or triple in case the one you are using breaks down at some point.

If you have not used an item in the past year, don't keep it. If you don't love or appreciate an item, don't keep it. It's that simple.

4. Clear one room at a time. Nothing is more motivating than having completely ridden a room from clutter and being able to experience it before you move on to the rest of the house or apartment. This will give you an impetus to keep going as you will feel the difference with the rest of your living environment.

John Gervais has been living clutter-free for 10 years and has been helping others to lead more simple lives. You can gather more information at the Declutter My Life and Declutter Your Home resource pages.