How To: Declutter For The New Year

HOME LIVING | How To Declutter

FOR THE New Year

By Jennie Renner

Do you want to declutter your home to get a fresh start for the new year? Here are some tips from two local experts.

Lauren Bower, professional organizer and owner of Bowerbird Organizing, said to just get started and not try to get it perfect. “Little, consistent steps matter,” she said. “Even just one newly tidied kitchen drawer can give you a sense of calm and the momentum to keep going.” Emily Fitzgerald, a certified professional organizer and the owner of OLS Organizing, suggested starting with the room that is impacting you in the worst way. But if you need to flex your “organizing muscle,” you can start with a smaller or easier space. She said there is no wrong way to do it, but if you are working on a bigger project, you may want to break it down into smaller pieces. If you are feeling particularly overwhelmed, Emily said to use “the magic rule of three.” Every day, go into the room you are working on and find three things to deal with - things that need to be put somewhere else, recycled, thrown out, or put in a box to donate. If you do that each day, by the end of the month, you will have made a difference in your space. To help you decide what to keep and what to part with, Lauren suggested creating rules for yourself before you get started and writing them down so you are more likely to follow them. Having these rules will also make it easier if someone is helping you. An example of a rule might be, “If it doesn’t fit and won’t fit by next year, I will donate it.” If you have a lot of a particular item, Emily said you should ask yourself what a reasonable number of this item is to own and only keep that amount. If you are having difficulty parting with something, put it in a box to donate and label it with a date six months in the future. If you haven’t needed it or wanted it in that amount of time, let it go. If you are having trouble staying focused, ask a friend or family member to work on a project with you. Or if you don’t have someone who can help, Lauren suggested using a tool like focusmate.com to help you stay on task. The website matches you with another person who serves as your accountability partner as you work to get things done. But if you don’t want to go it alone, or you have a big project to tackle, that’s when you may want to consider hiring a professional. Having someone who knows what they are doing can speed up the process and help keep you motivated when the going gets tough. And Emily said to reward yourself for any amount of work that you do. “Our brains seek positive rewards. The more you reward it, the more you will want to do it,” she said. a

Resources: Bowerbird Organizing, Fort Wayne, (260) 267-5579, bowerbirdorganizing.com OLS Organizing, Fort Wayne, olsinfo.com

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