I don’t want you to get me wrong—I already think you are uh-maz-ing. I just think you might feel as fabtastic as you truly are if you cleared off some of the clutter that may be dragging you down.
You don’t need a major spring cleaning or overhaul of your closet to reap the rewards of a little picking up your living space. You need ten minutes a day in pursuit of Zen living.
For this version of decluttering, choose the spots where you spend the most time. This may be your car, office, bedroom, entry way or kitchen. In my case, I’m starting with my summer bag, which I drag around the city like a life-raft from appointments to meetings to lunch dates. Once you have established where you spend most of your time, you can choose where to best spend your ten minutes each day.
Do not be ashamed of maximizing the time you are waiting for the dentist to de-clutter your wallet or backpack. When your mind is wandering at work and you need to kick back into productive-gear, pull the unnecessaries out of your desk drawers and re-organize your essentials.
We can debate you keeping the scrap of a love letter in there later, but for now just leave the stuff you need to do your job. While you are waiting for the oven to preheat and your vegetables to go in to roast, put the misplaced papers, random spices, and hard-to-store items back where they belong and return your countertops to their shiny flat surface status.
If ten minutes turns into 20, go with it. I’ll give you extra credit. Ten minutes should not be overwhelming! I’m not asking you to pull everything out of your dresser drawers and re-fold your wardrobe. I’m just challenging you to a slightly neater, more organized version of yourself.
Here are some tips for quick and easy decluttering.
How to Declutter
1. Choose five spots to clean up and decide which to tackle each day. Put ‘em on your calendar!
2. Decide when you will spend your ten minutes and set a timer on your phone to remind you of this appointment, and then set a stopwatch for the 10 minutes you’re in action.
3. If you choose to work on only one space (your closet, for example!), take it on in ten minute pieces. Spend your Monday ten minutes pulling things out for donation. Tuesday, pair your shoes and organize your bags. . .
There is good evidence that physical clutter overloads your senses. It distracts you and creates emotional confusion. It also negatively affects performance. I love this challenge because it gives immediate results. You’ll love this challenge, because when your digs are neat and clean, you’ll be a happier, more productive version of you!