 Have you caught the decluttering bug, but your family is still clinging tightly to their excess stuff? Let me show you how to lead your family, understand their mindset, and make it easy for them to join you in streamlining the house.
1. SHOW THE WAY If you’re frustrated by clutter in your home — stuff on the counters, clothes on the floor, cosmetics all over the bathroom — the first thing to do is tackle your OWN clutter. Don’t point the finger at your family members because nagging never got anyone to make lasting changes. Stop playing the clutter blame game and focus on your own stuff. Once they see how decluttering is making your life easier, they’ll start to follow your lead. They might even ask you for help! 2. GET INTO THEIR HEADS To help people release clutter, you need to know why they’re holding onto the excess. Do they not know where things go? Are the systems difficult so it’s hard to put stuff away? Do they have more stuff than they can manage? Do they fear they might need the thing later? Are they overly sentimental? Read my companion blogs, Why It’s Hard to Let Go of Stuff: The 3 Sticking Points and The Keys to Unlock Your Clutter: Actions You Can Take, to unpack the minds of your clutterbugs. Figure out what’s making them hold onto the stuff, then brainstorm solutions that will work for them. My youngest daughter just needed a place for the stuff to go, so I started a hand-me-down chain with another family whose daughter Luisa was a couple of years younger. My daughter got into the habit of bringing me things, saying, “I’m done with this now so it’s time for Luisa to have it.” 3. MAKE IT EASY If you make it challenging to put things away, they’ll probably be left out. If your family doesn’t know how to get rid of things, they’ll keep them. Create simple organizing systems.
Devise a plan for getting things out of the house.
Now that you know how, just take these three steps in order, and watch your family catch the decluttering bug. How much can your family let go of this year?
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 It's June! The summer sunshine is calling and all you want is to be outside! But hear me out — June is the best time to tackle that basement organizing project that you’ve been putting off.
Why? Well, first of all, you’ll be organizing in the cool comfort of a space that’s out of the summer heat. Secondly, the basement is where you store a lot of your summer entertaining and outdoor gear, so you’ll want to get it ready to use. Lastly, now’s the time to set up your dehumidifier to make sure your stuff stays fresh. So, trot down those steps and see what you’ve been stashing away! To make the most of your efforts, pay attention to my Do’s and Don’ts of basement organizing.  Believe it or not, I’ve helped clients organize their cars. Yup, cars pile up with excess stuff just like our homes. In fact, it’s pretty easy to clutter up a car because it’s a small space and you’re always busy when you’re in it, so you don’t typically take the time to tidy up. |
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