My home is driving me nuts. It’s not organized! I don’t have any furniture except for a mattress and a kitchen table that belongs to the landlord. There are boxes and black plastic bags in my bedroom. My generous sister brought my stuff from New Mexico, where I used to live. It all fit in her small car. Still, I feel like I own too much.

I also don’t have anywhere to put anything so maybe that will change when I finally buy furniture. I am overwhelmed by all the bags I have to look through and the amount of clothes I own.

I’ve moved over ten times! I’ve actually lost count. Based on my experience, I’ve gathered a list of recommendations for you if you’re planning to organize your home.

1. Start Small.

Start small.Decluttering and organizing can be overwhelming especially if you own a lot of things. I recommend that you start small. Pick a space to start off with. For example, it’s not enough to say that you’ll start with the bedroom. For example, I decided to start with clothes and I choose one bag at a time.

2. Move away from the clutter.

Seeing all the stuff I have stresses me out. Something that is helping me is that I move what I am going through to the living room away from the clutter. My mind is cleared in that space, and I can look at each item without being distracted by the mess. That makes it easier for me to focus on what I am looking at and make decisions of whether I’m keeping something or not.

3. If you have not worn it in over a year, let it go.

This is important advice and honestly, it’s one of the most difficult for me to follow even if it’s my own advice. I own clothing that I really like but doesn’t fit me. I have clothes I never wear because they’re impractical or because I haven’t bought anything that matches with it. Are you really going to take the time to shop intentionally? Is it worth keeping? Do you actually like it?  These are all important questions to ask yourself but honestly, if you haven’t worn a clothing item in over a year, chances are you may never wear it.

4. Get rid of multiples.

I don’t know why but I have four umbrellas. It doesn’t make sense but they’re sitting on the floor of my bedroom right now. Picking one won’t be difficult.

P.S. When I say get rid, I mean donate.

5. Let go of certain items even if they bring up good memories. Take a picture.

There are some items that bring up a specific memory and although the memory is a beautiful one, the item isn’t worth keeping. For example, the first time I cleared my storage, there were these Mardi Gras beads that I had that reminded me of a club I went to in France. It was such a fun night and every time I look at the beads, I smile. Yes, they bring up good memories, but the beads are extra junk that I have stored. I don’t even hang them anywhere. What I did was take pictures of the beads and scrapbooked them. When I see the picture, I still think about the club and how happy I was. The memory will always be there.

This has been fun. Now back to decluttering! Wish me luck because I am going to need it!

Angelica