Small tidying sessions go a long way towards keeping your home in a state of clutter-free calm. But decluttering is about more than knick-knacks and old t-shirts: Almost everyone has a “black hole” of storage at home that’s absolutely stuffed full of possessions you’re unconsciously hanging on to.
I can’t tell you what that space is in your home, but it should be somewhat obvious. It might be a closet, or your attic, or the basement, or a space under your bed. If nothing is obvious, try the gadget box test: Say you opened up a brand new gadget — like a new pair of headphones — and wanted to store the box it came in (just in case you needed to return it or something): Where would you put it? That spot is your black hole.
And today, we’ll make a plan to reclaim this space…
Day 11: Identify a problem area.
Identify your “black hole” problem storage area at home, then make a plan to attack it.
No, I don’t want you to declutter the whole thing today. In my experience, the best way to tackle big messes like this is doing it a little at a time. So today, remove three things from the space. Just three!
Wasn’t that fairly painless? You can take just three things away and feel like you’re making progress. It’s like chipping away at marble to reveal a statue.
With that confidence and clarity, set an alarm or reminder on your phone to do this same thing — clearing out three things — every day for a month. Or once a week until it’s finished. You get to decide what plan is right for you; all I need from you today is the dedication.