As we go into the winter, we leave behind us the traditional moving season, but why? Is there something about winter that makes us go into our home, fleece blankets in tow, to catch up on those same 12 shows everyone on social media is talking about? The trees and the animals have the same idea (minus the Netflix), as does the once-magnificent sun. Its beautiful in a way; calm, but also kind of sad. Quickly, the winter wonderland of solace becomes a giant blanket of demotivation: itchy and a few inches too short for your feet. If you’re anything like your humble blog writer, the winter tends to bring you down a bit. Fortunately, Mobile Attic has an idea that will help you get the most out of the dreary season.
Being cold kind of stinks, but you know what doesn’t? The overwhelming warmth of achievement! To get to that place, we suggest starting a decluttering project! “But Mobile Attic blog writer,” you may be asking, “my house is beautiful, classy, and not a barn as you seem to suggest.” I don’t mean any offense; I do think you should apologize to our cow and pig readership (shout out). Unless you’re a monk in the hills of Sri Lanka, you probably have one or two things that can (and should) disappear from your house forever. The decluttering project will not only give you a sense of purpose and achievement when completed, it will lighten your mental load a bit. You know how you can tell a difference in your productivity before and after your desk is cleaned; this is the same idea (but it helps your family and pets as well!). Follow us, and our guide, as we re-motivate this demotivated season!
Set up Reasonable Goals
The clear majority of people quit a project because they bite off way more than they can chew. When you set out to declutter, you may be so overwhelmed with excitement that you rush off to clear out the garage, only to discover it will take loads of time and several gallons of value-brand elbow grease (pro tip: buy it in bulk). If you want to accomplish your big goals, you must break it up into smaller, more tolerable goals. A good way to start is by setting yourself a time limit; start modestly, allowing 5 minutes to go through your house. Look for anything and everything that you can toss (this means you should be thinking about the cluttered drawers and closets). As the days pass, increase or decrease this time limit at your own discretion, in the same way you would approach bench pressing and the addition of weights.
Have a Plan for Disposal
Goals are in place and you are re-motivated for the time being, but where exactly are you going to put all the stuff you remove from the house? The trash, I assume you all said unanimously, but there is a world on the outside that doesn’t have your cool things. You should give your cool things to the outside world. Set a goal to donate the same number of items that you trash; that way, you don’t contribute significantly to a landfill. At the same time, this will fill you with a sense of community as you interact with your local charity organizations. You can take it a step further and, in addition to trashing and donating, return items that belong to other people. This is the perfect excuse to return your brothers Game of Thrones book collection, and you might as well take advantage of all that extra motivation going around.
Prepare for Future Organization
After you’ve finished, it’s important to maintain the decluttered state so that you can reap the benefits. One of the biggest challenges for me is the paper situation; I have sheets of paper in so many random locations. Try to locate a spot where you can file all those loose pages, like an office would. It is also important to establish decluttered zones or surfaces throughout the house. This will help you keep the old level of clutter down while creating helpful habits that exercise your will power! Examples of a good decluttering zone might be your nightstand, or a table in your kitchen. These are surfaces that are known to accumulate unnecessary objects. The important thing is not to beat yourself up if things get cluttered again –just start it all again and relive that level of achievement!
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