Cut out the clutters!

Worse still is when this space is your home. It can make living there stressful because of the chaos surrounding you; and yet it does not have to be like that at all. The issue with most people is not the fact that they do not know that a better and more organised environment will […]

Worse still is when this space is your home. It can make living there stressful because of the chaos surrounding you; and yet it does not have to be like that at all.

The issue with most people is not the fact that they do not know that a better and more organised environment will do them a whole lot of good, in terms of environmental safety, health and general beauty but the fact that they keep procrastinating when to tidy up and declutter their space.

Procrastination is a big problem to almost everybody particularly in such situations. As the clutter increases, it somehow begins to seem acceptable as we get used to the sight of them. Consciously or unconsciously there is the likelihood for you to begin telling/convincing yourself that it is not a problem and your space is normal. You know you need to do something and get organised but getting started just does not seem to happen. Truth is, until you start you will never be able to enjoy the serenity and tranquillity your space can offer you.

Anslem Igie shares his experience. “Lately, I have had to move to cities and houses very frequently and hardly have time to settle in one before having to move to another. All of a sudden, I discovered that I had things almost ten times more than I needed. The ‘rational’ reasoning for many of us is to justify and find reason why we have to hold on to the excess property whether we need them or not. But if you get down to the basics, you will discover they are just unnecessary baggage that should be gotten rid off. These things hold us back and they clutter up our minds and our lives. Getting rid of the unnecessary baggage in our lives, in those cluttered corridors, verandas, wardrobes, bedrooms and all that we’ve come to fear the most, is truly one of the best things we can ever do for ourselves.”

Before you get swallowed up and lost in all of it, you need to get your acts together and make that first move.

First stop the procrastination by setting a deadline and then working towards it to ensure you stick to it. If you set the end of the month as the deadline, then that is the deadline you meet. Start early enough so that you do not run into excuses that can cause you not to meet your deadline.

Begin with the easiest tasks like clearing out your wardrobe or cupboard or a closet. Leave the most difficult for latter so that they do not put you off and caused you to procrastinate.

You could break your task into smaller manageable bits. This way you can finish one before moving on to the next and will find it more fun and easier to handle. And before you realise, the entire decluttering exercise will be done.

Ina Dina offers this advice, “Do not make a plan and then plan to plan. Avoid coming up with a routine or game plan and then spend more time worrying about how you are going to implement the plan than you do anything else, because doing that is just a form of procrastination and a waste of time. Make your plan and then go ahead to do it.”

By learning how to deal with procrastination and getting it out of the way, you are on your way to decluttering and organising your space. A decluttered space is far less stressful because you know where everything is and you are not stumbling or kicking on stuff that is piled all around. Never mind how frustrating it is trying to find anything when things are not organised; just start reorganising.

A well organised and decluttered space means your space is far more relaxing and enriching. In no time you will see that it was worth the time and energy invested! Declutter your space and you will save time, be less frustrated, and actually be able to relax in your space.