Decluttering 101

Can't figure out what needs to go? Having trouble letting go of an item? Want to get rid of it but can't figure out what to do with it? Or have you started decluttering but aren't sure how to stay decluttered? Here are my principles for getting decluttered and staying that way!

1. If it's broken and can't (or likely won't) be fixed, get rid of it and don't replace it. If you haven't gotten around to fixing it, selling it, or cannabilizing it for parts by now, you never will. If it were that important you would've done it already. 
2. If it’s bad for you, get rid of it. Why make yourself miserable?
3. Keep your memories in memory books, not in your clutter. 
4. If it’s not yours, give it back or give it the boot.
5. Do not duplicate! 
6. Ditch hobbies you've ignored in the last year or two.
7. Stop keeping gifts you don’t like just because they were gifts.
8. Get organized by repurposing your old tupperware.
9. Reduce your financial account clutter. Bank statements have to come from somewhere! Close the account and you'll have one less account to look at each month and one less statement on your desk. 
10. If you're decluttering a small space, try removing EVERYTHING from that space before you start decluttering and organizing. You'll have a better sense of the space and a better idea of what's in it. Much easier than trying to declutter around piles of stuff.
11. Use up any extra consumable items that you have open.
12. If you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it. 
13. Stop offering to be your friends' and family's storage unit. No, no NO you cannot 'just hang on to this heirloom for a little while' for them! If they want something stored, direct them to a storage facility. Make it clear to them that a clutter-free, serene home environment is important to your well-being.
14. Stop asking other people to store stuff for you. People won't stop asking you to hold onto things for them until you stop asking them to do the same. And get your stuff out of their basements.
15. If looking at the object brings up bad memories, ditch it. Why would you want to be reminded of something awful?
16. Start small. Don't set the bar too high and set yourself up for failure. Set reasonable goals and reward yourself when you reach them (though preferably in a non-material way!)
17. Don't keep objects that make you nervous around them. If you're so terrified of breaking that crystal vase that you keep it hidden in a closet, why not sell it for something you'll feel comfortable using?
18. Figure out where you have too many choices available to you and cut back. Do you need 60 earrings to choose from every morning? Or twenty kinds of tea? Or fifteen bras or ties, each in a different color and style?
19. Remind yourself of how far you've come. Throughout your decluttering process, take pictures or notes of the condition of the room, drawer, box etc. Note your accomplishments. When you're feeling down or overwhelmed, look back on how things used to be and realize how much better off you are now!
20. Look at the objects in your home through the eyes of the most organized friend or family member you know. Toss the ones that they would think you were crazy for keeping. It may help to invite that person over to get their opinion. 
21. Don't keep thing just because they were expensive when you bought them. The money has already been spent. Don't spend your energy on these items now, too. Keeping those items is the true waste. 
22. Get rid of expired items. That eyeliner may look fine, but the bill for treating the case of pinkeye you could get from using 6-year-old eyeliner is definitely not worth the price of keeping it. 
23. Ask family and friends you respect to help you. Let them be the rational voice that helps you figure out when you're keeping things for the wrong reasons. Leave the hoarder parents out, though.
24. Keep like things together so you know just how much you have. It's easier to realize that you still have enough sunblock to get you through next week's vacation when it's all in one place. This will keep you from purchasing things because you think you're running low, only to discover that you had extra of it but you didn't know where it was.
25. 'Tis better to give than to receive. Remember how good it feels to give someone a gift they really love? Give your items away to people and places who need them more than you do. Focus on the positive feelings you get from giving someone something they really need. Just be sure that what you're giving away is something that is actually needed. People won't take your own decluttering seriously if you  pass along things that will only be junk for the recipient.

Have anything to add? Please comment below!

...more to come soon! ~joanna, 5/17/12