New Year/New You: Having the Home of Your Dreams

Set Reasonable Goals

Forget the resolutions. There is no sense in trying to change too much too soon. However, there is a lot of power in knowing exactly what you do want to change, how you want to live and setting some reasonable goals. Some goals will require more effort than others. If you want to downsize, you’re going to have to start giving away, throwing away and recycling the “things” that are cluttering your life. Some people like the idea of decluttering and downsizing, but then when it comes to parting with lifelong possessions, they just aren’t ready. Set goals that you can reasonably achieve.

Start on Visible Clutter

To get some quick motivation, it is best to start with the messes and clutter that you see each day. Don’t start with closets, cupboards, cabinets and drawers. Before you get to the hidden clutter, start with what is lying on counters, stacked on tables, piled on the floor, and hanging on the walls. Pick a spot each day to tackle: sort papers to keep (file), to toss (yes, in the trash), or to give to someone else. If laundry is piled on the floor, figure out a new system for keeping laundry in hampers until it actually goes into the washing machine. If clean laundry is draped on furniture or exercise equipment, get it folded, hung and put away. It took time to make all these messes, so give yourself time to work through the various areas.

Every Day’s Living gets Put Away Every Day

There is nothing worse than waking up to a new day only to look at yesterday’s (and the day before that one’s) mess. Make it a habit each evening to get the day’s “living” cleaned up, put away or tossed out. If there is clean laundry, fold it and put it away. Dirty dishes? Wash them, let them dry and then get them all put away prior to calling it a night. But start the process early enough in the evening so that you’re not too tired. At that point, you’re likely to put off the work until the next day.

Be a Smart Multi-Tasker

Use otherwise wasted time to clean up around the kitchen. While coffee is brewing, you can wipe down appliances or sweep the floor. You can toss a few old items out of the refrigerator or gather up recyclables while waiting for bread to toast. When talking on the phone, you can put cooking utensils and spices back in their proper places or straighten up the pantry.

Toss and Donate

If your goal is to downsize, declutter or just get a jump on some spring cleaning, you’re going to have to start parting with possessions. As you work through the visible clutter, throw away items that are broken or have worn out. If there is no useful life left, it belongs in the garbage. Do not waste a charity’s time by donating broken and useless items unless specifically requested. Some charities do accept unwearable clothing due to tears and damage because they can be sold, but check with the organization before donating the damaged goods. If you come across items that are in good working order, but you no longer need or use the item, then you can help it find a new home with a friend, extended family or donate it to a charity.

Nix the Knick-Knacks

Your home will appear more cluttered if you have knick-knacks covering all of your flat surfaces. If you’re looking to revamp your living space to make it less stressful and more comfortable, you’ll need to “see” open spaces with very few decorations getting in the way. One or two well placed pieces will suffice.

Nix the Pix

As with knick-knacks, the same goes for your wall space. Covering every inch of your walls with pictures will look and feel busy, which will add stress to your life. “Less is more” whether talking about the horizontal or vertical flat surfaces in your home.

Whatever your goals, you can have a home that makes you want to live there. Getting a handle on the daily tasks and the daily “stuff” that invades our homes is the first step to meeting that goal. For more tips on creating the home you want, here are a few articles that may help:

• The Secret to Having a Clean Home Without Really Trying
• Tips to Transform a Messy House Into a Clean Home the Easy Way
• 10 Quick Ways to Declutter and Get Control of Your Home and Your Life
• Awesome and Easy Steps to Having a Clean House 1: Eliminate
• Awesome and Easy Steps to Having a Clean House 2: Establish
• Awesome and Easy Steps to Having a Clean House 3: Execute