28 Feb 2018

The secret to decluttering your space with minimal stress

Struggling to find time to declutter? Learn how time management skills can help you to fit your decluttering sessions into your weekly schedule.

Do you feel overwhelmed by the many tasks you need to get done in a day? Would you love to declutter your home, but simply don’t see how you could fit one more project into your week? Faigy Liebermann lets us into her secret to successful decluttering, on time and with minimal stress.

tidy shelves of books and ornaments

Many people complain that they would love to declutter their homes, but they simply don’t have the time.

All you need to do is simply upgrade your time management skills to be able to fit your decluttering sessions into your weekly schedule.

We all live in the same time frame; no one has more time or less time than anyone else. But even so, how is it that some people can get so much done, while others are left trying to work out how to get through the simple tasks in their day?

The answer is this: You need to purposefully and intentionally procrastinate.

By procrastinating you can get more done!

When you delay an activity, you consciously postpone that act and consciously decide to do another task that hopefully will further your life goals. In other words, you are prioritising.

Let me show you how procrastinating on purpose works.

Delegate, Delete, Designate, Done

Here is a four-pronged approach that will guarantee you success and peace of mind.

Focus on your daily tasks for today.  Write them down.  Imagine you are holding a funnel and your daily tasks are flowing in through the top, and out through the bottom. When you look at your long list of to-do jobs coming through your funnel, think of the following ideas. Who says you have to do every single task that is coming your way?

1 Delegate: Which jobs in your life can you delegate? If someone can do the job at least half as well as you, let them do it. Focus on and purposely do the tasks that you are really good at, and that further your life goals. By doing so, you will become an expert in your chosen field. It may take you time to train someone to do those other jobs for you. However, that time spent teaching them will be well worth the effort. You will create more time to spend doing the tasks that only you can do.2 Delete all tasks that you don’t need to do: This applies especially to emails. There is no need to open every email. Over half of all incoming emails can easily be deleted without a second thought. What other tasks in your day are draining your energy? What tasks in your day can you delete without a second thought?3 Designate time in the future when you will tackle that task: This is purposefully and intentionally procrastinating.  If you don’t have the time right now to get the task done, make time later in the week.4 Done! Decide on the tasks that need to get done today. Get up and make the first step.

By following this approach you can easily free up precious time in your week to declutter you home, little by little.

A helpful tip to get you moving and stay on task is to talk out loud to yourself. It really is that simple. Just get up and plunge right in. Stop wasting your time feeling bogged down with unnecessary clutter, and start living your life.

 

If after following Faigy's advice you would like some help with your decluttering, don’t forget that APDO has organisers all over the UK. Find an organiser here.