If you, or someone you care about, want to get a decluttering project started but can\u2019t seem to do it, here are some ideas that may help you break through your blocks and succeed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Start by looking at what’s cluttering up your head. <\/strong> 2. Amp up your motivation. <\/strong> 3. Give yourself a deadline. <\/strong> 4. Ask for support — before you need it. <\/strong> 5. Set yourself up for success. <\/strong> But if you decide that you\u2019d rather spend your time and energy on other pursuits, there\u2019s no shame in asking for professional help. Just because you can do it yourself, doesn\u2019t mean you should. And getting professional help may be both the easiest way to get your over your resistance to downsizing, and the fastest way to get to the rewards. If you, or someone you care about, want to get a decluttering project started but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthemovenow.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
If you\u2019re having trouble getting started, the first thing to consider is what you\u2019re telling yourself about the project. Are you telling yourself it\u2019s going to be difficult to make decisions? Do you feel a responsibility to hold on to things \u2013 even if you\u2019re not using them? Are you concerned with what will happen to the items you choose to let go? Take some time to jot down all of your thoughts and concerns about the downsizing or decluttering before you begin. When you know what’s stopping you, it’s easier to move ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get yourself going, focus on all the rewards you\u2019ll realize when you\u2019re done. Even reluctant declutterers report that being able to find things easily makes decluttering worth the effort. And with less visual clutter, their homes feel more peaceful. Thinking about the benefits of a calm, uncluttered home can provide powerful motivation as you go through the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like teeth-cleaning and taxes, decluttering and downsizing are activities that most of us would happily avoid. Creating a decluttering schedule and putting decluttering dates on your calendar will help you stay focused. And giving yourself a deadline will ensure you meet your goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell someone you\u2019re thinking about downsizing, and chances are they’ll say they\u2019ve been thinking about it, too. That\u2019s the perfect time to suggest you become decluttering buddies. You can support each other physically \u2013 by alternatively working at each other\u2019s homes. Or, you can decide to support each other emotionally by downsizing in parallel. Decide on a time you’ll both work on your project, then check in with each other at the beginning and end of the process. Having an accountability partner can help you keep going when you’d rather stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before you get started, it\u2019s imperative to set realistic expectations of how much you can and want to do and how much time and energy you have to do it. Be generous in estimating how long things will take — probably longer than you think. And, be frugal in estimating how much energy you have –likely less than you hope. If you give yourself ample time and take it slowly, decluttering is something you can do yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us know if you\u2019d like us to help you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"