As a busy mom it can be super hard to find the time to declutter your home...much less to keep things tidy and organized. So, what's a busy mom to do? When your schedule is packed with errands, doing things for your family, cooking healthy meals...the list goes on and on, how are you supposed to find the time (and energy!) to declutter your home?
Here are a few simple steps you can take. It may seem like too small of a step to make a difference, but trust me...every little step makes a big difference when done consistently.
1. Choose an area to get started in. This doesn't have to be an entire room at a time. It can be one corner, one shelf, one stash of "junk".
2. Set a timer. Set a timer for 15 minutes (but even 5 minutes is a good start). During that time, gather anything that isn't where it belongs and choose if it's toss, donate, or needs to be put away.
3. At the end of the 15 minutes, allow yourself to step away without beating yourself up for not getting it all done. If you are on a roll and want to keep going, then by all means, keep at it! But if you just don't have the time or energy to do more, that's perfectly ok! The key is to do at least a little bit. Some is better than none.
4. It doesn't have to be perfect. There, I said it. As a perfectionist I often find that if I don't have time to get it all done at once or exactly how I want it done, then I don't even get started. This has been a hard one for me. But I have learned that if I just do what I can, when I can, eventually it all gets done and I feel so much better than I did when I just allowed things to pile up simply because I didn't have the time to do it all at once. Game Changer!
5. Have a designated area where you put items to be donated. As often as you can (the sooner the better), take the items and donate them. The longer you let them sit in your home, the more likely you are to want to go back through them again.
6. Make it fun! If you have little kids (this may also work with teens and even husbands! lol) make it a game. Set your timer and see who can find the most items to either trash or donate before the timer goes off. This is a great way to get the whole family involved.
In the end, remember that we are looking for progress over perfection. It's ok to have a house that is lived in. Personally, I feel more at home in a place that isn't so clean you are afraid to touch anything or even sit on the couch. My goal is to have a welcoming home that isn't cluttered. That doesn't mean you won't find a speck of dirt on the floor or even a cozy blanket tossed onto the couch. But I have learned that if I keep my clutter to a minimum, it's so much easier to keep things tidy and not feel embarrassed when someone unexpectedly comes to my door.
Try these tidy-up cards. They are easy to use for the whole family.
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