Start Here to Maintain A Clutter Free Home
Whether you have already dove into minimizing and decluttering your home or if you are just getting started, you can maintain a clutter free home!
A great place to start with creating that margin in your life that you crave is with a clutter free and minimized home. Waking up each morning to clear counters and a fresh start is the best way to start your day. It’s where I recommend beginning to create margin. Physical clutter equals mental clutter and none of us have time for that!
It can seem so overwhelming if you are just getting started. But even if you have already minimized your home, you might wonder how you can maintain this clear space you have created.
We all know how stuff can just show up. And pile up. And no one knows exactly where it came from or how it got there. This cycle can end!
I used to jump from project to project. Cleaning out whatever closet seemed to need it the most or I picked the space that I had been thinking about, but that system was far from sustainable.
A few years ago (even before I decided to become a minimalist) I created a system that I believe will help you too. I divided my home into 6 zones and then assigned those zones to a month. Here is my list:
January/July ~ Desk, Files, Living Room
February/August ~ Master Suite
March/September ~ Stairs, Landing, Guest Bath, Laundry Room
April/October ~ Entry, LL Bath, Dining, Library
May/November ~ Kitchen, Pantry
June/December ~ Kids’ Rooms, Guest Room
I have reasons I picked these months for these areas. For example, January is a great time to be sure my files are in order since it’s time to close out the previous year and get ready for taxes. The Living Room is a super simple room to do, so this great to add to this list.
April and October seem to be really busy for us. The spaces I chose for these months have minimal things to go through. It’s most deep cleaning in these spaces.
November is a great time to deep clean and declutter my kitchen before the Holidays start. The beginning of Summer and right before Christmas is perfect for clearing out the kids’ clutter.
Make a list of your spaces and divide it out how it makes sense to you! This month I will be deep cleaning and decluttering my Master Suite. I have already minimized over and over, but it seems I always get rid of a little more each time. I have discovered how joyous (and easy) it is to live with less.
Over the course of the next year I will walk you through these spaces and how I maintain them. Next week we will talk about the Living Room. The room I believe is the best to start in.
I hope you can see that you can do this with a busy life. This is totally attainable! Just take it one step, one piece at a time. Your peace is worth working for that extra margin in your life.