Three months have passed since the year started, and if “declutter” was among your New Year resolutions, but you are yet to get started, you may start feeling like a failure. You never quite seem to make a difference no matter how much you try to improve your space, and it can be demoralizing. Maybe you should try another approach to declutter your home and see if, this time, your efforts will be rewarded with a clean and tidy space. These three actions will declutter and improve your space immediately; try them, and observe the instant transformation.

Dedicate Five Minutes to Decluttering, Daily

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step; therefore, in your efforts to declutter your home, you don’t have to set unrealistic goals which can overwhelm you. Take it one day at a time and don’t set aside a lot of time to do it because then you will be anxious about what awaits you, and it will be demotivating. Instead, commit to a declutter routine that only takes five minutes daily, and you will be surprised how much that little time helps to improve your space. The five minutes come in handy when you are new to decluttering, but you can expect to build momentum slowly and start setting aside more time each day.

Remember not to limit your declutter project to your house alone. Your car is among the many clutter culprits, so you can also declutter your vehicle every day if you follow this five-minute rule. You most likely have been piling empty wrappers in your door pockets while the glove compartment barely closes due to the many non-essentials you have shoved in there. It only takes a few minutes to empty the door pockets and arrange the glove compartment with essential items such as a pen, notepad, insurance and registration documents. Once done, you can go ahead to declutter that cup holder that you have turned into a spare change “bank.” Next, attach an organizer to the visor to keep personal items such as sunglasses and your mobile phone instead of having to search for them every time you need them.

Inside the house, applying the five-minute declutter rule will see the top of the dresser neat, which will immediately positively change the mood in the bedroom. The children’s playroom only needs a few minutes to declutter, pick the toys from the floor and put them in the playpen. However, remember not to strictly limit yourself to five minutes because some areas need more than that to declutter. So if you have the energy, take as much time as you can spare. It helps you have less decluttering to do the following day.

Stop Living in the Memory Lane

Regina Leeds, who authored “One Year to an Organized Life,” wrote that people turn objects into magic talismans connecting them to better times in their lives and memories.  It is beautiful to hold on to precious memories that bring a smile to your face. However, if a trip down memory lane keeps you from having a tidy space, it is time to start living in the present and focus on the future. That being said, how many times have you admired clothes you wore a decade ago, and you keep hoping they will fit you once more? Or maybe you cannot part with the sewing machine your great aunt gifted you, yet you can’t make a stitch to save your life. Such items may flood your mind with beautiful memories but clutter your home unnecessarily; therefore, if you can stop holding on to them, you will declutter your space immediately.

Fortunately, the stuff does not have to go to waste. You can pay yourself for your declutter job by holding a garage sale. Set aside what you don’t need and think would fetch a good price, then put it up for sale. Even if you don’t get rid of all the items through the garage sale, you can still sell them on eBay or advertise on social media. You never know; someone may have just been looking for that particular item. Besides, if it belonged to your much older relatives, it could be worth a lot more to people who appreciate vintage items.

It is not a decluttering exercise until you have eliminated all the junk; therefore, selling alone may not be enough. Donating the items is also a great way to get rid of unnecessary items. You can give away your old baby clothes, furniture and anything else you have not used in a while to someone in need. A junk removal company plays a crucial role in such instances; you don’t have to bother with hiring trucks to take the items to the charitable organization you prefer.

We ensure that your items arrive in one piece at the place of your choosing. If the items are too worn out, you can toss them in the trash, but we take broken appliances to a recycling facility. The bottom line is whatever you choose to do with the items, Junk King North Chicago offers full-service junk removal to cater to your needs.

Return Stuff That Does Not Belong to You

Knowing that you can count on your neighbors whenever one of you is in need is the foundation of good neighborliness. It goes beyond emotional support whenever you have lost a dear one; your neighbor is the person you can turn to when you need an extra cup of sugar for your bake sale. Unfortunately, most people get into the habit of borrowing stuff but never returning it. You start reasoning that you will need it soon, so there is no point in giving it back to the owner. Eventually, you end up with an entire drawer dedicated to stuff that does not belong to you; some like lawnmowers can’t fit in the house and take up so much space in your garage. Declutter your space by returning whatever does not belong to you.

That also goes for failed relationships. If you are waiting for your ex to come to pick their stuff, but they have taken too long, mail it to them or take it to them. You need your space to look neat, so do not let pride get in your way. If your kids are grown up and have moved out of the house, ask them to pick their stuff soonest possible.

Whichever approach you find suitable, stick with it to avoid having to declutter now and then. Do not confuse decluttering with organizing; therefore, after you have gotten rid of anything cluttering your space, organize whatever is left for a tidy house. The amount of trash you find as you carry out this declutter project can be too much to handle. Luckily Junk King North Chicago is dedicated to your decluttering process, and we believe that no job is too big or too small for us to handle. We offer you a free estimate, and you only pay for the amount of space your stuff will take in our trucks. Contact us today, and let’s help declutter your space for a fair price.