Tomorrow is the official first day of spring and I'm hopeful that it will start feeling like it very soon! I've lived in Syracuse most of my life and I think no one appreciates this shift in seasons quite like we do. After the long months of being trapped indoors, it's so energizing to open the windows and walk outside without all our cold weather gear. Let's use that energy to get our homes organized and get rid of the stuff we don't need, together!
I have two events coming up in April that can provide some extra motivation for spring cleaning. On April 1st I will be starting my annual decluttering challenge FiveFiveThirty! The rules for this challenge are simple:
spend 5 minutes a day
get rid of 5 items
repeat for 30 days
That's it! Most of us have so much excess it's easy to identify five things we no longer need. If you follow along with the challenge, by the end of the month you will be 150 things lighter! FiveFiveThirty is a great way to make significant progress with just a short commitment of time each day. I've done it myself for the last two years and I've learned a few things about how effective it is.
The first week of the challenge is pretty easy. You probably can simply look around each room in your home and identify a handful of things to get rid of. You might even have a donation box started somewhere - no, it's not cheating to count those items if you haven't removed them yet! After you've tackled the surface clutter, it starts to get a bit more difficult.
The magic of the challenge happens when you start searching your storage spaces for five items to discard - your drawers, closets, and cabinets. Your mindset begins to change so that you are constantly evaluating your things as you use them. When you open your sock drawer or pantry or medicine cabinet, you'll be looking for those items that can go. I have found this change in mindset stays with me long after the month is over.
If you're interested in trying FiveFiveThirty, I encourage you to find an accountability partner to do the challenge along with you. You can also join my private Facebook group Dare to Declutter! I'll be posting photos of my five items there each day, and I encourage others to do the same. It's a fun way to stay motivated for the entire month!
The second event I have coming up is my 3-part class Declutter your Home and Keep it Organized. It begins on April 11th at OCM BOCES in Liverpool, and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm. Here is a summary of what I'll be covering:
Week 1: How to part with sentimental items and learn your organizing style
This class reviews the emotional reasons why it's so hard to get rid of things and provides tips for managing those feelings. Learn about your personal organizing style and ow to set up your home for organizing success!
Week 2: How to declutter your home and set up storage systems
This class covers the 4-step process of decluttering and best practices for setting up storage areas in your home. Ideas for low- and no-cost items that can be used to stash your stuff are included.
Week 3: How to maintain a clutter-free home and keep paper under control
This class focuses on ways to keep clutter from accumulating at home, with ideas for every room in the house. Resources for tackling paper clutter and implementing a regular decluttering routine are also covered.
For more information and to register, click here. I'd love to see you there!
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Make it fab!
Carrie