You might think you would want a naturally organized person to give you your cleaning tips but you would be mistaken. Some people gifted with cleanliness might be able to break down accomplishable actions for you. However, in my experience these people have a hard time explaining how to tidy as this skill comes effortlessly to them. Lucky for you I have been messy my whole life; one of my first memories is looking at a floor covered in my toys and feeling baffled about how to rectify the situation. I have worked hard to develop techniques to keep my life organized. It makes me feel so much happier and productive when my space is clean. If you struggle to keep your space neat check out my tips and avoid 15 plus years of being unable to locate matching socks.
1 Reduce
The fewer items you have to organize the easier it is to keep things tidy. This tip is simple in theory but much harder in practice. Books like “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and “The Joy of Less” offer practical solutions to reduce your possessions and organize as you go. This has made a huge impact on my messy makeover-over the past two years I estimate I have donated over 1,000 clothing items. My space is so much more manageable now. I’m just working on keeping my item count low.
2 Get Inspired
I like to look at bright open interiors on Pinterest or browse Instagram for cleanliness inspiration. When I feel unmotivated to clean I picture my favorite images and visualize myself living in the space. It motivates me to get off my butt and make that vision a reality.
3 Time Yourself
I use this technique all the time for cleaning as well as other activities. I set a timer for 20 minutes and I pick up (or whatever) non-stop. Knowing there is an end point allows me to get into a flow state and clean efficiently. Often my tidying takes less than 20 minutes, or when the buzzer rings I keep going to complete the task.
4 Every Day Every Day
Cleaning becomes more daunting the longer it builds up. Designate a time, like when you wake up or before bed and clean everyday. When this becomes a habit tidying only takes a matter of minutes and is easy to manage.
5 Have a Home for Everything
This is a common tip but it is prolific for a reason. If you don’t know where you want to put things how can you possibly organize all of your stuff? Tip 1 will help a lot with this. When you surround yourself with only those items you love and use most often you will naturally arrange your items for optimum flow. In the meantime try to take 20 minutes or so to assign designated places for all your possessions, then relocate appropriate items to their newly specified locations.
6 Treat Yo Self
Blast a new album you have been dying to listen to, put on a favorite T.V. show in the background, binge listen to a podcast. Do something while you clean. If you truly dread cleaning make it a little better by distracting yourself from the task. Just make sure not to get so distracted you stop picking up.
It takes time to go from chaotic living to Pinterest worthy organization. Be patient, don’t get discouraged, and remember you can always start fresh. You deserve to live in a space that inspires and delights you and I hope these tips help you make your domestic dreams a reality.
Love and light,
Rae
“The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” was a huge game changer for me! I feel like it’s one I need to revisit every few years to remind myself to stop accumulating stuff.
Me too! It really was “life changing” 😉
These are great tips! I never thought of the timer idea!
That one helps me so much!