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The accumulation of clutter in our lives affects more than just our physical beings, it also has a huge impact on our emotions as well. Clutter seems to infringe on our every waking moment once it gets a hold in our homes but we also become quite impartial to it, ignoring the obvious.
Once clutter gets a hold on us, the thought of doing something about it becomes totally overwhelming. It saps our energy and clouds our minds. But, there is a way to slowly tackle this monster and I hope it will give you a bit of encouragement.
Ways To Tackle Clutter
Mountain or Molehill?
Rather than looking at the mountain (of stuff), look at things as a molehill. Don’t try to tackle the entire room, start with a drawer. Clean it completely, empty it out and then give it a good swipe with a sweet smelling cleaner, line it with some pretty paper and then return only what you need to that drawer. Once you discover the sense of accomplishment from that act, you will find yourself renewed to tackle another small project.
When evaluating all that needs to be done, I’m sure you are envisioning days, or even weeks, of work and you don’t know where to start. Here’s a tip I learned a while ago that really helped me diminish the overwhelming feelings.
Choose a small section of a room and work only on that area. Don’t allow any “but firsts” to draw you away from the matter at hand. Grab a timer from your kitchen and set it for 15 minutes. Work diligently for those 15 minutes, until the timer goes off. You will be amazed at how much can actually be accomplished in that short amount of time and you may even surprise yourself and want to work another 15. If that’s the case, set your timer again and work through until the timer dings again.
One Man’s Trash…..
Once you have completed your series of working segments, you should have a group of things to remove from your home. Now the decision is yours as to where you might find some extra funds for your savings account. Items can be listed on Ebay, Craigslist, Kijiji and even your paper’s classifieds. If your items don’t sell there, you can also arrange a garage/yard sale. Have one with friends and you will definitely draw a larger crowd with more items.
If you have a larger item that you want to get rid of, such as a boat, you can donate that to charity as well. When donating a boat in North Carolina, you will receive a tax deduction after your donated item is sold at auction. The money that is received in exchange for the boat is then donated to a worthy charity and you receive a tax deduction. Your boat does not even have to run to take advantage of this program, as many people will purchase a broken down boat at auction and then perform the necessary maintenance.
Then, with what is left over, donate it to a local charity and receive a tax deduction for it. You can’t go wrong and you will discover that your outlook on things has brightened and cleared. Once you remove the clutter from your environment, it’s also lifted from your mind. And I know that your bank account will thank you!
[Photo Credit: Fionn Kidney]
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