If you are just beginning your decluttering journey, or if you are right in the middle of it, you’re likely experiencing a few challenges along the way. And if you’re like most of us, these challenges can either stop you or slow you down, preventing you from making the progress you’d really like to be making!
Navigating the Decluttering Maze
In this blog, I’m going to address each of the 3 toughest challenges most people face when downsizing or decluttering and show you how to overcome them. Once you recognize what these challenges are and how they’re impacting your progress, it will be much easier for you to quickly overcome them when they occur so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Challenge #1: Motivation to Get Started
You’ve been talking about decluttering for quite some time, saying you want to Declutter. But these “buts” are stopping you before you even get started. Do any of these excuses sound familiar to you?
- It’s too overwhelming.
- I’ll never get it all done, so why start?
- I’m afraid to let go of my sentimental items.
- I might need it someday.
- I might regret giving stuff away.
Getting started is the first big step to living a simpler, less cluttered life. Here’s how to overcome all of those objections and justifications for not getting started:
- Acknowledge the fact that you have too much stuff and that it is significantly impacting your stress and upset.
- Take time to discern your primary reason for wanting to declutter and focus on the benefits you will receive.
- Create a vision for your life after decluttering.
- Just start! Even if it’s one drawer, one shelf. Once you see and feel the impact of the progress, it will motivate you to continue.
- Schedule it! Commit to your plan and you will see results!
Challenge #2: Finding Time
If you find yourself saying any of the following, question the validity of your statement, so you can start to see through it:
- I can’t find the time, I’m too busy to Declutter.
- I’ll start next week or next month.
- I avoided it because it’s too much to do on my own both physically and mentally.
- I’d rather be doing something else.
Here’s how to overcome the challenge of finding time:
- Review your plan and vision for a simpler life.
- Schedule an appointment with yourself and a possible team member.
- Keep envisioning your life without clutter.
- Find decluttering methods that work for you.
- Remind yourself of your “why” for decluttering.
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Challenge #3: Staying Motivated
It seemed like you were making great progress, but then you start to lose focus and momentum. Here’s how to get back on track and stay motivated:
- Step back, take a break.
- Get a decluttering buddy.
- Use every decluttering tool and shortcut you know of.
- Have fun organizing areas you have already decluttered.
- Review your plan and your schedule.
Conquer Clutter with Confidence
These three toughest challenges are real: getting started, finding time, and staying motivated. You will most likely experience any or all of them at some point in your decluttering journey. Keep this video in mind when you get stuck the next time.
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