Don't try and eat the whole elephant!
The thought of trying to declutter or get organised can be overwhelming; I remember when I was younger I used to reorganise my room regularly (yes the signs were there from an early age!). I would empty out the contents of my room onto the floor then get distracted by a book or some photos and suddenly it would be time for tea and I would be sat in a pile of stuff unable to cross the room. I wouldn't suggest this is a good starting point, the secret to decluttering and getting organised is to do a bit at a time. You don't have to eat the whole elephant, it is much easier to break it down into small chunks you can tackle one at a time. Here are some Do's and Don'ts to help:
DO:
✔ Start with something small and manageable, like sorting out your pens (checking they work) or pairing socks and getting rid of any odd or holey ones.
✔ Give yourself a time limit to do it; no more than 30 minutes.
✔ Collect all like things together in one place to sort through (i.e. all the socks or pens).
✔ Give your sorted items a place to live in your home and make sure everyone knows where it is; you will always know where to put them and more importantly where to find them.
✔ Praise yourself for everything you declutter, sort and organise no matter how small; if you do a little every week you will have done the whole house before you know it!
DON'T:
✔ Underestimate how long things will take; i.e. don't empty out your wardrobe onto your bed at 8pm with the idea of sorting it all before bedtime - you will probably be sleeping in a pile of hangers!
✔ Start when you are tired or have a lot of distractions (i.e. small children) around you; you will just get annoyed and frustrated with everyone.
✔ Think it has to be perfect; this is all about simplifying your life, making it easier to do the important things allowing you to enjoy life.
So why don't you take a bite? Every Wedensday I post a quick declutter idea (that should take no more than 15 mins) on my Instagram and Facebook page; Well Organised Wednesday #WOWednesday; follow me if you would like some inspiration.
