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Learn to Decorate. Love Your Home.

3 Critical Decluttering Mistakes I Know You’re Making And How To Avoid Them

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3 Decluttering Mistakes And What To Do Instead

Inside: 3 critical decluttering mistakes that are keeping you from decluttering your home and how to avoid them!

So you’ve tried decluttering before (maybe even more than once) but  got totally overwhelmed, ended up with a bigger mess than you started with, and got burned out.

The same thing used to happen to me too. But, I finally found a way to completely declutter my home and it’s changed the way we live and feel in our home for the waaaaay better.

Turns out, I was going about it ALL wrong: taking on too much at once, shifting things from one room to another, and unable to stay focused. I’d get stuck trying to figure out which room to declutter first, how to decide what to keep, and how to let go of things without guilt.

Sound familiar? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered and I’m going to share the 3 critical decluttering mistakes I know you’re making and what to do instead so you can declutter your home without getting overwhelmed.

3 Decluttering Mistakes And What To Do Instead

3 Decluttering Mistakes I Know You’re Making

Mistake #1: You don’t stay focused on one area at a time.

You start decluttering one room, then walk into another room to put something away, get distracted and start working on that room.

Before you know it, you’ve spent most of your time walking from one room to the next and have created a bigger mess than the one you started with. You just spent a few hours without any visible results…ugh.

Instead you should focus on one small area at a time and don’t let yourself move on to the next area until it’s done. This may require you to divide up rooms into smaller areas so you have a super specific focus.

To get you started I created this free printable decluttering checklist.  It will help you divide up areas in your home into small focus areas.

Mistake #2: You keep too much stuff!

I know you start off with the best intentions, but you quickly find that you’re talking yourself into keeping things you don’t really need or want.

You think you might need it someday, that it might come back in style, that it will fit again when you lose weight, or that it’s worth money.

You’ve got to be ruthless when it comes to getting rid of stuff if you ever want to love the way you feel in your home again.

The reality is, you don’t need to hold onto things that make you feel like you’re not good enough as you are right now. And you definitely don’t need to hold onto things that don’t get used regularly even if you think you might need it someday. I’m sure when that time comes, you won’t be able to find it anyway and will have to borrow it from your neighbor.

You need to create a super solid criteria for what to keep and what to let go of. Yes, even for sentimental items (cause you shouldn’t be keeping all of those either.)

To create this criteria you should ask yourself 3 simple questions about each item: Is it beautiful, is it useful, or is it sentimental.

Asking these three questions and being really real with myself about the answer was the mental shift that took me from stuck to decluttering like crazy. But you gotta be really real with yourself. Learn more about this simple mental shift and how to decide what to keep and what to let go of in this post.

Mistake #3: You take on too much at once

You set aside an entire weekend to go through every nook and cranny of your garage but by the end of day one you’re tired, have more piles than you know what to do with, and don’t feel like you’ve made any progress at all. The week begins and the donation pile you created that day sits there for weeks…possibly even months.

Instead you should limit yourself to about an hour at a time. That may mean you take on one small area at a time, but anything more than an hour causes burn out, overwhelm, and confusion, which doesn’t ever get you to your goal.

Limiting yourself to about an hour will allow you to see one small area that looks and feels really good and it will be the motivation you need to take on another small area. It’s those small wins that give you the motivation to keep going.

Want to follow my step-by-step decluttering plan?

I’ve created an easy to follow, step-by-step decluttering plan that doesn’t allow you to make any of these mistakes.

The Declutter Method  breaks down each area of your home for you into short doable tasks so you’ll know exactly where to start, how to divide up large areas into small focus areas, and has scheduled in time to take care of the things that are leaving your home or need to be put away.

Just listen to the progress two of my Declutter Method students are making in the first week of the program…

The Declutter Method Testimonial

Click here to get all the details about The Declutter Method.

You might also like…

The Mental Shift That Has Me Decluttering Like Crazy

Free Printable Grocery List And Meal Planner

How To Teach Your Kids To Declutter

75+ Things You Can Get Rid Of Today (with free printable checklist)

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15 minutes is all it takes to… Clean out a draw 15 minutes is all it takes to…  Clean out a drawer, a cabinet, or quickly flip through your closet and grab a small bag of items you don’t need or want…  …and the impact of 15 min. rapid fire decluttering sessions adds up quickly, even after just a couple days!  Last night I cleaned out two drawers while the oven was preheating for dinner (did you see me in action on stories?) They were two drawers near our drop zone where things started to get stuffed and one of the drawers I use daily since I keep my notebook with the weeks meal plan, to-do lists, etc so it was driving me nuts that it was getting to be a chaotic mess.  So I set my timer for 15 min. to tackle it and not only did I get that one drawer done, I got the drawer next to it done and everything that didn’t belong in the drawers put away in its proper place!  The moral of the story is, you don’t have to set aside entire afternoons to clear the clutter and get organized. It can be done ones 10-15 min. session at a time.  So that’s what I’m doing. I’ve committed to a short decluttering session every day for the next week or so.  Join me! Give me a thumbs up if you’re in!  #declutter #declutteringtips #decluttering #takebackmyspace #organizedspaces #organization #organizingtips #homeorganization #clearouttheclutter #cluttercontrol
Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more of Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more of what 2020 has had to offer it’s continued to come in full force. The Rona 😷 has officially infiltrated our home (my husband has it) which put me into panic mode 🥺 trying to get everything for Christmas totally ready and all my biz stuff wrapped up for the year knowing I’ll probably get sick too.⁠
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Then to top it off something broke with our sprinklers in the front yard and they wouldn’t shut off. Thankfully I noticed right away and my amazing gardeners came over to help fix it but with the sun going down and not having all the parts they needed, and a bigger problem than we thought we have been without water. —They came back first thing this morning though (did I mention they’re awesome) and fixed everything up so I get to turn the water back on in about an hour and oh man is it going to feel good to take a shower (and a deep breath).⁠
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So far me and the kids don’t have any symptoms so I’m staying focused and getting all my to-do’s done so I can go into next week ready to enjoy Christmas in total quarantine and have time to get sick if that’s what’s coming my way.⁠
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It’s the weirdest thing to be planning to get sick, but it’s where I’m at! Hahaha!⁠
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Hope you are all staying healthy (and sane)!⁠
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#carona #christmas2020 #whatayear #christmasdecor #easychristmasdecor #peepmypad #colorfulchristmas #boldhues #interiorstyling #makeyousmilestyle #stellarspaces #makehomeyours #heytherehome #interiors4all #homedecorideas #houseandhome #howihaven
The view of our tree from every room downstairs is The view of our tree from every room downstairs is my favorite!
#verymerrychristmashometour #christmastree #christmasdecorating #christmas2020 #holidaydecorating
Today I want to tell you why I started sticking to Today I want to tell you why I started sticking to a color palette in my own home.⁠
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It wasn’t just because it allowed me to make quick decorating decisions, work with decor I already owned, and stay within my budget.⁠
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✔️It's because color is the fastest way to create a look that flows from one room to the next and make my home feel really good.⁠
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My home definitely didn’t get to where it is today overnight, but if I had to narrow it down to THE ONE THING that catapulted me in the right direction with my decor it’s when I finally figured out COLOR. ⁠
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A thoughtful color scheme can create a nice flow from one room to the next, which is great, but color is also scientifically proven to affect your mood. ⁠
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WHEN YOUR HOME FEELS GOOD, YOU FEEL GOOD!⁠
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Let me ask you...👇🏼⁠
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💭How do you currently feel in your home and how do you want to feel?⁠
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Think about it for a second.⁠
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💭Is the way your home feels now holding you back from the way you want to feel, things you want to do, or people you want to spend time with?⁠
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I know there’s a bigger reason behind creating a beautiful home you love.⁠
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And I bet it has nothing to do with impressing guests.⁠
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Maybe for you it’s creating a space to really recharge, spend more time with family and friends, or to inspire more creativity.⁠
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So what is it for you? Tell me in the comments.⁠
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P.S. I'm hosting a free color class on Thursday! You can RSVP by clicking the link in my bio or go to colormadeclear.com/color⁠
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#hygge #mytrendyroom #myokstyle #howihaven #dshome #homedecorideas #houseandhome #darlinghome #interiorstyling #ggathome ⁠
#inmydomaine #howwedwell #interior4u #interiormilk #interiors4all #lovewhereyoudwell #makehomeyours #showyourhomestyle #stellarspaces #mycollecteddecor #stylemyhomelikeaboss #styleitpretty #sharemysquare #makeyousmilestyle ⁠
#paint #paintcolor #paintcolors #colorfulhome #sherwinwilliams #behr
I read this morning that you are the culmination o I read this morning that you are the culmination of the 5 people you spend the most time with...⁠
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...hmmm...does that mean I act like a 7 and 10 year old cause lord knows we've been together A LOT lately? 🤣🤣🤣⁠
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But really, joking aside, are you intentional about who you surround yourself with?⁠
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Do they light you up, inspire you, and teach you things?⁠
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As uncomfortable as it is sometimes, I'm a huge fan of surrounding myself with those who know how to do things I want to learn. (And of course I'm a huge fan of spending time with people who I can share my know how with too.) ⁠
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So now the question is, who are you becoming?⁠
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Just something to marinate on today...⁠
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#wednesdaywisdom #wednesdaymotivation #coastaldecor #blueandwhitedecor #finditstyleit #homestyle #homewithrue #makehomeyours #purposeinstyle #homesohard #collectedhome #cozyhome #myinteriorsquares #ourspaceourplace #colorismyjam #colormyhome #myboldhues #brightspaceswelove #interiorswithpersonality #crashbangcolor #crashbangcolor #brightboldhome #coloryourlife #printspatternstexturesohmy #mypopofcolor
Today I woke up and felt filled to the brim with g Today I woke up and felt filled to the brim with gratitude. 💖 I wanted to say thanks to you guys, my followers, my community, my loyal students and customers. Balancing everything (kids at home, life, business) this year has been challenging, but there's been so much growth and without you this little 'ol business of mine wouldn't be here. So cheers to you!⁠
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#mondayfeels #mondayvibes #coursecreator #onlinebiz #homedecorblogger⁠
#inmydomaine #howwedwell #interior4u #interiormilk #interiors4all #lovewhereyoudwell #makehomeyours #showyourhomestyle #stellarspaces #mycollecteddecor #stylemyhomelikeaboss #styleitpretty #sharemysquare #makeyousmilestyle
My whys right there👆🏽 . We're evolving into My whys right there👆🏽 . We're evolving into a new phase where these two are helping out more and more around here and I'm loving that they take a certain pride in our space. ✨⁠
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Of course we've got a set up that allows lots of play, messes, and "chill time" as my 7 year old calls it...⁠
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...and although they may not be able to pin point it, I can tell that they too feel really good in our home and keeping it organized and feeling good, makes them feel good. ⁠
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Creating a home you want to be in takes time, but with smart choices and a little patience it can happen.⁠
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💖How do you want your home to feel?⁠
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#decortips #decoratingtips #hometips #tips #tips4decor⁠
#finditstyleit #homestyle #homewithrue #makehomeyours #purposeinstyle #homesohard #collectedhome #cozyhome #myinteriorsquares #ourspaceourplace ⁠
#coastaldecor #coastal #coastalliving #coastalstyle #coastalinteriors #coastalhome #coastaldesign #coastalvibes #coastalhomedecor #californiastyle #californiavibes #liveboldly
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