Imagine the future
Imagine a moment in the future when you have just died and your relatives have arrived to clean your house. What will they leave, and what will they want to get rid of? You can make their task easier by paying attention to your property now.
Beware of clutter magnets
In almost every home or office, there are certain areas that are magnets for clutter: the table in the dining room, the chest of drawers in the hallway, the chair in the bedroom, not to mention the allure of the floor. Clutter tends to build up, so clean up these places every night.
Ask yourself: Do you really need more than one?
It can be helpful to have a few phone chargers and scissors around the house, but you probably won’t need two flour sifters and three glasses for your pens. It’s much easier to track a single item. When you only have one pair of sunglasses, you will always find them close at hand.
Move the mess to a new place
When items end up in certain places over time, it’s sometimes hard to imagine where else they might be stored. So try to move the mess to a new place. Collect the items in a box and take them to a well-ordered room. Once you’ve got things out of the way they’re stuck, it’s much easier to decide what to do with them.
In the matter of wardrobe, consider the moment of meeting with the former (him)
If you can’t decide whether to keep the piece of clothing or throw it away, then ask yourself, “Would I be happy to meet my ex in this?”
Beware of Freebies
Let’s say you still went to that same conference with a free ticket and received a branded mug, T-shirt, water bottle, magazine and pen. But if you don’t have a clear plan for how to use these things, then they are bound to turn into garbage, which ultimately takes up a lot of time, energy and space. The best way to deal with a freebie is to not accept it in the first place.
Buy smart souvenirs
These items seem wonderful when you are on vacation. But are you willing to place them on the shelves when you get home? If you love buying souvenirs, consider purchasing small items that are useful or easy to display. For example, it can be Christmas tree decorations, spices for cooking, pendants for a bracelet and postcards.