My method of madness in the past has been to reach my breaking point as to the level of clutter in my house. I follow that with a frantic decluttering period lasting from hours to a full week. That method had two major flaws. 1) I wasn't getting rid of stuff, just organizing the clutter because if everything had a home, it wasn't clutter. 2) I had no system in place to maintain the "progress" I made. Then I would be frustrated and mad at the family because *they* were the reason for the season of chaos.
With no system in place and massive amounts of clutter, I was doing myself and my family a huge disservice. It was unrealistic to expect that any of us would know the new homes of all the stuff. I did not include the family in my cleaning frenzy so they were confused from the get go. You may be thinking, "That's why they make label makers." I tried something like that and we were so deep in clutter, it didn't help.
So you may be wondering, "What does work?" My first suggestion is to start with the kitchen. In our house it is the most used room. I challenge you to get rid of half of everything; silverware, dishes, cups, glasses, cooking utensils, pots, pans, and even small appliances. A system will fall in place because what's remains so easily fits in the space. Labels may be beneficial at this point of the transition, but not necessary.
The next challenge - don't move on to another room and start decluttering. Focus on the space you've created in the kitchen. Be present when family members are helping with unloading the dishwasher or utilizing the space for preparing food. You can gently guide them to the things they need and where things go. Take ownership of the new organization and explain your logic in organizing the space. Maybe talk about why having less is more. Maybe just enjoy the space because if mama's happy, the family is happy.
It has been my experience that people appreciate my minimalist efforts and outcomes but it's a bit like losing weight; other's feel bad that they haven't lost clutter and will become enablers to fill your clear spaces. The minimalist journey is a big exercise in saying, "No." We are saying no to the consumerism messages in all the adds. We are saying, "No, we won't be keeping up with the Jones." We are saying no to time commitments that do not add value. And sometimes we have to say no to well meaning friends and family.
well said!
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