Decluttering for the New Year

The holiday season is filled with time-honored traditions like festive party going, tree decorating, and gift exchanging. Then all of the sudden it’s January, and a new year is beginning. But your house feels a little more full than it did the year before … which was only a few days ago. There’s less space to put things because things are already there. Learn how to declutter for the New Year with these tips on organizing, sorting, and, yes, tossing.

Divide and Conquer

As the saying goes, you eat the elephant one bite at a time. So focus your energy on one room and don’t move on until it’s completed. If even that feels a little overwhelming, make a list of each room you want to tackle (even if it’s every room in the house) and start with the one that requires the least amount of attention.

Once you get into a rhythm of work, taking on the bigger problem areas won’t feel so daunting.   

Organize

Sort through your things and place them into piles based on how often you use them and how worn they are. For example, if your favorite wine opener is being held together by duct tape put it in the worn pile, then consider replacing it! Decluttering doesn’t mean throwing everything away, it just means not adding more.

If you haven’t used that serving dish you got from a work Secret Santa three years ago, will you really use it tomorrow? Items that are not used but in good condition can always be donated.

Preserve and Maintain

After you’ve sorted through all of your things, consider investing in a few designated storage containers for seasonal or specialty items like Christmas decorations and wedding china.

Photos courtesy of containerstore.com