Empowered to Declutter! Just do something

I'm still fairly new in this journey, but overwhelm is starting to creep in. When I get overwhelmed I tend to freeze. Then I'm left standing in a room or in front of a closet staring at a cluttered mess not sure where to begin. So I don't. That's why this is the best advice I've heard so far:

"Just do something!"

Dana K. White implores the "take it there now" strategy. Basically, she says that if you're working through a room or a pile of stuff and you pick up an item, make a decision about it and take it where it belongs immediately. Is it trash? Walk to your garbage can and put it in there. Is it donatable? Put it in your donate box/bag. Does it belong in another part of the house? Take it there now! If I can make a decision about one thing in a pile and deal with it immediately, that pile gets smaller. Progress.

I'm not proud of it, but I am a procrastinator. I was even voted "worst procrastinator" in high school... I love coming up with new ideas and fun projects that I should do and I love starting something, but I don't always finish it. So when I decided to declutter our entire house, I gave myself one year to do it. Because I know better! I will not get this done in a month, or a weekend . I would love to get it all done in one day, but I would need to rent a dumpster and probably regret all of my choices the next day. As much as I want this to be a quick process, I know it won't be.

Progress is made if I just do something. Nothing gets done if I do nothing! (Read that last part again, write it down on a sticky note, and stick it on your bathroom mirror! It applies to more than just decluttering.) By doing something in the moment, you are making progress. This is especially helpful when I'm feeling overwhelmed or I get interrupted by one of my kids. Even if I've only picked up the trash in a room, I've left it better than when I found it!

Not sure where to start? Set a timer for 5 minutes and do what you can see.

It's amazing how much I can get done in 5 minutes! Setting a timer on my watch and tackling the space around me is all I need to accomplish to feel... accomplished! Sometimes 5 minutes is all I have time for. But setting my timer for 5 minutes can also be a great motivator to just get started. Once I see how much I was able to do in such a short time, I'm more likely to keep going if I have the option to. I dare you to try it!

Whether it's decluttering, cleaning, or tackling anything on your to-do list, just do something. Because something is better than nothing every time.

XO, Courtney