Trim the Excess

There is a reason why a hotel room, resort, or for that matter any well organized space immediately makes us feel incredible. They say that a home that is free of clutter breeds a fine mind. The way our home looks often reflects our disposition. On somedays it is well organized, spick and span and on others we allow the clutter to build in slow and steady and before we know it, it's a mess all around. I have come to realize that decluttering is not a one-time activity... once you have dived into the method, it needs to stay with you so that you are completely aware of the things that enter and leave your home. Removal of any excess in our life will help build an overall atmosphere of mindful living.

Pointers before you start:

▪ Many of the things that you own may have taken years to collect, so know that this process will take as long as it takes. Do it at your own pace.

▪ Don’t look at it as a task where you get rid of things, instead look at it as a process of honoring the things that you truly need, love and find useful.

▪ Sentimental items are going to pop up in every part of the home, from that cup your parents had tea in when they lived with you, to the little scraps of art your kids gave you over the years. Should we keep them all? I am going to leave that up to you, because we all have different things that we hold precious.

▪ You have 3 options with the things you decide to part ways with:

1. Donate: All objects in good condition can and should be donated. If there was ever a time to reach out to those in need, it is now.

2. Reuse/Recycle/Sell: There are so many innovative ways to use the things in our homes to serve different purposes and social media offers multiple outlets to recycle or sell used items.

3. Trash: Even when you're setting things aside for the trash bin, make sure you do it responsibly and segregate the trash into it's appropriate bins to ensure they are dealt with in the proper manner.

Steps to a clutter free home:

1. Begin with a purpose: Have a clear understanding before you start and envision every part of your home the way you want it. Start with the entryway and work inwards, look carefully and make mental notes as you observe the counters, the cabinets, the shelves. How do you want it to look once you are done with the decluttering? How can you create spaces that reflect your personality and makes your home the place you want to rush back to and feel comfort in. Be intentional while getting rid of things, understand why it is not useful anymore and create space within the home that can either stay empty or receive new things in future.

Tip: Make it fun and goal oriented. Pull the curtains, open the window, put on some music...

2. One mess at a time: This must be the simplest way to go about it: break the spaces into small doable areas, mentally divide all the items in your home into zones and sections belonging to a particular category. The whole purpose of removing every item from a cupboard will be to edit out the unused and unnecessary. The next step will be to categorize them, and the final one would be to organize. Ideally, every object should find a home with it's family i.e. objects similar to it in purpose or reason.

Tip: Take before and after photos of small areas. This makes the transition look phenomenal and so satisfying.

3. Few minutes in a day: A minimum of 15 minutes (I usually put the timer on my phone for 15 minutes) and start with one specific area, and if I am enjoying the process, I happily exceed my time limit. I try to do just one cabinet/drawer or part of the room once a day. The baby steps are always important, working one small section at a time can be more helpful than it may seem. The process can take anywhere between few days or weeks to few months to entirely deep clean the home, so make sure you pace yourself and learn to enjoy the process.

Tip: You have complete control over when you get to do it (daily/weekend), a definite time, in spaced out intervals will make the whole process less overwhelming and more therapeutic.

4. Be guilt free: Do not become overly sentimental. It is important to stay level headed and not create an unrealistic attachment to outfits or objects/gifts we have received over a period. At the end of the day, these are all materialistic things that must be replaced in time. I also suggest that all sentimental items (papers, pictures, cards) be stored together in a separate area instead of being spread out through the home. Like I mentioned in the beginning, focus on the part that you get to keep and not on what you have to give up.

Tip: You know yourself the best. And deep down you know that the clothes that have served you well, the toys that kept the little ones busy for long hours, the pots and pans that simmered some of the best curries - each have a time to exit your home.

5. Identify the purpose of the item: There are just so many ways to do this. Find the one system that is good for you.

Is it something you love? Is it something you use? Is it something you need?

Discard only the things that belong to you, do not throw out items that belong to the kids, spouse, parents, or other members in your family. This way you ensure you involve the family in the process, each person should get to decide what they get to keep and what needs to go. Teaching children these processes early on can help them be mindful adults. Finally, keep things that add value to your life and that “spark joy” when you look at them or hold them as Marie Kondo the guru of decluttering suggests.

Kitchen goal:

▪ Be minimalistic: Most of us have duplicates of every item - multiple spatulas, cups, pans that serve the same purpose. Having 1-2 items that are similar should be enough in a household. Every extra item should either be stored away or discarded depending on the wear and tear. For eg: keep just enough cups for each member of the family for daily access.

▪ Every item should have an allotted space: a separate cabinet for the Tupperware, spices in one, pots and pans, baking essentials.

▪ Try and keep the countertop as clear as possible. Electric equipment’s that are used regularly can either be kept in easily accessed areas or stored at the corners.

▪ Go through the pantry and fridge and discard all items that are over the expiration dates. We all have canned items, sprinkles, condiments etc. that have gone unnoticed for a while.

Living room goal:

▪ Get rid of/find use for - extra furniture, shelves and souvenirs that are catching dust.

▪ Cabinets (what does it contain/does it belong) in the living room: what are the things you like to do in your dining/living room, things to remove, old DVDs, unused remotes, newspapers, magazines, old bills, paperwork etc.

▪ Things to store - crockery, special occasion stuff for when the guests come in (scented candles, table runners).

▪ Find a better place for books you have read and do not plan to re-read, books you have never read and might not read eventually.

Bedroom goal:

▪ Clothes occupy a significant amount of space in the bedroom. Take the clothes out and go through each one, asking yourself simple questions like, does it fit me? Will I ever really wear this again? Do I look good in this outfit? These simple questions often help us figure if we need to hold on to that piece of clothing or not.

▪ Go through your dressers. Make sure the night stands are clear and does not hold any unnecessary visual clutter. Keep all the flat surfaces free of any clutter, only keep essentials like a night lamp, books to read etc.

Kids room goal:

▪ Children overgrow clothes, toys and shoes at the fastest rate possible, I know that most of the kids clothes and shoes have not been used to the fullest over the past year. If you haven't decided what to do with it yet, this is the time. Only keep things that they are currently using, the rest can either be stored aside if you are planning to expand the family or given to children in need.

▪ Siblings should have separate storage spaces for clothes, toys and books

▪ Make it a rule that every toy will be stored inside, this largely reduces visual clutter in the room

▪ All tables will be kept clear when not in use.

6. Remove first: Categorize and organize later. Once you have targeted a space, take all the items out, figure out what is important and what can be discarded (expired, not useful, outgrown), donated or sold and then replace the remaining in an organized manner. An esthetic organization tip is to sort clothes, books, toys according to color while storing them. This just elevates every cupboard, book shelf or storage area to another level.

TIP: if you are sorting the clothes today, take every single piece of item you own and pile it up. Go through each one of them and be practical and intentional while at it.

7. Flat surfaces rule: Keep it free of clutter and maintain clean surfaces to make the room have an overall tidy look. Have minimal or only essential decorative/utility objects on it, this little change can immediately give our home a different look making it look spacious and neat.

TIP: there are days when I only focus on all the flat surfaces around the home and its surprising how transformational it can be.

8. Use the space you have : Let your space inspire an organizational solution that suits your home best. If we observe carefully, all the things we have kept outside often have enough storage space within the cupboards, shelves, drawers, dressers etc. All we need to do is remove the excess and make space for the necessary.

TIP: Know that your home is big enough to hold all the things you love.

9. Adapt a constant state (attitude) of decluttering: Every member in the family has to be an active participant in this bit, once you have decluttered the home, you need to make sure that it remains that way and for that reason, every object should have a home. For the parents among us, teach kids and if necessary the spouses where things belong and help them to get into the habit of putting things in its place.

TIP: the best way to get the family to participate is to set an example and make it a positive experience

10. Minimalism: in this age of plenty where every object is just a click away, be conscious in your intention to buy things. Remember that though your needs and desires change over time, the size and space in your home remains the same. Before it is time to get something for the home, look around at the objects that have overstayed its welcome. Find those objects and part ways while making space for the new.

At the end of this process, we will eventually have room for all the stuff that actually matters. With less clutter to clean and fewer objects to maintain, we can focus on prioritizing our time well. I have found decluttering to be highly therapeutic and noticed that the children eventually pick up the pattern once we inculcate it as a routine in our daily lives. I end this with the simple reminder that "the more possessions you own, the more your possessions own you".

"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of this world....." 1 Timothy 6:6-8

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