Start Your New Year Off Right By Decluttering Your Home

In 2019, the U.S. homeownership rate hovered around 65.1%. But whether you own or rent, you deserve to spend time in a relatively stress-free environment. While that might be easier said than done right now, you probably can make your home a more pleasant place to be if you buckle down and get organized. In fact, that's a great way to start off the new year. Whether you made a formal resolution to declutter your home or you think that improving your organization will allow you to achieve your other goals more readily, here are a few tips that can help you start 2021 on the right foot and get rid of the mess in your house.

Start With One Room

The prospect of decluttering your entire home all at once can be daunting. You can make this task much easier by focusing on one room at a time, starting with the space that needs the most immediate attention. For many people, this might be the home office. Even before the pandemic, 60% of remote workers said they'd leave their current jobs for full-time remote positions if they could -- and with many businesses still allowing their employees to work from home due to the pandemic, there may be an urgent need for organization. Whether you've been using the kitchen table as a makeshift desk or you've allowed your stack of papers to get out of control in your home office space, it's time to tackle your workspace and make sure it actually works for you. Carefully go through all your physical documents and office supplies to decide what you don't need, invest in some wall organizers and shelving, and devote yourself to keeping your desk clean. Once you've decluttered and organized this space, you can move onto the next. That way, you won't get distracted by other rooms and you can benefit from the positive effects of organization right away.

Ask Whether It Sparks Joy

One challenge many people have during the decluttering phase is being honest with themselves about the items they truly need to hold onto. It can be easy to get caught up in the "but I might need it someday" narrative -- and that can keep you trapped in a big mess. To borrow a concept from Marie Kondo, you should take an honest assessment of each item and ask yourself whether it truly sparks joy. If the item doesn't make you happy (and it isn't essential to your work or daily life), consider getting rid of it. Whether it's a candlestick or a musical instrument (both of which are created with lathes), be truthful with yourself and be willing to make room for other items that may hold more meaning in the future.

Donate to Worthy Causes

While you can absolutely sell items you no longer want, you may find that donating unwanted items to a worthy cause can be even more rewarding. If you're short on cash right now, there's no harm in selling some big-ticket items online, of course. But if you have a lot of clothes, books, non-perishable foods, or other items that are in good condition but that would require substantial effort to sell, think about giving them away to an organization in need. During the pandemic, there are many charities, non-profits, and shelters that are in dire need of assistance. Knowing that these items can mean so much to another person can give you a certain level of satisfaction that you might not receive by selling them. Plus, you won't have to dedicate any space to those items before they actually sell; you can just get them out of your home and in the hands of someone who will love them.

Stick to a Schedule

Staying on top of your home's organization needs can be a challenge -- which may be why you needed to make a decluttering resolution in the first place. If you allow your mess to spiral out of control, it can be much harder to fix. That's why it's a good idea to establish (and stick to) a cleaning and organizing schedule throughout the year. Rather than let clutter build up, you can tackle it on a regular basis and make it easier to manage. Make sure you include closet clean-outs, laundry, desk organization, and other important tasks as part of your schedule and include your family members to ensure you aren't shouldering all the responsibility. Even if they're just responsible for making their beds in the morning, clearing out recyclable containers from their bedrooms, or removing their personal items from the kitchen counter each day, that'll be less on your plate while allowing your home to look its very best. Seeing a resolution through isn't easy, but it helps when it's something that negatively impacts your everyday life. Having a cluttered and disorganized house can have negative impacts on your work and your leisure time, so it makes sense that you'd want to make this task a priority. With these tips in mind, you can keep the clutter in check and -- with any luck -- can benefit from a less stressful home environment.