30 Days To A Clean & Organized Living Space

Transcription

1 30 Days To A Clean & Organized Living Space go to Kitchen book Rachel Jones go to Family Space book

2 30 Days To A Clean & Organized Living Space by Rachel Jones Copyright 2016, All rights reserved.

3 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Why Declutter?... 2 Where Do I Start?... 4 User s Guide... 6 Mindset: Truth & Lies... 9 Mindset: Work Through The Past...13 Mindset: Goal Setting...16 Mindset: Finding Your Motivation...20 Mindset: Getting Started...23 Living Room...24 Day 1: Entryway...25 Day 2: Couch...26 Day 3: End Table # Day 4: End Table # Day 5: Coffee Table...29 Day 6: Coat Closet...30 Day 7: Floor...31 Day 8: Entertainment Center...32 Day 9: Shelves (Day 1)...33 Day 10: Shelves (Day 2)...34 Bedroom...37 Day 13: Making the Bed...38 Day 14: Nightstand # Day 15: Nightstand # Day 16: Dresser Tops...41 Day 17: Dresser Misc...42 Day 18: Under the Bed...43 Day 19: Shelves...44 Day 20: Closet Shelf...45 Day 21: Closet...46 Day 22: Floor...47 Day 23: Decorations...48 Bathroom...49 Day 24: Jewelry...50 Day 25: Towels...51 Day 26: Bathtub/Shower...52 Day 27: Medicine Cabinet...53 Day 28: Floor...54 Day 29: Decorations...55 Day 30: Vanity & Counter...56 Keeping it the way you like it!...57 Day 11: Fireplace & Hearth...35 Day 12: Decorations Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com Back to Top

4 Introduction Hello! I m Rachel Jones, and before we get started with purging clutter and cleaning house, I d like to take a minute and introduce myself. When I started out as a young wife and mother, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew how to clean certain areas of the house, but I didn t know how to keep a house clean on a regular basis. I kept acquiring more stuff, because that seemed to be the answer: to keep a clean house I just needed the right tools, didn t I? And all those recipe books they would help me cook, right? I fumbled my way through years of boxed macaroni and a sink full of dirty dishes. I was so lost and overwhelmed by all the household duties all while trying to be the super-mom ideal I had in my mind. I could keep up that image as long as people didn t drop by to visit THAT was embarrassing. I really didn t even want to let them come in the house and I were both a mess. Ever so slowly, I began to develop routines. I began to wash the dishes every morning and wipe the counters down after I used them. I began to take boxes of excess to our local charity donation center. I have come a long way since those early years, but I remember how difficult they were. I remember not knowing where to start and when doing my best seemed like a pathetic attempt. I wrote this book for you. I want to help you have clean counters and an empty sink, to know how to maintain a home, how to purge the clutter and keep a house clean and organized, so you can live your beautiful, authentic life without clutter holding you back. Thank you for joining me on this journey of life, I look forward to getting to know you! Rachel Author of NourishingMinimalism.com I would love to hear how you have decluttered your main living spaces! me: rachel@nourishingminimalism.com 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 1

5 Why Declutter? Reducing the amount of physical possessions you have in your home gives so much freedom to your life. Your home doesn t have to qualify as minimal to benefit from this; you only have to shift your mindset to keeping things that are useful to your life. Either they bring you joy or they serve you in some way. When you limit your possessions to only the true essentials, you find yourself with: Less stress. When you are in a home with clear surfaces, a place that is company-ready, the kitchen is tidy, and dishes are done, you can view the stress of daily life from a calm perspective. Removing visual clutter removes the overwhelm. Less time spent cleaning. A home with less means that cleaning is quick. When you need to clean the floor, you can do just that. When you need to clean the kitchen, the counters are already clear and open, so it s easy to wipe it clean. When the piles are gone, there is no need to shuffle clutter to clean the areas underneath. Also, when you build cleaning routines into your daily rhythm of life (like I teach in these books), most things will be done, and your weekly cleaning will take minutes rather than hours. No need to block out time, or have a marathon cleaning weekend. More mental clarity. Studies show when you clear out unnecessary things from your home, it greatly impacts your mental clarity and peace of mind. Physical miscellaneous translates into mental miscellaneous, which you have to wade through. Once the physical clutter is gone, your mind is more able to focus. Better health. Yes, that s right! Once the lifestyle shifts in your home, your mental outlook shifts and you will begin to evaluate how you spend your time as well. You will begin cutting back on the over-committed schedule, and your body will thank you for a slower paced life. More freedom. So many well-known philosophers and thinkers have stated over the years: what you own, owns you. When you strip down your belongings to only things that serve a purpose in your life, you are no longer weighed down by the responsibility to care for things. This gives you freedom: more time, the ability to travel, to take a lesser-paying, more enjoyable job, etc. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 2

6 Self-confidence. The process of decluttering is much like peeling off layers and removing a mask. When there are no more things to hide behind, you have to face the person you really are. This may not be a pleasant process, but through it, you will discover yourself and accept yourself for who you are (not what you own). In the end, being comfortable in your own skin lends to greater self-confidence. Greater purpose. Much like self-confidence, once the superfluous of your life is stripped away, you are able to focus on the things that are important to you. You will have the time and energy to devote to the things in life that you feel need to be taken seriously. Improved relationships. Clutter is a distraction and once it s gone, you have time to look around you, to pay attention to people, to sit and listen to them. There is now no need to use stuff as a mask with people around you. Instead, the mask is gone and the connection can be deeper. There is more transparency and vulnerability which may be scary at first, but it s so much more rewarding. More money. Having less lends itself to a larger bank account and more ability to share with those in need. There are less impulse purchases, less duplicate purchases (because you can t find it when you need it). Often it means you are content to use what you have on hand, rather than a specific uni-tool that is supposed to make your life easier. Often through the decluttering process, people find missing funds and they become more responsible with what is coming in on a regular basis. When you tightly cling to things, you cannot give to others or take any blessings that come to you, but if you hold possessions with an open hand, things can come and go with ease, being useful to many people and benefiting all involved along the way. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 3

7 Where Do I Start? I always recommend starting in the kitchen. If you don t have my book 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Kitchen, then I recommend you purchase it, and work through the kitchen in your first month. Because: 1. The kitchen is the heart of the home. So much of our everyday living happens in the kitchen. Aside from food prep, it s often a launch pad from where we start. 2. The kitchen tends to have more utilitarian items, which means less sentimental things to process as you are decluttering. Sentimental items are more taxing mentally and emotionally. Through my books, I try to help you develop routines and basic decluttering skills, so when it comes to the sentimental items, you will be more prepared, have confidence in your ability and a process of decluttering to follow. Before you start Put on some nice clothes, clothes that fit well and you feel attractive in. Make sure you have a good pair of shoes ready by the door. This way, if you end up needing to take the trash out or take boxes to your vehicle, you will be ready. No getting distracted by having to stop and get dressed, fix your hair, etc. We are in the business of getting things done! When you have completed your task for the day, take your donate box right out to your car. That way you can simply drop it off the next time you are in the area, and it does not just accumulate in a different spot in your home. The goal of this book: 1. To let go of all non-essential items and find contentment with your surroundings. 2. Love your living space! So often we search for nicer decor, or furniture to complete a room, but most of the time, when the clutter is removed and every item is given a home, it s then we realize that the room is complete. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 4

8 Remember You don t have to have a sparse home in order to consider yourself a minimalist. Rather, minimalism is a lifestyle, with appropriate priorities and intentional actions. This book is a tool for you to use. It is not meant to control your life. I will not be judging how well you stick to it or how you embrace minimalism. Don t stress out if a particular day doesn t work out or you can t quite accomplish what you wanted. Just pick it up again the next day and in time you will be pleased with your progress. It doesn t matter what state your house is in the moment you start doing this. We all start the same way: By doing something. Anything. Just one thing at a time. A minimalist home is simple, clean, open and inviting. But for most of us, the steps required to achieve these characteristics in our home do not come naturally. Getting rid of clutter and cleaning out the house is a step in the right direction. However, as you know, unfortunately, the house will not simply stay clean by itself. Instead decluttering will be a constant process; it s a journey, a change of lifestyle and habits. This book will help you to get that process started in a way that will reduce stress. I have outlined simple morning and evening routines along with one main daily task so that you won t become overwhelmed. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 5

9 User s Guide Making the bed If you are already in the habit of making your bed every day, then you are one step ahead of the game! Good job! If not, don t worry, you ll get there! Some may wonder why we bother making the bed. I ll tell you: Making the bed means there is one complete, clean area in your bedroom, no matter what. It takes only a minute of time (or even less) and yet it makes a huge difference in the feel and comfort of the room. A made bed feels welcoming and encourages care for the rest of the room. Recycling, donating, and filling up the landfill I am very concious of our environment and the impact we have on it. I detest plastic because of the pollution of production as well as how it pollutes the environment when people just toss it. If recycling is doable in your area, then by all means, take advantage of that. If you have items that can be reused and/ or sold by a thrift store and they have convenient drop off locations, then yes, make use of that as well. But remember: if you are not able to dispose of things (in the way you think you should) don t let that prevent you from removing the clutter from your home, because the problem will only get worse with each passing day. Allow yourself to get rid of items in the easiest way possible. You have my permission. Just remove it from your home. I don t want to add to the landfills. But even more so, I don t want your home to become a landfill. If this means that a lot of things (even useful things) get tossed into the garbage can, then just accept that and do it. The important thing is to remove it from your home. When your home is clean and clear, you will no longer be in the habit of shopping to fill it up with more landfill potential. This is the month of change. Once it is finally out of the house your impact on the environment (for the rest of your life) will be less, because you will use less, need less, and buy less. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 6

10 Fantasy life Sometimes we collect things and own things because we want to portray a certain lifestyle. I call it a fantasy life. These collections could include many types of things that we are saving for someday. (We think we ll eventually use the items, but, we don t ever actually end up using them.) Or things that we keep because we feel it s expected of us. For example, books. Often times our identity is tied up in our book collection. How we want to be perceived, or how we want to perceive ourselves. Perhaps you keep books, because someone in your line of work should have particular books. Or perhaps you strongly desire to be an interesting person and interesting people have interesting books. The reality is, we are not our books, and our books are not us. It doesn t matter how many we have; we are still the same person. The fantasy life and real life don t line up. Let s be real, accept who we are, what our talents are and let go of the fantasy life. Allow yourself to just be and stop trying to define yourself or identify yourself with your material possessions. Atmosphere in your home The atmosphere in your home is vital to your well-being and the well-being of all who live with you. Allowing clutter to build up only invites more mess and stress. Instead we want to create a home that is a sanctuary from outside stress, a place to have quality family time and to relax. In order to achieve this look and feel for our home we must constantly evaluate what we are choosing to keep inside of it. We face several challenges while battling clutter: Sentimental items and mementos from times past can be hard to let go. There are often family members who have passed on, who wanted you to have items, keep items or protect items. Sometimes there are family members who have given you things, wanting to bless you, but in reality, the things have become a burden. The burden increases as your collection of things grows more cleaning or dusting is required or maybe there s simply a feeling of guilt or un-use that continues to fester. Sometimes people keep items because they belong in the family. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 7

11 In reality, none of the aforementioned scenarios are reasons that merit keeping objects when you simply have too much stuff that is cluttering up your home. When it comes down to it, just keep the things that you love. (Not what your aunt loved or what your great-grandmother loved.) Now, if you love it too, and if it continues to bless your home and be useful, then you have a reason to keep it! But be honest with yourself, what emotions are attached to an item and remember that it all comes back to limiting the number of items in your living space so that it is manageable for you. The less you have in your home, the less time you have to spend taking care of it. Personal possessions in main communal areas: Aside from the coat closet and where shoes, keys, etc. are kept, all communal areas (living room, dining room, kitchen) should only contain things that are used by everyone in the home. For example, it makes sense for the TV remote to be in the living room where the TV is, everyone who watches TV uses it, it is communal property. But, if there is anyone in school, their backpack and school supplies should not be stored in the living room. They are the only one that needs to access those items, they are not community items and create visual clutter for those who would like to use the space to relax. Personal possessions should be stored in the bedrooms, or respective spaces: office, playroom, garage, etc. Depending on your house layout, how much square footage you have to utilize and the ages of occupants will, of course, determine how you use each space, but as much as possible, keep personal items to personal spaces, and it will be much easier to keep tidy. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 8

12 Mindset: Truth & Lies Even if you have completed this in the kitchen guide, it is very helpful. Please take the time to do these exercises again. This is where you will begin to be successful in your decluttering journey everything you do will stem back to this section, and it s vital that you take time for this. At some point, we have all probably started decluttering, or made some serious attempts at organizing the clutter, only to be right back where we started or worse off than when we first started. Then we end up getting rather cynical about our stuff, our house and our ability to accomplish anything. We get to the point where we don t really believe change can happen. Although we get rid of bags and boxes, when we look around we don t really see any difference, we only see more stuff. That cynicism is holding you hostage. So the first thing we re going to work on is what we believe and what we tell ourselves. You are what you focus on. As you go through your day, thoughts continually run through your mind. We all have certain stories that we tell ourselves on a regular basis and much of what we say to ourselves is not truth. Some examples could be: I don t have time [to clean/declutter/take care of myself] I don t have the energy [to work on anything] I need time off work to get anything done I can t accomplish anything with children around I can t get rid of stuff because I never have the money to replace it if I actually need it. These statements aren t absolute truths; they are beliefs, and they become a self-fulling prophecy. What we tell ourselves over and over comes to pass, so in order to change your situation in life, you have to change those negative stories into positive truths. Join me as we walk through this process. Let s address: I don t have the time or energy. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 9

13 Do you have time to sit down and scroll through Facebook or browse Pinterest? Do you have time to read articles or watch the news? Do you have time to watch trashy TV in the evening, play video games or go bargain shopping? The thing is, we have time and energy for whatever we make our priority. It s easy to fill our time up with things just to distract us, but generally, if you have time that is wasted, you have time to do something productive for yourself. Another lie we tell ourselves is: I have to keep things, because we don t have money to replace stuff. Really? You don t have money? When was the last time you bought a latte? Do you buy new clothes when you need them? Did your bills get paid this month? Do you go out to eat? Because that s a lot of money. If you take the family out to dinner or a movie, it s easily $40 - $50, which is probably more than enough to purchase whatever it is you think you need to keep for that just in case reason. The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, have a 20/20 rule: if the item can be replaced for under $20 within 20 minutes of your current location, then there is no need to hang onto it. That takes care of pretty much everything that one would normally keep for just in case reasons. You have been telling yourself these lies that keep you stationary for years. To succeed you have to change what goes through your mind to different statements that give you permission to accomplish things. Those lies or beliefs are the only thing holding you back. That s it. You do have time, you do have the ability, you can succeed, all you need to do is believe it! This might take some work, but decluttering has to begin in your thoughts. However it happened, you have been brainwashed into believing these lies. So today I want you to figure out the lies holding you back and write down the actual truth, or at least, what you want to be truth. We are what we believe. If you say all the time, I m a messy person, then you are going to be a messy person. There are so many stories out there of people who were told: You re never going to amount to anything, you re going to end up in jail, you re going to be fat, or you are so lazy. And then it really happens because the person hearing it believed it. It s a self-fulfilling prophecy. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 10

14 You are going to change your reality, and it starts by telling yourself your new truth. This is not a mystical thing; it s a proven fact: whatever we focus on comes to pass. I ve heard plenty of people use laziness as an excuse my teenagers even do it Why did you only eat toast? Eh, I m too lazy to cook something. Although it s true, that is the reason they didn t cook it doesn t have to be true. If you don t want it to be true, then change what you say about yourself. You will become what you believe. On the following page, you will need to take at least 30 minutes to sit down and think about the lies that you tell yourself. If the first one is: I never have time to declutter or clean the house. That would be the lie. And the truth would be: I have the time that I need to get done what I need to do. If your lie is: I never have money. Then the truth would be: I have enough money to cover all my needs. If your lie is: I am too tired to work on the house. The truth is: I have enough energy to do what I need to do. When you write your truth, make sure it s positive you want your truths to lift you and inspire you. For example, perhaps the lie would be: I hate doing dishes. Then, make your truth something like: I love having the dishes done. When you go to do the dishes and that little grumpy voice pops into your head and starts complaining, stop your thoughts and say, I love having the dishes done. Turn on some music that you enjoy, or put on some essential oils to uplift you, and tackle that job. I m not going to guarantee that you will thoroughly love doing the dishes after a few weeks of this, but you won t HATE them anymore. Another example is: I m a messy person. The truth then needs to be: I am a clean person, and I enjoy my clean home. Each time you are decluttering or working on your daily routines, some of these lies are going to come up, and you may need to refer back to this book, so you can remind yourself what the truth is. Sometimes you might discover a lie that you hadn t addressed yet, so you will need to take the time to write it out and figure out what the truth is in that situation. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 11

15 Take at least 30 minutes to sit down and think about the lies that you tell yourself. These are limiting beliefs; they are not fact. Write these lies on the left-hand side of the page, then write down the truths on the right. Lies Truths 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 12

16 Mindset: Work Through The Past In the last section, we talked about how belief is the only thing holding you back. I asked you to write out the stories or lies that you tell yourself and replace them with positive truth. Doing that is vital to decluttering and maintaining a clean home. If that is the only thing you get out of this book, then I have succeeded, because once you change those limiting beliefs, your entire life will improve. Now we re going to talk about the past: what has already taken place in your life. Things happen in our life. Sometimes it s completely out of our control, sometimes we win, sometimes we fail, sometimes we quit. Everyone lives with regrets; we wish we didn t keep all these things, we wish we were cleaner, we wish we could keep our clothes off the floor, but we just shrug our shoulders and just accept it. Yeah that s life. But you can use those mistakes to improve your life if you decide to learn from the past. If you ve had a bad decluttering experience, then you need to think about it, figure out what didn t work for you and what you can do differently from now on. To help you work through the past, I want you to write down your answer to the following questions: Answer the questions as honestly as possible. Write down the first thing that comes to your mind, as that is often the most relevant to you. 1. As you look back over the last year, what is the major theme that kept recurring in your life? 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 13

17 2. What accomplishments are you most proud of over the last year? What have you done that really makes you swell and feel good about yourself? It doesn t have to be huge and amazing this is for you; no one else s opinion matters. 3. What do you feel you should have been acknowledged for, but weren t? This could be something you did at work, or how you have taken care of the house or the yard. It might be the time you invested in the lives of other people. Just like reflecting on what we accomplish, this is important. Forgive those who have not acknowledged you. It s wonderful to get recognition, but life is too precious to hold onto that hurt. Grudges only harm the people who are holding them. Allow yourself to be proud of your accomplishments, and know that, even if we want more, knowing that you did the right thing, can be enough. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 14

18 4. What disappointments or regrets have you experienced? It s good to think about this regarding all areas of your life, but in particular, I d like you to think about the state of your home and the clutter in your life. Much like addicts have to admit that there is an issue, before we can cleanse our homes, we have to admit the issues that we have in our housekeeping, and how it makes us feel. 5. What was missing from your life as you look back over the last couple years? The reason we do this exercise is to just feel the past. We don t get anywhere by ignoring it. Feel it all feel the wins and the losses; if you need to cry about it then cry about it. Really taking a look at our past in this way helps us learn from our mistakes; it helps us see what we truly want. Many times we brush off failures, disappointments, regrets and even victories and we don t really allow ourselves to mull them over. So let s mull over them today; allow yourself to feel whatever feelings come up. This is going to help your perspective for setting your goals. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 15

19 Mindset: Goal Setting If you want to accomplish something, you are more likely to succeed, if you go through the planning, visualizing and clarifying of your goal. There are studies to prove it! This works for any type of goal, but since this is a decluttering book, we re going to focus on decluttering goals. To make sure you follow through with these goals, you have to be very specific. I ll give instructions at the end of this section on how to write out your goals, but before you do that, I want to talk a little bit about why this process works. I m going to have you imagine your ideal home, write out exactly how you want your home to look, decide what you are willing to give to have that, set a deadline for yourself and then create a plan. Once that is done, you ll be able to write out a clear statement about your goal, basically a mantra, that you will need to have around. Read it in the morning and evening, really dwell on it. Some self-help books will say you need to become obsessed with your goal. It s an INTENSE FOCUS. Lasered in, buckled down, determination. Keeping your possessions to a minimum means you re free to do more important things, but that is the end result. Until then, having serious determination is very important. So think of it as a stage, or a step that you have to go through, not a destination. We don t want to be a whole group of people whose entire life revolves around how tidy our house is. But, for a period of time, that s how it will seem. Basically, for the next month or so, you will think about decluttering and organizing so much, that eventually the irritation of the excess will overpower the overwhelm. When you focus on your clean, clear home, your thoughts will shift from being overwhelmed by the clutter to being empowered to get rid of it. You do have the ability to do this. Think about it: If someone held a gun to your head and told you to get rid of your junk within the next couple weeks, you would find the power to do it. You would make it happen you could do it now. No one is threatening you, but you don t 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 16

20 need someone threatening you you already know that you have the power within you to get this done! Ok, so let s get to setting some goals. Write down your goals. Written goals have more power. Just writing your goals down increases your chance of accomplishing the goal by 42%. That s huge! So let s write those goals down! 1. Imagine your ideal home. Walk through it in your mind, starting at the front door and imagine what everything looks like, how clean it is, how that makes you feel. Write down all the things that you will do when your home is clean and clear and not requiring work from you. Basically, you re imagining the end result of all your decluttering work. My Ideal Home: 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 17

21 2. Decide on an exact decluttering goal. It has to be exact or specific. If you just say, I m going to declutter my house this year, that is not specific enough. It doesn t give you anything to focus on. Only you can set these goals because you are the only one that knows how much you have to sort through. I would recommend at least 1 room each month, or week. My Decluttering Goal: 3. Decide exactly what you are willing to give to complete your goal. Nothing is free; everything costs. And anything of real value costs us something. It might be time, energy, giving up reading your favorite book, or limiting your screen time. This decluttering is going to take some sacrifice, so write down exactly what you are willing to give in order to see your goals through. What I m willing to sacrifice: 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 18

22 4. Give yourself a deadline. Look at your calendar; figure out an exact date you want to have each room completed. Write it down. Mark it on the calendar, or program it into your phone to set reminders. Do whatever you need to do so you remember when your deadline is and it s always in the back of your mind. It s going to help push you to complete tasks, because you need to have it done by this date. My Decluttering Deadline: 5. Write down your own specific mantra. An example would be: I am a minimalist. I thrive in a clean and clear environment. Having a clean and organized home gives me energy and peace. Avoid anything negative don t say, I want a clutter-free home because the word clutter itself is completely negative. So use only positive words to paint a picture in your mind s eye: I have a clean home. I am an organized person. I have time and energy to keep my house clean. If you can pull in some truth statements from earlier in the mindset section, then that would be helpful. My Decluttering Mantra: 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 19

23 Mindset: Finding Your Motivation You have your goal, and you have a deadline. To accomplish those two things, you ll need to find your personal motivation: the why behind what you are doing here. You want a clean house. You are ready to be done with clutter. But just knowing that isn t enough to push you to keep working on it, on those days you might want to quit. Decluttering is hard work. It s not always fun, and there are going to be times when you would rather do something else. Being able to tap into your motivation is going to help you stay on task. Pinpoint your key motivations: Why are you passionate about clearing the clutter? Why is it important to you? On the following page write down 5 to 10 motivations to declutter your home. Some examples: I want to invite someone over at a moment s notice. I want to have time to volunteer at an organization. I want to have peace in my home and no more arguing about the mess. If you have one that is the biggest reason put that one on the top of the list. When you go to read through it, you will want the most important reason to be the first one that you read and remember the most. These are going to be important. When you get to a point where you are frustrated and tired and just want to quit- then read through this list. This is the reason. This is the drive. The power that you need to dip into, to accomplish your goal. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 20

24 These can be emotional reasons. For example, you know that your relationships with your children are more important than stuff, so that would drive you emotionally. Or you may have some intellectual reasons. For instance, you know that clutter has a negative impact on your mental health; so maybe you don t really want to do the work, but you know that to be a happier, more content, calm person, you need to declutter. That would be something you work on because you know it s going to better you, but it s not exciting, and that s ok. You are doing something that needs to be done, and that s huge. You should be proud of that! Not many people take initiative to change their circumstances, so even if you re not giddy about it, you are doing something really good. Your Motivations (list the most important one first) Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 21

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26 Mindset: Getting Started Working through the mental clutter is extremely important, and I am so proud of you for getting this far! Getting past the mental blocks that keep you from discarding your clutter is HUGE. The biggest fight you have is changing your mindset so, even if these first few sections didn t take a ton of physical time for you, the work you did here is going to be some of the most effective work ever. It s not just going to help you declutter your house; it s going to help you accomplish all kinds of things in your life and give you the confidence you need to fulfill your purpose. That s big. It s awesome! Now that we ve worked on the mental blocks, I just want to go over how the decluttering and cleaning is going to work through this book. Your living spaces will be decluttered, one task each day for the next month. You can go through them faster or slower as you need, but, please spend no more than 3 hours a day decluttering, because that invites burnout and this is a marathon, not a sprint. When you have busy days and can t do your decluttering task allow yourself that freedom. DO NOT berate yourself for not doing it. Try to at least complete your routines, even on the hardest days when nothing is going right, through whatever is going on in your life: do the morning and evening routines. Making those routines a priority in your life is the difference from feeling out-of-control to in-control. If the dishes are done, there is less stress, less of the crazy-making feeling. If you have chronic health issues, or something in your life that makes dishes difficult to stay on top of, then limit the amount of dishes in your cupboard to a very minimal amount. It may be a challenge to wash a full load of dishes, but it s not a challenge to wash a plate and a fork. If needed, have a dish rack sitting out and have everyone in the house hand wash their own dish after each meal. When you are done with this book, let it go. Put it in the recycling bin, burn it, trash it. Whatever just get rid of it. You are not hanging onto stuff anymore. DO NOT be tempted to set this book on a shelf. We all know how that ends up every time you walk by, you feel a stab of shame for not working through it. This time is going to be different you already know that sitting a workbook on a shelf has never helped you accomplish anything in the past, so now you are learning from the past and moving forward with new ways and new ideas. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 23

27 Living Room Having a clean and clear living room means it s easier for your family to connect. It means that when someone stops by, you can confidently invite them to sit and visit. You will be able to focus on your visitor and what they are saying; rather than the mess in the room. The living room sets the tone for the people who walk in your front door. It makes them feel comfortable and welcome; especially since you won t be making excuses about cleaning the house. A clean and organized living room gives you a sense of contentment with your home and brings with it free time. If you see distraction externally, you end up creating an internally distracted state. ~ Timothy Ferriss Let s remove as much external distraction as possible, so you can focus on things that are truly valuable to you. A note about routines: Given that this book is part of the 30 Days To A Clean & Organized Home series, the kitchen routines are included in the morning & evening daily checklists. Whether you ve completed the kitchen book or not, doing all the routines listed on a daily basis is going to remove (and keep at bay) the feeling of overwhelm that may pervade your home and life. 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 24

28 Day 1: Entryway Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break First things first! The first thing anyone notices as they come into your home is the entryway. Let s make sure it is inviting. 1. Get a trash bag and a donation box ready. 2. Throw away any trash in this area. Remove and put away anything that does not belong here. Put those items away right now. If they don t have a place they belong, consider whether or not you should even be keeping them. If it s something you need and use, find a place for it. 1. If you store shoes here, make a specific area for shoes. This may be a basket, a doormat, the floor of a closet, or a shoe shelf. 2. Take donations out to your vehicle. 3. Sweep and mop or vacuum the floor. 4. Clean the door handle with a wet washcloth. 5. Step back and admire the beginning of your tidy living room! Entryway decluttered and cleaned? Check here r A place for everything and everything in its place. Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats* *Denotes new routine 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 25

29 Day 2: Couch Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break In your home, keep your couch very simple. Ask yourself if it s even necessary to have a throw and/or decorative pillows. Would it be fine without? If you feel you need to have a throw, go with something very simple, so that you can fold it and set it on the back of the couch, or armrest easily. 1. Remove everything from the couch. (If there is laundry there, fold it & put it away; time yourself: see how long it actually takes you to do that task!) 2. Vacuum the couch under cushions, etc. 3. Examine the items you removed: Do you use it? Do you need it? Do you love it? If the answer is no, trash it or put it in your donate box. 4. Take any trash out to the curb and put your donations directly in the car. Keep the couch free of clutter, so when you need to sit and rest, you can (sitting by a pile of unfolded laundry isn t restful!). A clear couch is to the living room what clear counters are to the kitchen (and a made bed is to the bedroom for that matter). Each one helps to set the tone for the whole room. Couch cleaned? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions* 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 26

30 Day 3: End Table #1 Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break When sorting, if doing the whole task is going to take longer than the amount of time you have to devote to it today, then break it down into sections (surface, drawer, floor, etc.) and complete one section each day until done. 1. Remove everything from the end table. (Surface, drawers, floor beneath, etc.) 2. Wipe all surfaces of end table. 3. Sort in 3 bags or boxes: trash, donate, put away. 4. Put back ONLY what you use here: coasters, remotes, lamp, etc. 5. Take donation box to your vehicle. 6. Take trash out to garbage can. 7. Vacuum/sweep floor under/around end table. Don t leave anything piled on the floor under it. If there are items that do not have a home, then they don t have enough value to you. Either make a home for them, or put them in the trash or donate box. Complete? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions r Tidy end table* 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 27

31 Day 4: End Table #2 Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break 1. Remove everything from the end table. (Surface, drawers, floor beneath, etc.) 2. Wipe all surfaces of end table. 3. Sort in 3 bags or boxes: trash, donate, put away. 4. Evaluate if you need and use this table, or if it only collects clutter. If your home only needs one end table, decide where is the most useful place to have it and donate the one(s) you do not need. 5. Put back ONLY what you use here: coasters, remotes, lamp, etc. 6. Take donation box (and possibly this end table) to your vehicle. 7. Take trash out to garbage can. 8. Vacuum/sweep floor under/around end table. Don t leave anything piled on the floor under it. If there are items that do not have a home, then they don t have enough value to you. Either make a home for them, or put them in the trash or donate box. Complete? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions r Clear off end tables* 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 28

32 Day 5: Coffee Table Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break Since the coffee table tends to hold the attention of everyone in the room, it s important to keep it clear. There is no need to keep it if it doesn t get used feel free to get rid of it. There is no rule; written or unwritten that requires you to have a coffee table. If you decide to keep the coffee table, I recommend making it a usable piece one that has drawers or baskets, or an old trunk or storage ottoman. If you are an ultra-minimalist, by all means, go with a minimally designed piece. But if you have a family, pick a utilitarian piece so it can hide away objects: Toys Video Games Blankets Photo Albums DVDs Backpacks Camera & Equipment Laptop and Supplies Winter/Summer Gear Board Games Dog Leash, Harness & Toys Crafting Supplies 1. Set up three boxes or bags: trash, donate, and to put away. 2. Remove all items from the coffee table and clean table surfaces. 3. Sort clutter: decide if it needs to be thrown into the trash, donated or put away. If it belongs in another area of the house, place it in the put away box. When the coffee table is clear, wipe it clean. 4. If you choose to have anything on the coffee table, think through it: How often do I use this? Does it justify taking up clear space? When it s on the coffee table, does it require more cleaning (because I have to dust/wipe it regularly)? If you don t want it on the coffee table, find a place for it or let it go. 5. Take the donate box to your vehicle and the trash out to the garbage. 6. Put away everything in your put away box. Don t leave anything piled on the floor under it. Either make a home for it, or put it in the trash or donate box. Complete? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions r Clear off end tables/coffee table* 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 29

33 Day 6: Coat Closet Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break Having an organized closet means that things can be put away and also easily retrieved when needed. Keep the coats (and possibly shoes) in the closet. Limit what is there, to only what needs to be there. Don t allow family members to just toss miscellaneous items into the closet when they don t know where to put them. If the kids can t reach to hang their coats on a hanger, place hooks on the inside wall or door, so they can still put coats away by themselves. (Tip: Most people, in general, are more willing to hang their coats/jackets if hooks are in place.) 1. Remove everything from the coat closet, clean, sweep and mop or vacuum the floor, wipe off the shelf, etc. 2. Put back what you use and need in this closet: coats, shoes, winter or outdoor supplies, etc. Be brutally honest with yourself. If you never use an umbrella, but have 2 give them away. Let go of any jackets, winter gear or beach items that haven t been used in the last year. 3. Put seasonal items in boxes or baskets on the shelf (winter gear/summer gear). Label the boxes, so if you need hats and gloves you know exactly which basket to get down. 4. Clean the door handle with a wet washcloth. 5. Give away any unused items, throw away any trash. 6. Take the donation box out to your vehicle. Don t leave anything piled on the floor. The floor should be used for things like shoes, vacuum, etc. that typically have a home on the floor. If all belongings have a home, then the floor should stay empty, except for the very few items that belong there. Complete? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions r Clear off end tables/coffee table 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 30

34 Day 7: Living Room Floor Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break The floor should be as bare as possible, in order to make your home feel as open and inviting as possible. Having a clear floor clears the mind. When floors are cluttered, the room feels crowded, and instead of helping you be calm and relax, it brings up more stress, thinking of all the things that need to be done. Well, not today! Today we free up your floor! Work through the room, beginning at one corner and work clockwise. Remove everything off the floor. If you need the items in your living room make a home for them in a cabinet. If you don t have room, get them out of there! (If it is something that you use and want to keep, but need to clean a space out first, temporarily place it in a closet, spare room or garage. Take a look ahead in this guide and decide what area you need to put the item. Make a note on that day to pull said item out of storage once that space has been decluttered.) The living room is not a place to store many things; it should be limited to things that everyone in the home uses, and things that are used in that space. 1. Take the trash out and put donation items in your vehicle. 2. Sweep/mop or vacuum the floor. Living room floor completed? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions r Clear off end tables/coffee table 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 31

35 Day 8: Entertainment Center Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break Open up your entertainment center. Step as far back as you can and take a good look. Do you like what you see? How can it be improved? Things to think about: Do you have decorations here that you don t love? Do you need to cull movies, games and music you don t use? Do you have items that don t belong? Is there a better way to organize/hide the cords? Let s get started: 1. Have a donate box and garbage ready. 2. Remove everything from the shelves, one category at a time: decor, movies, music, games supplies, etc. 3. Wipe all surfaces, dust the TV. 4. Replace only what belongs there, asking yourself: Do I use this? Do I love this? 5. Consider placing all your DVDs and Blu-ray discs in a CD wallet like this: nourishingminimalism.com//how-to-organize-dvds (But only keep and store the ones you know you enjoy watching over and over! Cases can be recycled.) 6. Toss garbage and put donation items in a donate box. 7. If there are miscellaneous items that don t belong in the living room, put them where they belong. If they don t belong anywhere, ask yourself: Do I even need these? If they are important, make a place for them. If not get rid of them. Entertainment center done? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions r Clear off end tables/coffee table 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 32

36 Day 9: Living Room Shelves (Day 1) Morning Routine: r Wash breakfast dishes r Take a 5-minute break It s really best to limit the number of shelves in your house. Shelves, though attractive in magazines, aren t friends of an aspiring minimalist. Let s be realistic here: shelves draw clutter, like a magnet. If you are ready to be brave and let them go, it might take a few days longer to get through this book, but, it would be well worth it! Just sort 1 or 2 shelves every day, purging all the unused and unloved items you can. If you are letting go of the shelves: 1. Set up three boxes or bags, one for trash, one to donate, and one to put away. 2. Remove everything from one shelf at a time. 3. Evaluate: Does this item merit donation? Does it belong in the trash? Do I need it, but it belongs in another room? 4. Clean the shelf. If you are planning to keep the shelves: 1. Split the shelves evenly between today and tomorrow. If you have an abundance of shelving, take more days if necessary. Break it up into manageable tasks: 1 or 2 shelves per day until the entire unit is decluttered. In this case, you may be able to remove enough clutter that you can reduce the amount of shelves you have. 2. Remove everything from one shelf at a time. 3. Clean the shelf and replace only what belongs there: what you use and love. Once shelf is clean: 1. Toss garbage and put donation items in a box ready for the car. 2. If there are miscellaneous items that don t belong in the living room, put them where they belong. If they don t have a home, ask yourself why you are keeping them, and if you absolutely have to have them, then decide where they need to be to be useful. Shelves done? Check here r Evening Routine: r Wash dishes r Wipe off counters and stove r Wipe down sink r Put away shoes and coats r Clear couch, fluff cushions r Clear off end tables/coffee table 30 Days to a Clean & Organized Living Space NourishingMinimalism.com 33