De-cluttering the house, sorting and getting rid of the superfluous does a world of good. In fact, I see it as a form of therapy in itself. Indeed, the benefits of a decluttered interior are numerous. You save space, your home is easier to clean and tidy, you’re less stressed, you get to know yourself better, and so on. But unfortunately, the sheer size of the task discourages many people!

That’s why I’ve drawn up a yearly and perpetual schedule for de-cluttering the house, little by little.

SMALL STEPS
There are two ways to declutter your home, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:

the “small steps” approach, which has the advantage of being gradual, but takes time;
the “all at once” school, which produces visible results quickly but requires a lot of energy over a very short period of time.

Personally, I have no preference. I can adapt to both methods according to my needs or certain criteria. For example, if I have a heavy workload, I’ll opt for small steps. Conversely, if I have a lot of time, I’ll prefer to do more at once. But it also depends on my state of mind, my motivation, whether I have help or not, and so on.

One thing’s for sure: when a goal seems insurmountable, I break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Otherwise, I panic or procrastinate! When the steps to be taken are well-defined and broken down into smaller chunks, the scale of the task doesn’t seem so gigantic. This reassures me and motivates me. It’s a bit like when the fog clears, revealing a clearer path that’s easier to follow.

THE DECLUTTERING SCHEDULE
To dispel the fog I imagine in your eyes, I’d like to introduce you to a concrete tool based on the method of small steps: the decluttering schedule. This schedule will help you declutter your home throughout the year. It contains small tasks that are quick to carry out and easy to fit into your already busy daily routine.

I’ve defined a decluttering mission for each day of the year. But you don’t have to wait until January 1st of next year to start decluttering. The idea is to do a little each day, without pressure. And at the same time, if you start today, you’ll get results faster than if you wait until tomorrow.

This schedule has therefore been designed so that you can start your decluttering at any time of the year. In fact, it’s not dated. I have, however, left a blank space in front of each mission. This allows you to write the day corresponding to the date of the month. It’s easier to find your way around.

DECLUTTERING MISSIONS
I’ve divided up the decluttering missions throughout the year according to the seasons and certain key events that often require us to sort through our wardrobes. I’m thinking of events such as vacations, sales, back-to-school, the festive season and so on.

No matter where the clutter lurks, all categories of items are covered. Here are just a few:

clothing
shoes
fashion accessories
books
papers,
school and office equipment,
toys,
childcare equipment,
decorative items,
household linen,
leisure equipment,
sports equipment,
vacation equipment,
foodstuffs,
kitchen items,
bathroom items,
household products,
souvenirs,
and much more.

HOW DO I USE THE SCHEDULE?
Some tasks are recurring. I’m thinking in particular of children’s clothes. Children grow up so fast that it’s necessary to sort their clothes every season. Obviously, if you don’t have any children of your own, I’d advise you to replace the categories that concern them. You can replace them with a category that you tend to procrastinate or that takes longer to sort, such as photos or hobbies, for example.

I’ve also set aside special days for emptying the “For Donation” and “For Sale” boxes, and taking them to the waste disposal center if necessary. These days also recur twice a month.

As the schedule is not dated, it’s possible that an assignment falls on a day that doesn’t suit you at all. For example, today’s mission is to go to the waste collection center, but unfortunately it’s closed. But don’t worry, you can switch days and adapt the schedule to suit your daily routine. And to keep an eye on what’s already been done, simply tick the “Done?” box as soon as you’ve completed the mission.

Then, to avoid burning out or catching up, I’ve added a free day every 15 days. Ain’t life grand?

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED?
I know that a big part of a successful decluttering project is motivation. And one way to stay motivated is to receive support. That’s why, as with the Minsgame, I’m suggesting that you share your progress in a photo or story on Instagram by tagging me. This will enable me to follow and encourage you! What’s more, I’ll certainly be joining you from time to time, as I always have little things to sort out…

CONFINEMENT
I hadn’t anticipated the containment situation, but while we’re at it, let’s talk about it!

There are several solutions for storing items to be decluttered while waiting for containment to end. You can store items to be sold or donated in a separate room. The cellar or garage can be a back-up solution. So can the trunk of your car.

Make a note on your boxes of what’s inside, who it’s for and whether it’s for sale or donation.

You can also place all your ads on online sales or donation sites. Don’t forget to indicate that delivery will take place once containment is complete.