Happy new year, dear friends!! Did you have a wonderful holiday season? Did you travel, or did loved ones come to you? We hosted Christmas at our home and I loved every minute of it! My sister, niece, and nephew stayed with us from December 23- January 1. We had an entire week of fun, laughter, and good times! Her children and my kids have grown up together, even though we have never lived in the same state. Sadly, like all good vacations, theirs came to an end- and so did the holiday décor in our home. Once everything was packed and put away, I felt the need to deep clean and declutter EVERYTHING! Do you feel that way when you pack up your Christmas decorations? Today I want to share how to declutter your home in 30 days!
Step One to Declutter Your Home in 30 Days
So, yeah, the picture above is evidence that I am the kind of girl that goes all out with holiday décor! I like every room to embrace the holiday spirit with signs, décor, pillows- you name it, I am sure I have it! Taking down all of the décor makes living spaces seem bigger again, and I love how fresh everything feels. I also love starting the new year with things clean and organized and free of clutter. But with a husband, kids, and career, clutter certainly finds its way into our home and seems to have a harder time leaving it! The best way to start to declutter your home is to develop a plan for decluttering that will work for you and your family.
In our family, I know that I am more likely to be successful with a plan that is broken into small chunks. Three teenagers keep us busy, and committing full afternoons to cleaning/decluttering just will not always work. So I developed a plan that has me doing a little bit each day. It is realistic for me to commit to small tasks- ones that will take 30 minutes or less- each day. And because I believe flexibility is a must when committing to anything, I know that if I miss a 30 minute task one day I can foreseeably make it up the next day without falling too far behind. My 30 day plan looks like this:
Step Two to Declutter Your Home in 30 Days
Once you have developed your plan, set small goals for yourself to keep you motivated to stick with the plan! These can be simple, non-monetary rewards, or you can create rewards that may cost some money (within your budget, of course) and you find them worthwhile. Simple, non-monetary rewards might include:
- A 30 minute bubble bath
- A kid-free trip to the store
- A massage from your spouse or significant other
Rewards that cost a couple of dollars include:
- A pedicure
- A massage from a professional
- Hiring a babysitter for one hour to allow for “you time”
While a month seems to pass so quick, 30 days of a cleaning challenge can seem endless- especially in the beginning. I like to set weekly goals. For example, if I complete all of the tasks for seven days in a row, I earn a reward! I alternate between non-monetary rewards and small monetary rewards. For this challenge, when I complete the first seven days, I get a foot massage from my daughter (she gives the BEST massages!). After completing day 14 of the challenge, I get a pedicure. (YES!) On day 21, I am going to enjoy 30 uninterrupted minutes in a spa bath, and after completing all 30 days I will get a one hour massage! Okay, my incentives are in place! Are you in?
Step Three to Declutter Your Home in 30 Days
The third and final step to decluttering your home in 30 days is to decide that you are worth this challenge, and your home is worth this challenge. So even if you do not complete the challenge in 30 days, keep going- and complete it at your own pace! Life happens, and sometimes we have the best of intentions, but things beyond our control can prevent us from doing things when we want to. If you fall a couple of days or even a couple of weeks behind, that is okay! The most important thing is the effort you make to bring happiness to your life. Your 30 day declutter challenge might become a 60 or 75 day challenge and that is okay! It does not matter how long it takes you to complete the challenge, as long as you complete it. And your house will look and feel amazing afterward!
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Review of the Three Steps to Declutter Your Home in 30 Days
It’s a new year and time to create new goals for our homes and for ourselves! After a very busy holiday season, it is normal to feel our homes have been taken over by “stuff”. So let’s take on a 30 day decluttering challenge- are you ready?! Let’s review the three simple steps to declutter your home in 30 days:
- Develop a plan for decluttering your home that will work for you
- Create incentives to reward yourself as you make progress in decluttering your home
- Allow yourself flexibility, and move at your own pace
Here, again, is the 30 day decluttering challenge I created for my home this new year:
Removing the clutter from your home does not need to be scary and overwhelming! Take small steps toward your goal and you will totally be proud of your work!
So what goals are you hoping to accomplish in 2018? While decluttering my home is a big one, I have another significant personal goal for 2018 and that is to complete the half marathon I am running on February 25 and NOT DIE! Lol! I am exaggerating, of course, but this thirteen week training plan has faced one derailment after another through this holiday season… but that is a story for another day! I will run it, and I will live to tell the tale!
What goals are you ready to conquer in 2018? Be sure to share in the comments!
Is your pantry a scary place? Do you find yourself wanting to cry or curl up into a ball when you visit your kitchen pantry? That was me- until last summer! I finally got that beast under control! Check out the transformation here!
Happy new year, friends! Here’s to smashing our goals in 2018!
