Preparing Your Life for a Fresh New Year

Show of hands, who is not guilty of sentimental hoarding? Yeah, right. We are all hoarders to some extent. The idea of living a simple life with less to clean, less to organize, and less stress may sound so appealing but not so practical. 

Before I discovered the benefits of decluttering my home and by extension, decluttering my life, I’d often feel anxious and overwhelmed by the idea. However, preparing your life for a fresh new year makes you freer and more focused on bigger goals. It all begins with ridding your home of unnecessary stuff. You can donate some of this stuff or sell them and make some quick money for emergencies.

Decluttering the Kitchen

When I finally embarked on a decluttering project, it didn’t take me long to realize what a huge job it is. Took me a few days to wrap everything up. A practical strategy would be to work on one room at a time and you have covered the entire home. I started with the kitchen. 

This job doesn’t require any fancy tools, but you will need at least four containers for different items. Label the containers as store away, donate, fix/mend, and trash. Any item that is not in its designated place should go to the first basket, to be stored away later. 

Any items, be it a lovely coffee mug or searching that you no longer use goes to the bin marked donate. Someone out there might need it. Alternatively, you can still sell it for a good amount. In the third container, toss any item that requires some mending and fixing and which you want to keep. Use the trash bin for anything and everything trash. These should go to the main trash bin immediately.

Working on the Bedroom(s)

Next work on your bedroom. The last thing you want is something negotiating like an unmade bed staring at you. Bed made, now work on your nightstand, dresser, chest, and drawers. Remove every outdated medication, packets of toiletries, and bottles of cosmetics. Using your labeled containers, put everything according to their order. Trash, for litter, donate for items to be given away, fix for those that need repairs eg, a broken bedside lamp, and put away for items that will be stored later. Strange and organize every surface and put everything in the right places.

Next, tackle your closest. This is perhaps the hardest part if you are a serial hoarder. However, your purpose of decluttering should motivate you to resist the urge to stuff everything back into your closet again. Take a deep breath. Bring the four label containers for this task and start with your shoes, then boots, then denim, then dresses, and so forth. 

Old and worn-out items that are beyond mending goes to the trash bin. Dresses and shoes that no longer fit but are still in good condition go to the donation basket. Someone out there could use them. Put clothing items that have crept out of their specific places in the put-away container, to be ironed, folded, or hanged later. Lastly, collect every piece of dirty laundry and throw them in the laundry hamper to be laundered later.

In your bedroom, anything that’s outdated, be it medications or toiletries goes to the trash bin and dirty clothes to the laundry hamper. Keep what you can still use and discard every empty bottle, packet, or tube. Use the same strategy for the living room, guest bedroom, and every corner of your home till you have decluttered the entire house.

There now your home is neat and organized with minimum items in their rightful places. Complete the job with general cleaning of your entire home for better results. 

The Exterior

Still, starting a new year with a creaking door, a faulty drainage system, or a worn-out roof is not going to be so exciting, is it? Giving your life and home a total makeover entails every detail like repairs and renovations. Have your plumber fix that dripping tap or clogged sink. Make sure everything in and around the house is in good working condition so you can enter a new chapter of your life with less stress and frustration.

Maybe your roof has not been renovated in years. This is the time to paint or completely replace it to give your home an enhanced aesthetics.  With a modest budget, you can get a reasonable quote from your local residential roofing company and still have something left to give yourself a treat and wrap up the year.

Self Care

So finally everything is perfect and you are ready to face the new year on a fresh note, leaving 2020 and its baggage behind. However, your transformation is not complete because, well, you have forgotten to work on another important item; you. Yeah, you need some care and makeover as well. A vacation would be perfect but not necessary especially in these covid 19 times. 

How about treating yourself to a total body makeover? Like getting a head to toe pampering complete with a new hairdo, new manicure, and pedicure, and full body massage? That will surely do you some good. That and a special gift, just for you. Whatever has been holding you from getting yourself that cool perfume you’ve been wanting for so long? Time to let go and spoil yourself just this once. Start the year smelling better and lovelier. You will not only like it, you will definitely love it. 

So now, those are my ideas on how to declutter your home and I hope you find them insightful. You can also share any ideas you believe can be added to these to start your year on a fresh note. What are your thoughts and suggestions? Please share them in the comments section below. So eager to hear them.

Disclaimer

Unfortunately, some clients won’t pay up, and articles have to end up in this category. Articles take time to create and develop into an idea. This is a wake up call to all clients who run with freelancers pay. Here are some more Preparing Your Life for a Fresh New Year, Reno Content, Rona Content, Lowe Content, Little Known Facts about Scarlett Johansson.