WEBVTT - Decluttering 101: Best-ever hacks to cut through the clutter 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:03.480 Hello, guys. It's Steph here, Steph the Mess, and I'm 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:07.160 taking a little break this week. I am just enjoying 0:00:07.160 --> 0:00:09.720 some family time and I think I had too much 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:12.080 fun out of health retreat because I've come back with 0:00:12.119 --> 0:00:14.680 a bit of a cold, so that's fun, and of 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:17.479 course I've decided to share with the family. So what 0:00:17.600 --> 0:00:19.759 I thought I would do is take you back to 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.239 a few popular episodes in Stepping Up, and this one 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:25.680 is very, very needed. This is all about de cluttering. 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:28.800 This is like my best deck cluttering framework and hacks 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:31.280 and tips one oh one. So we've done the heavy 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:33.560 lifting for you and this is everything that you need 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:37.360 to really just like cull and reset, especially at this 0:00:37.400 --> 0:00:39.479 time of year when I feel like everything gets a 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:41.720 little bit hot and heavy and not in the way 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:45.159 that we want. So I want to stop yapping and 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:48.239 first STARp it's three steps from chaos to clarity. Now, 0:00:48.320 --> 0:00:51.000 let's talk about organizing your home. This can be such 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:54.040 an overwhelming thought and a lot of us don't even 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:57.400 start because when you think of the house, it is huge. 0:00:57.440 --> 0:01:00.160 It's a whole house, and we don't all get you know, 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:03.160 Marie Condo popping in with the whole team to do 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:05.840 a Netflix show where they fix your house up in 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:09.360 a day. You know, we have priorities, jobs, kids, things 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:12.759 to do, and we can't possibly overhaul our whole house 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:14.720 in a day. And I think we do put a 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:17.000 lot of pressure on ourselves to do that, to think 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:18.959 we need to click our fingers and the whole house 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:21.560 needs to be perfect. And look, guys, as you know, 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:24.600 I am known for my organization. You guys call it stephing. 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:26.880 And I can tell you now even my house isn't 0:01:26.880 --> 0:01:30.160 fully staffed or organized because we are humans and things 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:33.319 happen in life, and that is okay. One big thing 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:35.720 I always preach is when you think of organization, I 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:38.200 don't want you to think of the whole house. I 0:01:38.200 --> 0:01:39.840 don't want you to think of the big picture. I 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:42.720 want you to think of that draw, that bench, that surface, 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:45.959 and that's how you're going to conduct it. But one 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:49.280 huge mistake a lot of people make when organizing is 0:01:49.280 --> 0:01:51.800 they go out and buy all these tubs and containers 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:53.760 before they even know what they're going to do with it. 0:01:53.760 --> 0:01:55.720 And then they get home and they realize they've got 0:01:55.760 --> 0:01:59.880 so much mess and clutter that they need to cull it. 0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:02.840 It really is quite simple. Clutter eagles mess. So the 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:06.040 less stuff you have, the less mess you're going to get. 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.080 And yes, the house is still going to get messy 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:10.400 every day. It needs to be lived in. People have children, 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:15.600 have pets, have ryan's. But it's all about having a 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:19.000 routine and it's all about upkeep. I always say organization 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:21.720 is like fitness. You know, you don't decide one day, okay, 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:23.240 I want to get fit. You go to the gym 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.359 for a few months, and then you finally do get 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:27.280 to a level of fitness you're happy with, and then 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:29.680 you stop and you stop going to the gym, stop 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:32.639 eating healthy. You can't do that because your fitness won't 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:35.840 be upkept. So it's the same with organization. You can't 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:38.560 just organize your house one day and think it's going 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.040 to stay that way. No, because unless you kick out 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:43.200 all the people in your house, it's not going to happen. 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:45.760 It's something that needs to become part of your daily 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:48.480 routine and rituals, and that is going to upkeep and 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:52.280 maintain the organization of your house. So when I organize 0:02:52.280 --> 0:02:54.880 any space, there's always three steps you want to do. 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:58.400 The first one is cull So this is obviously decluttering. 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.440 And again, you don't have to do the whole house. 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:05.640 I'm saying do a space at a time, So spend 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:08.920 five to ten minutes per day on a small space, 0:03:09.200 --> 0:03:14.040 start with the junk draw and cull that area. Now, 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.839 I know decluttering can be really hard, and I will 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.440 be doing a full episode on decluttering as well later on, 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:23.680 but it is necessary to do that. I've actually got 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:25.600 a free resource for you guys. It's been out for 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:27.600 a very long time and it's probably one of my 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:31.960 most downloaded resources, over like hundreds of thousands of people 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:35.360 have downloaded. It's called My Declutter Challenge. It's thirty days 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:37.400 and basically it's a small task I set for you 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:39.120 every day. So I will link it in the show 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:41.840 notes below, and it is really really helpful for you 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:44.680 just to break up the house. So let me know 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:46.880 if you guys do that, because it is really really helpful. 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:49.280 So let's say you're going to tackle the junk draw, 0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:51.840 so open it up, take everything out, and then you're 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:55.080 going to sort it into categories. So the categories you 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:57.720 use are going to depend on your space and your lifestyle. 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:01.000 For example, if you're doing categories for your pantry, it's 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:06.440 going to be things like oils and vinegars, spreads, cooking, baking, meal, kits, snacks, 0:04:06.760 --> 0:04:09.160 et cetera, et cetera. Whereas if you do it for 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:11.480 your linen closet, it could be things like flat sheets, 0:04:11.480 --> 0:04:15.600 fitted sheets, dinner covers, cushion covers, et cetera. So you're 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:17.400 going to put it into categories. So if something like 0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:20.200 the junk drawer, it could be things like keys, coins, 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:23.200 gift cards, things like that. And yes, it does get 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:25.080 worse before it gets better. You know when you like 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:28.200 decluttering your pantry or something and you're like half an 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:29.800 hour in and then you look around You're like, oh 0:04:29.800 --> 0:04:32.039 my god, what do I start this because there's shit everywhere. 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:34.680 Just remember it gets worse before it gets better. So 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:36.880 once you've done your categories, now you want to contain 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:39.840 slash storage, so you want to find storage for it. 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:42.960 So yes, but this is where you can measure up 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:45.200 your space and then you can go buy storage. But 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:47.640 you don't have to buy storage. Guys, look around your 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:50.599 house for things like baskets, tubs, containers that you've already 0:04:50.680 --> 0:04:53.440 got and you can use that. So things for like 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:56.839 your junk draw I love using a cutlery Cuddy because 0:04:56.920 --> 0:04:59.920 it separates everything in the drawer and look, it becomes 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:02.720 organized chaos over time. But again it's about the upkeep. 0:05:03.040 --> 0:05:05.479 So those three steps are going to be your holy 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:09.360 grail to organizing any space in your house cold, categorized, 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:13.520 storage or contain. Now, the next step is upkeep, and 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:15.800 this is all about your daily routine to keep it 0:05:16.080 --> 0:05:19.839 organized and keep the clutter at bay. So for me, 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:22.520 my biggest thing is doing things like my AM and 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.520 PM non negotiable. So these are things I have to 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:29.720 do morning and night to keep the house under order. Now, look, 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:32.640 if we've got a busy period just recently, I've just 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:36.800 gotten back from traveling and I'm busy recording all these podcasts, 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:39.240 I have an unpatched look. Life happens. And this isn't 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:43.960 about being perfect, Guys. Everything I share on my podcast 0:05:44.040 --> 0:05:47.240 is not about being perfect whatsoever. I'm not perfect. I'm 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:49.919 far from it. It's just about not feeling like a 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:52.280 slave to your home and your life. And that is 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:54.400 all I'm here to do to help you with. So 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:59.000 my AM routine consists of a few different categories. Can 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:01.279 you tell I love category? So we've got my health aspect, 0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:04.240 which is things like journaling, meditation, all the things, but 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:07.039 we also have the organization part of it. So in 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:08.920 the am, I'm doing things like getting the kids ready 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:11.120 for school, looking at the day ahead for the work week, 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:13.279 trying to get myself sorted to get out the door. 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:18.080 So some non negotiables for me is unstacking the dishwasher, 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:21.320 popping them away, cleaning up the kids breakfast, cleaning up 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:23.120 any toys, or getting them to help, which is a 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:24.920 big thing, getting the kids to help me put their 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:27.800 toys away in the morning, wiping down the benches, and 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:29.960 then checking my planner for the day ahead, which I 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:33.080 also do the night before, but I have the memory 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:34.919 of a goldfish, so I also need to do it 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:37.279 in the morning, so I'll check my planner make sure 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:40.120 no plans have changed. I also, just because I run 0:06:40.120 --> 0:06:41.800 a business, I jump on emails and make sure no 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:44.440 one's canceled any meetings and things like that. So that 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:47.480 is an example of my AM routine because that means 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:49.640 when I get home after work or when I get 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:51.880 back from dropping the kids off, the houses in order 0:06:51.960 --> 0:06:53.760 and I'm not spending the time I'm meant to be 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:57.640 doing other tasks cleaning up after everybody. Now, my PM 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:01.080 non negotiables is always one that will struggle with because 0:07:01.080 --> 0:07:02.760 you just don't feel like cleaning up at the end 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:04.280 of the day. And I get it, I really do. 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:06.919 But my biggest hack for that is set a timer 0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:09.880 for ten to fifteen minutes, just to ten. And if 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:11.720 you anything like me, you're gonna want to beat the 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:15.000 time and a cleanup because it becomes a challenge. So 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:17.680 what you do is you set your timer and you're like, Okay, 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:19.840 I'm going to get this house sorted and then I 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:21.920 can go to bed, or then I can binge some 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:24.920 true crime on Netflix. So set your timer, and for me, 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:29.040 I do things like spot, vacuum, dishwasher, clean up toys, 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:32.400 tidy up the lound room, wipe the benches, check my planner, 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:34.880 and then I can go to bed. And it honestly 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:38.840 really does help. So these AM and PM non negotiable 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:40.520 routines are going to help you with the day to 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:43.480 day the business of life. And then when it comes 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:46.600 to the ongoing decluttering of your home, this is when 0:07:46.640 --> 0:07:49.040 you just spend five minutes per day. If you see 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.320 a bench or a draw start to get cluttered again, 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:53.800 you just get stuck into it. It honestly will take you 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:56.080 a couple of minutes. Again, set a timer if you 0:07:56.120 --> 0:07:58.640 have to, but this will become a habit, just like 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:01.600 brushing your teeth, And for me now, just like going 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:03.280 to the gym, I don't even think about it. I 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:06.960 just go. Another thing that really really helps is having 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:09.480 a cleaning routine. And I feel like a lot of 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:12.640 us spend all the weekend just cleaning for the week ahead, 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:14.480 and you don't want to be spending your Saturday and 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:17.200 Sunday deep cleaning the bathroom, doing all the things. So 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:19.320 what's really good and what's helped me over the years 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:22.760 is having zones. So for example, I will clean one 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:25.200 part of the house per day. And look, this has 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:27.480 changed a lot for me over the years. Now I 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:29.280 can't afford a cleaner to help me with the deep 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.120 cleaning as well, and I just keep on top of 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:33.680 the maintenance. So if you are able to outsource that 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:35.760 help and get a cleaner, one hundred percent, do it. 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:38.640 But you still need to upkeep anyway during the week. 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:43.040 So for me, for example, Mondays could be kitchen, Tuesday's bedrooms, 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:47.679 Wednesday's lounge room, Thursday's entry away, and laundry etc. Etc. 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:50.240 So break it up and I have, of course a 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.480 staff pace planner cleaning magnet you can chuck on your fridge, 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:56.800 and this is so important. But getting your partner on 0:08:56.880 --> 0:08:59.079 board so you don't feel like you have to nag 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:00.720 them all the time. Last thing I want to do 0:09:00.800 --> 0:09:02.080 is have to nag Ryan and be like, can you 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:03.440 help me with this? Can you help me with that? 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:06.480 So if I've written it on the cleaning magnet, he 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:08.360 can see it. And yes, I do have to remind 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:10.480 him it's on the cleaning magnet, but at least it's there, 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:12.200 and at least I know what needs to be done 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:15.520 and we can tag team it. That was three steps 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:17.679 from chaos to clarity. Now we're tackling one of the 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:20.400 biggest decluttering challenges of all, which is how to de 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:23.240 clutter when you don't want to let go. I honestly 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:26.040 feel this because I still have a lot of random 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:28.680 jerseys from high school. So you're going through your shit, 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:31.120 You're going through all the stuff in your room or 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:34.400 wherever you're looking, and you just don't know if you 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:37.880 should keep something or not. Now, these are the key 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:41.760 questions that I ask myself for everything I go through 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:44.959 and these help me determine the answer. So the questions are, 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:47.560 if I saw this in a store, would I buy it? 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:52.440 Think about our taste, change, our styles, change, even just 0:09:52.679 --> 0:09:55.320 normal household items. If you saw it in a store, 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:56.839 would you buy it? And if the answer is no, 0:09:57.280 --> 0:10:00.760 get rid of it, donate it, sell it whatever. The 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:02.880 next question is have I used this in the last 0:10:02.920 --> 0:10:05.160 six months? Now. I know this can be a bit 0:10:05.160 --> 0:10:07.920 difficult because everyone thinks, oh, you never know that bloody 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:10.280 cake mixer I haven't used for five years. I might 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:12.280 need to make a cake one day. Oh you're not 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:14.280 going to You're going to go to Woolies and you're 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.520 going to go buy that really nice mud cake they 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:18.920 sell and you're going to use that. Okay, So if 0:10:18.960 --> 0:10:21.400 you haven't used it, get rid of it now. I 0:10:21.440 --> 0:10:23.760 know with clothes it's more like seasonal. So with that 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:26.480 I like to say every six to eight months. And 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.679 then with me because where we live it doesn't really 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:30.880 get super cold, so I do keep one really big 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:33.240 puffer jacket, but everything else I don't need a lot 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:36.800 of things for that. So just be honest with yourself. Now, 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:39.320 the next question is does this add value to my 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:43.720 life or not? If it doesn't, then it's clutter. So 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:47.359 if that fifth batchela doesn't give value to your life, 0:10:47.720 --> 0:10:52.000 it's clutter, all right. Obviously we need things like spoons 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:54.600 and knives and forks, but you don't need all this 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:59.160 excess of stuff. We just always have such an excess. Honestly, 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:01.800 I cannot tell you how much easier it is when 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:05.040 you have less stuff. Again, it's less cleaning. Now. The 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:07.760 next question is there somebody in my life that would 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.400 get more use out of this than me? So, for example, 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:12.920 my cousin, she just moved out, she moved into a 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:16.559 new home. That fifthspatula she could probably use that. I'll 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:20.000 give it to her. I don't need five done. And 0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:22.439 the last thing, if you're just really not sure, if 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:25.559 it's not a yes, like straightaway yes, then it's a no. 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:27.840 Now I want to move on to more of the 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:31.720 emotional stuff because those questions don't especially apply to things 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:34.240 that are a bit more emotional, things that maybe we're 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:36.920 given to you as a gift. The kids drawing things 0:11:36.960 --> 0:11:38.760 like that, the kids could literally I remember when the 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:40.640 kids started drawing and they draw like a line on 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:42.160 a piece of paper, and I was like, oh my god, 0:11:42.200 --> 0:11:45.840 she's Percasso like. But you can't keep everything. But there 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:48.120 is a way that we can do things a bit differently, 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:51.640 so you can keep it, but you're not really keeping it. 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:54.040 So I want to get into that now. Now this 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:55.880 is really about being smart, so I want you to 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:59.760 look into your storage situation. Firstly, this depends on how 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:02.640 your home is, how much space you have. We'll start 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.600 with the kids' artwork as an example. Kids art work. 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:08.800 Every day I get like twenty pieces of art, especially Willow. 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:12.120 She loves drawing. It's so cute. So I had to 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:15.360 have tubs for the girls. They're the suspension file holders. 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:18.000 I'll make sure I link a blog or something below 0:12:18.000 --> 0:12:19.880 for you guys who can see, and then I have 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:23.600 them labeled for like daycare, the year, kindy, one, two, three, 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:26.040 bah blah blah blah. So that was working really well. 0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:28.640 Now if your kid is like Willow and does a 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:30.440 lot of art, and you don't really have space for 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:33.120 a couple of tubs because those tubs generally that will 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:36.240 probably become at least two or three, then some other 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:39.280 option is you can scan them and keep digital copies 0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:42.439 of them, so you've got them digitally. You can make 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:44.840 them into a photo book. There's all these photo books 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:46.400 that you guys see. You guys know, if you've been 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:48.480 following me for a while, I use chat books for 0:12:48.559 --> 0:12:51.160 our photo albums. I know. There's so many different brands' 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:52.720 is like Once upon a Time and things like that. 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:56.079 People will literally scan them and make them into photo books, 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:58.840 which is such a good idea. Some people will scan 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:01.440 them and then make them into artwork, like brands that 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:03.600 will make them into a piece of art on the wall. 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:06.120 There's so many things you can do with it. So 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:08.679 those are some options that also can be if you 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:12.000 get a lot of letters, any of those types of things. Again, 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:14.120 it is always just a good idea to keep things 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:16.600 digital as well in case like something ever happens. It's 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:18.640 just a good idea to scan things. So I've got 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:20.520 a letter from my nand which I literally have in 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:23.320 a frame and it's so important to me, and I 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:26.400 scan it and have that on my computer just in case. Now, 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:27.680 I want you to think, if it is a gift 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.720 from someone, it obviously depends on the situation, but just 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:33.160 don't feel obligated to keep it because it's a gift. 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:34.640 At the end of the day, if you're not going 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:37.040 to see it, and it depends what it is. Again, 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:40.600 everything's different. You can always take a photo of it 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:42.400 and keep it like that, so you've always got a 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:45.000 memory of it, But just don't feel obligated because it's 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:47.280 a gift. Because all of the time people keep things 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:50.240 because of guilt. You feel guilty. That's why we don't 0:13:50.240 --> 0:13:52.640 get rid of things because you feel guilty or it's 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:55.360 attached to a memory. So that leads on to my 0:13:55.440 --> 0:14:00.400 next point, that is, remember that these are things, not memories. Now, 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:03.360 if it's like a hairloom or something really special from 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:06.320 like your Nan or whatever, of course keep it's really precious. 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:08.679 You put it in like a cabinet, But just remember 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:10.800 not every like just because you're getting rid of it, 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:12.520 doesn't mean you're getting rid of that memory. That memory 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:14.800 is with you forever. You know. I'm sure you have 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:18.080 photos of that event all that time, and it is 0:14:18.160 --> 0:14:22.640 an item, it's not the memory itself. Now, some options 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:24.360 you can do again is like I said, take photos 0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:26.480 of the items, or if there's a lot of them, 0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:29.480 like if there's multiple items, keep one thing from that 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:32.840 event or whatever. So like for me when Nan passed away, 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:34.280 I did get a lot of stuff, but there's a 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:35.720 lot of stuff we had to share around, so I 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:37.920 took photos of them so I've got them in my heart, 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:41.120 you know. And now weird things like baby clothes, you 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:43.640 could do something like for me, I have a thing 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:45.400 with baby clothes. I can't up myself. I know some 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:48.240 people get their first outfit framed. That'd be super cute. 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:50.120 Another thing you can do is get a vacuum bag. 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:52.480 Let's be honest. Look, I do this, but the only 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:54.280 time I'll probably over open them again is if they're 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:56.200 really old, like the kids is like pro teenagers, and 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:57.480 I just want to bring them out, but I probably 0:14:57.520 --> 0:14:59.640 will never open them unless my friends have babies. But 0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:02.240 these are the items from them that really does spark 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:05.120 that memory. So I just kept one thing, so I 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.320 tried to really reduce it and then I kept it 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:10.440 in a vacuum bag, which really seals it up. If 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:14.280 you guys want a full episode on like storage hacks 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:16.360 and things like that, let me know because I have 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:19.080 so much storage hacks I can give you that will 0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:21.760 really really help. Now I want to recap that really 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:24.560 fast to do with the emotional stuff, So number one, 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:27.000 look into your storage situation, because that's going to determine 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:30.440 how much you can keep. Number two, store things digitally 0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:33.320 if you can, or think outside the box, get them 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:37.160 made into a book, artwork, things like that. The next 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.000 point is, if it's a gift from someone, don't feel 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:41.680 obligated to keep it. It's up to you. You'll know 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:44.320 what's right, not even right, You'll just know what's right 0:15:44.360 --> 0:15:47.400 for you. And just remember that these are things, they're 0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:50.880 not memories themselves. Take photos of the item so you 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:53.040 don't have to actually keep the item. And if you 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:56.440 have multiple things, then just choose one thing. Now. The 0:15:56.480 --> 0:15:59.680 biggest trick with decluttering that you've listened to this episode, 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:01.880 you like, I want to do this when I did clutter. 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.800 Focus on your emotional items first because they're hard. But 0:16:05.200 --> 0:16:07.560 the biggest thing you need to do is make sure 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:10.200 you upkeep it. You can't do clutter ones and it 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:12.200 stays that way. Does not work like that. You have 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:14.000 to keep at it every day. It's like cleaning the house. 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:16.280 It's like fitness, like I always say, you can't get fit, 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:18.040 and then you sit on the couch forever and then 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.320 you're done. Now it doesn't work like that. Love, Sorry, 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:23.360 you got to keep going. So every day, any space 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:25.200 in your home that you start to see gets cluttered, 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:27.160 spend like a couple of minutes just fixing it up. 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:30.200 So for us at the moment, we've always found that 0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:32.560 the junk draw At the moment, we have a junk 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:34.640 tub because we don't have enough drawls in this house. 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:36.240 We have like a bit of a basket I bought 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:38.520 from Amazon. I have to go to that every three 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:42.240 weeks because it gets so full. Kids' bedroom once a 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:45.600 week because Willow brings home all this random shit. It's 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:47.840 all about the upkeep. So every day literally, if you 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:50.880 can just spend five minutes a day, it's going to 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.280 really really help. And also just being really mindful of 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:55.400 what you're bringing into the house. I like to have 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:57.200 a rule if you're bringing something in, get rid of 0:16:57.240 --> 0:17:00.320 something now, don't forget to use the Golden Red source, 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.360 which is the thirty Day de Clutter Challenge. I'll link 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:04.159 it below because that will change your life and make 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:07.439 it so much easier for you. It is honestly just 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:09.840 something that's like really good to go off. Something you 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:11.520 can do every day and tick it off as you go, 0:17:11.560 --> 0:17:13.879 and then your house will be done. You're listening to 0:17:13.960 --> 0:17:16.919 the best hacks and tips of my decluttering episodes, and 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:19.000 we looked at how to create clarity and how to 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:21.640 let go of the things holding us back. Now, let's 0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:24.280 finish with some practical tips from eight hacks to keep 0:17:24.280 --> 0:17:27.200 a tidy home and stay sane. So the first tip 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:29.360 or rule that you want to do to upkeep your 0:17:29.359 --> 0:17:32.280 home is don't put it down, put it away. And 0:17:32.320 --> 0:17:33.680 now don't want to roll your eyes with this, because 0:17:33.720 --> 0:17:35.280 I'm sure you've heard of it before, but this is 0:17:35.320 --> 0:17:39.359 something that when I'm really exercising this rule, the house 0:17:39.440 --> 0:17:42.200 is so much cleaner. Now. Some examples of don't put 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:44.320 it down, put it away is when you get home 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:46.840 and you take your jacket off or your jump up, 0:17:46.880 --> 0:17:48.560 don't check it on the bed, hang it up, or 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:51.560 usually wear again. Hook. Yeah, you wear again. Hook is 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:52.840 the best. If you guys don't know what it is, 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:55.240 it's basically command hook. And this is the hook for 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:57.159 clothes that are too clean to gone the wash, but 0:17:57.240 --> 0:17:58.760 too dirty to go back in your wardrobe and you 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:00.640