The longer a person lives in one place, the more he accumulates unnecessary things: cute souvenirs, equipment boxes, old things that should be thrown out for a long time, and other garbage that “may come in handy.” The well-known blogger Leo Babauta, propagandizing minimalism as a way of life, also suffered from this harmful habit – to save up houses of the mountains of rubbish, but he managed to get rid of it. Read his advice on how to “insult” your home and why everyone should do this.
One of my favorite habits, which I have gained since I changed my life nine years ago, is keeping the house in order without accumulating rubbish. Now I understand that I always hated clutter, but I did not allow myself to think about it, because such thoughts were unpleasant.
The thought of having to clean up so much just frightened me, and I always found some things or suddenly felt tired – in general, procrastinated.
But then I decided to get rid of the trash after all; gradually, one heap of things at a time, began to clean the house, and everything turned out. It was just a discovery, mainly because I had no idea that I could do it until I did it. What is even more amazing and beautiful is that, along with the trash from my life, irritation and devastation have gone away.
That is, bringing order in the house meant not only cleanliness, but also a peaceful life in the spirit of minimalism. Now I spend less time cleaning, maintaining order and even finding the right things. I spend less money on things and store less things. Almost do not get attached to things.
Here is a little guide for everyone who wants to get rid of the rubbish in the house for a long time. Of course, this process will not be instantaneous, and even quick it can not be called – months can pass before your house gets rid of junk. But if you do everything right, the process itself will be fun and fun, and ultimately it will lead you to inner freedom and empowerment.
1. Start small
The mountains of trash can be simply stunning, and so we postpone his raking “for later”, which never comes. The best thing I’ve come up with is to concentrate on one small point of the house and start with it.
A good example is a kitchen set, table or shelf. Clear everything at the intended point, leave only what is really needed. Gently put the necessary things back, and sort the rest. Something has to be thrown out, something – to give or sell. Sorting will take you only 10 minutes, and give things that you do not need, you can later.
2. Disassemble in parts
So, you have cleared a small part of the house from the trash. Excellent, you will feel pride in yourself and the pleasure of doing it. But what about the rest of the house? He is still stuffed with trash. Give this lesson 10 minutes a day or more, if enthusiasm wakes up.
If you have free time at the weekend, you can do a big piece of work and clean up a lot more than on weekdays. If there is a desire, you can even spend all the weekend to rake up the trash.
3. Use a simple method
Fold all the things from one part of the house, for example from all the drawers of the table, into one pile. Extract from this heap one thing and ask yourself: “I love her? Use it? “. If not, then boldly throw it away. The main thing – do not postpone the decision for later.
If the answer is “yes,” find a certain place for her, her “home”. If you love a thing or you really need it, it deserves to get its place, to which you will return it every time after use.
As soon as you decide on one thing, get the next one and repeat all over again. If you work quickly and quickly to make decisions, you can sort a bunch of things in 10 minutes (of course, if this pile is not huge).
4. Put it in the trunk immediately
Things that are no longer needed, must leave your home as soon as possible. To do this, fold them into the bag and into the trunk of the car. If you do, you throw it away or give it to someone. If there is no car, put the bags with unnecessary things next to the door, so do not forget to throw them out.
5. Talk to your relatives (cohabitants)
If you live with other people, they will be surprised when you start to get rid of junk. You should talk to them before starting. Explain why you are doing this, and let them also participate in making decisions about things.
Do not pressure or persuade, try to talk, tell, perhaps, to show this article. If they do not agree, it’s okay. Take away your personal trash, only your things, and show them the result. Perhaps, when they see all the benefits, they will agree to change.
6. Track your resistance
In the process of getting rid of junk, you will most likely have internal resistance. Even if you do not use the thing, when the time comes to get rid of it, there may be a strong reluctance to do it.
For example, it could be a photo of a loved one, a gift from a family member, memorabilia from a wedding or a trip, or something else. It’s amazing how we connect objects with memories and love for other people.
In fact, in these useless things there is no love – it is inside you. So getting rid of junk, leaving only feelings inside, is a useful practice.
7. Enjoy the process
If you start to perceive the disposal of trash as another boring homework, there will be no progress. With a high degree of probability, you will come up with excuses to get rid of this optional routine.
Instead, consider getting rid of rubbish as a process of liberation, a step towards inner fullness and clarity. Smile while sorting and throwing away unnecessary things, focus on breathing, on your body, on your movements, on your feelings about things that you take apart. This is a useful practice, and I recommend doing this to each person.
These steps will not help you get rid of junk for one weekend. But you can enjoy the process itself, until you completely get rid of the trash and your house will not be transformed. You will love these changes as much as I love them.
