Organizing expert Dorothy Breininger says we have all had to ignore the clutter in household areas sometimes. Then the clutter builds, resulting in unpleasant feelings, and then avoidance of the space. But we can make a plan to reclaim it that will ease our minds and KEEP it decluttered.
"In areas that have been ignored (especially if there are many). I ask myself, 'What is the area of biggest concern today and what can I do for 30 minutes to make headway or progress in that area?' "
Breininger advises working at the 30-minute-a-day level (or more if you choose) until an area of most concern has reached a point you can feel good about maintaining. But she says it's likely that will be the very area in which you'll still struggle against avoidance in the future. So at that point, don't move on yet - make a maintenance plan.
"In terms of advice about these feelings of avoiding a space - it is normal. We all do it. The question is, how much time do we let go by without doing anything about it? I ask my clients to discover their own pattern. Example: Messy bedroom? Client cleans it on Sunday. Every Sunday. On Monday, she leaves some of her clothes on the floor. Tuesday, she changes purses and leaves magazines sliding on the nightstand, on Wednesday, the hairspray and brush don't make it back in the drawers and so on. She's now okay with all of this because she knows that every Sunday, she's going to clean it back up again. That's just one way to make it work."
So when we finish decluttering a space that's been ignored, we must run, not walk, to our household chore plan and formally include a declutter of that space! See? We're all going to be sane yet!
We hope you'll join us in this thread, where we encourage each other to give our lovely homes a minimum of 15 minutes per day in declutter appointments. Last month, we were hummin', with 9 pages of home-rediscovering chat!