back to archiveHappy Uncluttered New Year
Article by Heather Chilvers, Sales Representative, Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty
Welcome to the year 2016, and as the saying goes, you may not be able to change the beginning but you can make a new ending. One of the ways you can make room for new things, hobbies, relationships, successes, is by letting go of anything that is no longer serving you.
Sounds a bit daunting, but January and February tend to be a little cash strapped and socially quiet, so you could begin by using your spare time to declutter your living space. You will amazed how good it feels to let go of things you no longer need.
Some tasks will be bigger than others, don’t overwhelm yourself. Break it down into tasks that take 15/30/45/60 mins and set a timer. If you have someone to help you - so much the better.
Some days you will be too busy or tired to take on these tasks, other day’s you will feel up for an hour! It doesn’t matter either way, as long as it gets done. Some tasks will be more difficult, so mix it up by doing a difficult one, and the next time rewarding yourself by doing an easy one.
By the way if you are thinking of moving, or putting your home on the market, this is a great way to get started.
Day 1: Smartphone
Delete apps you don’t need and sort remaining apps into folders (e.g.: games, weather, travel.)
Day 2: Brochures
Printed materials you pick up at tourist attractions or information centers, telephone directories, go out of date quickly, and will almost certainly be available online anyway.
Day 3: Socks
Get rid of any lone socks, hose with holes, or feel uncomfortable on your feet, stockings or pantyhose with ladders/wrong size or strange color
Day 4: Email inbox
Go through all your accumulated messages and delete them, answer them, or file them in an appropriate file. Don’t have any email files? Create them now.
Day 5: Make-up
Purge old, expired or clumpy cosmetics, you know which one’s they are!
Day 6: Books
Look over your shelves and see if any titles stand out as ones you’ll never read again, if you can’t bear to be without them down load them on to your kindle or I pad.
Day 7: Medications/toiletries
Check for expired pills, creams, inhalants, shampoo, body lotion, sunscreen, perfume, rule of thumb, toss anything over 2 years old.
Day 8: Batteries
Properly dispose of any that have died.
Day 9: Pens
Test them all and get rid of ones that don’t write, sharpen broken pencils and crayons.
Day 10: Takeout menus
These, too, are almost all available online.
Day 11: Food
Go through your fridge and toss out anything moldy, expired, or – if you’re in a healthy mood – bad for you. Also your cupboards for expired dry goods and cans.
Day 12: Shoes
Round up ill-fitting shoes for donation, and throw out any pairs that are seriously damaged.
Day 13: Clothes
If organizing your clothes sounds too intense for one day, declutter one shelf, one rail or sort through just your dresses or tops.
Day 14: Junk drawer
Sometimes you have to declutter the clutter and organize the junk drawer.
Day 15: Tech
Clean out any old busted headphones, mystery power cords or remote controls, manuals for appliances you no longer own, and so on. Store current ones in labelled old cardboard toilet roll centers.
Day 16: Magazines
Unless you’re saving them because they’re very special, recycle them. And if you are saving them, consider ripping out the one article you want rather than hanging on to the whole magazine. Or scan it and store it in your computer. Hospitals, old people homes, and anywhere with a waiting room, love magazines in good condition. Consider donating them.
Day 17: Mugs and glasses, plates and baking tins
If they’re cracked, ugly, or mismatched or never used, ask yourself if you will ever use them or fix them. If not, away they go.
Day 18: Towels
Toss any old, ratty towels out of your linen closet, vets offices love these, for use with their post care animals..
Day19: Handbags (or wallets or suitcases)
Check the insides for wrappers, old receipts, and hardened sticks of gum. And if you come across any bags you’ve outgrown, donate them. Check you haven’t tucked some money into one of the pockets!
Day 20: Bills
Are you saving cable bills from 10 years ago? Shred them, ask the companies to send you online paper free billing..
Day 21: Birthday cards or other old, unused gifts
Free yourself of things you’re only keeping out of a sense of obligation.
Day 22: Toys
If your children or pets have grown bored with them, throw them out or pass them on.
Day 23: Social media
Are you following abandoned Twitter accounts that never tweet? Are you Facebook “friends” with people you don’t want to deal with? Take a few minutes to digitally detach yourself.
Day 24: Checkbook
Make sure it’s balanced and remove any ATM receipts you’ve stashed in the cover.
Day 25: Notebooks
Love scribbling notes on paper? Make sure no brilliant ideas are hiding in your collection of old notebooks. Then, plan to use one notebook until it’s used up before moving on to the next.
Day 26: Broken things
That thing that just doesn’t work and can’t be repaired? Make this the day you drag it out to the trash bin.
Day 27: Containers and lids
Any that don’t match up can go.
Day 28: Cleaning products
Check for empty bottles and products you’re not going to use.
Day 29: Loose change
Collect all the coins that hiding in your coat pockets and junk drawer and put them all in one container. Take them to the bank machine and put them into your current account.
Day 30: Hats, scarves, gloves and swimsuits
If you didn’t wear them last year or if you’ve already worn them out, you don’t need them around.
Remember out with the old and in with the new. Every time you bring a new item into the house, an old one should go out in it’s place. Have fun, and I hope year 2016 is a good one for you, and brings you everything you are looking for!
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Heather Chilvers is amongst Coldwell banker Bermuda Realty’s Leading Sales Representatives. She has been working in Real Estate for over 27 years. If you have a question for Heather, please contact her at hchilvers@brcl.bm or 332 1793. All questions will be treated in confidence.
