I love New Year’s Resolutions. The thing is, I don’t understand why people wait until January 1st to make positive changes in their lives. I’m the type who makes resolutions all year long. If I feel I’m spending too much, I tighten the purse strings right away. If I’m feeling unhealthy, I start working out more and eating better…doesn’t matter if it’s July or January.
One thing that makes me feel good is feeling organized. I’ll admit, I’m not the most organized person, but I definitely would not classify myself as “unorganized”. I also HATE clutter. I attribute this to my parents being total clutterbugs. I never understood how people could hang on to things they don’t use or don’t like…simply because they think they may use it one day. Newsflash! You will never use that broken laundry basket. You don’t need seven brooms or eight cat food dishes. Sigh. GET RID!
While perusing one of my favourite sites, Popsugar, I came across this great list to whip your life into shape. It’s timely too as so many of us opt to make positive changes in our lives at the start of a new year.
So here goes…100 ways to declutter your life and start 2016 off right! Side note: is “declutter” a word?? “Unclutter”? That better? Lol!
- The other side of a pair of lost earrings
- Scraps of wrapping paper
- Cards people have given you with no sentimental value
- Receipts you don’t need
- Ticket stubs
- Socks with holes
- Old t-shirts
- Dried flowers (I HATE dried flowers. #sorrynotsorry)
- Magazines
- CDs
- Hair elastics that have lost stretchiness
- Hair accessories you don’t use
- Shoes that don’t fit or that you don’t wear
- Little knickknacks (designate a bowl and fill it)
- Cooking utensils you have two of
- Tired bras
- Scarves you never wear
- Clothes that don’t fit (this is such a biggie – GET RID)
- Gifts you don’t like
- Old towels
- Old makeup (do your skin a favour – pitch old cosmetics)
- Old toiletries
- Old or unused hangers
- Expired or sample-sized toiletries
- Extra buttons
- Expired sauces
- Toys your pets don’t play with
- Expired medication
- Dried-up nail polish
- Bills you don’t need to keep
- Old paperwork
- DVDs you don’t watch
- Snacks your pets don’t eat
- Damaged clothing you can’t mend
- Stained clothing you can’t clean
- Old prom dresses
- Scratched nonstick cookware (really important – Teflon is not a seasoning!)
- Old underwear or swimwear that’s losing its stretch
- Outdated electronics
- Rusty, junky or broken jewelry
- Stockings with runs
- Pens that don’t work
- Clothing you’ve outgrown
- Cables and wires you don’t use
- Worn-out sheets and bedding
- Empty or near-empty bottles of cleaning products
- Old mending buttons for clothing you no longer have
- Worn-out bath mats
- Broken electronics
- Purses you never use
- Flatware, plates, and glasses that don’t match the rest of your collection, plus dingy children’s plates you no longer use
- Old pillows
- Worn-out shoes
- Wedding invites
- Wedding favours you don’t use
- Old wallets that you don’t use
- Spare furniture parts you don’t need
- Boxes
- Unused vases
- Extra tupperware you don’t need
- Old mail/junk mail
- Old crayons or art supplies, plus markers that have run out of ink
- Random containers and jars
- Unused stationery, stickers, and sticky notes
- Ripped denim (unless it’s awesome)
- Old artwork or old children’s artwork
- Used and ripped envelopes
- Broken or old iPhone cases
- Old unused batteries
- Extra and unused coffee mugs
- Old spices
- Wrinkled ribbon and bows for gift wrap
- Cards or gifts from exes
- Frequent shopper cards you never use
- Matchbooks
- Old shopping bags
- Old calendars
- Old folders
- Christmas lights that don’t work
- Expired food
- Computer cords, wires, etc. that you don’t use
- Old and outdated software
- CDs for old computer programs
- Old cell phones
- Hand-me-downs that you’re guilt-tripped into keeping
- Freebie or promotional t-shirts you never wear
- Old fortune cookie fortunes
- Old bank statements
- Old planners
- Delete email subscriptions from sites
- Delete emails you don’t need
- Delete unwanted music from your iTunes (bye bye seven versions of “Safety Dance”)
- Extra buttons that come with newly purchased clothes
- Games that are missing pieces
- Old schoolbooks you’ll never use again
- Papers you have backed up on the computer
- Books you’ve already read and don’t want to display
- Cell phone covers you’re over
- Old electronic manuals
- Cell phone accessories you don’t use anymore
Anything else to add to the list? Please feel free to add in the comments section!
xo,
Dominique is a Canadian-based fashion and beauty influencer with a strong voice in Ottawa’s black community. Since launching her blog Style Domination in 2015, she has amassed a global fanbase. Dominique shares her life through beautiful imagery and compelling story-telling that speaks to her fans on a personal level. She’s been featured in The Guardian, Flare, The Kit and Cityline. She also hosts events for Dress for Success, the Gem Conference, and has been named a United Way Person 2 Know for the past three years.
yes I started last week! It’s a process but I’m so happy to be doing it!
The sewist in me cringes at anything fabric related, my brain is like “no I’ve seen cute dresses made from old duvets, and tablecloths… If the clothes don’t fit that’s ok up cycle them!” Sadly I need to #GetRid of a lot more than I thought hahahaha
Author
Hahaha! If you know you are going to use it for sure, keep it! I’m like that with my 100 red lipsticks. “I need them all!!” Is what I think every time I see that overfilled lipstick container. Sigh.
#GetRid will be my 2016 mantra. Love this! My approach when I go through my stuff is a simple question: “If this was destroyed in a fire, would i pay to replace it?”. An honest answer reveals very few things make the cut. I feel lighter just thinking about this!
Author
Hey! That’s a really good idea! Me being a master rationalizer would find a way to keep the right cat food dishes though. Lol! I’ve been pretty good. Going to tackle my pile of unworn shoes this week! Thanks for reading, babe! xoxox
Such a great list! I’ll be printing this out and crossing it off! I always love reorganizing. Gives me more space to redecorate :D. Hope Santa spoiled you and wishing you a successful year to come! xx
but are they CUTE cat dishes?… haha decluttering is super important. I just did this a week ago when I was packing and moving apartments.
I’ve already started!
I love to reduce the clutter (and am the same about not waiting to make it a resolution!). Usually it’s when I’m fed up with the lack of space under the kitchecn sink, the bathroom cupboard, my closet, etc.
Things I have done as well…I’ve stopped buying clothes I have to alter/hem! I’ve spent too much on clothes I love, with the intention of getting it tailored to actually fit me (then it ends up in the donation bag with the price tags still attached.)
Fabric is my downfall (can completely relate to sewsincity), I have begun getting rid of those cute little pieces that would make a funky dress…I’ve realized the stress of clutter and lack of space cannot outweigh the fact that the cost to buy a dress like that is still much less!
Author
It sounds like you are pretty good at keeping organized! Keep up the good work! I am totally tackling all of the cupboards under sinks in my house too. I have so many cleaning products and cosmetics I no longer use. Junking them all!! Thanks for reading! xo
I literally have 99% of the things on list (prom was never a thing when I was younger…or yes I would have several!)…I’m sooooooo bad!!!! ? Part of me wants to declutter…the other part wants to roll over in bed and turn my back on all the things…at present plan B it is! ?
Author
Hahahahahaha!!! Fair enough! I’m starting with the ones I can complete easily. My office is a total nightmare that gives me anxiety whenever I enter it, so I’m starting with that first! xo
Omg reading the list was giving me anxiety! Absolutely everything on the list has to go.
Author
Haha! Awww! Didn’t mean to cause you any anxiety. Start with the ones you can do easily! That’s what I’m doing. Happy New Year!! xo
I just decluttered/uncluttered our shoe-cabinet… as well as my wardrobe, the wardrobe of my son and my youngest daughter… and then drove off to the nearby Red Cross refugee centre. Our country has taken on thousands of refugees from Syria, Irak,… so I’m sure those old clothes and shoes will help someone! So that’s two things in one… decluttering ànd helping a good cause… am I a saint… or am I a saint 😀 Happy New Year! Love, Kathleen
Author
Haha! You are a total saint! Good for you! Canada is in the midst of accepting 25,000 refugees and I am donating a ton of clothes also, mainly winter gear as our winters are so punishing. Happy New Year! xoxoxo
Aw man, I keep WAY too much stuff! Old t-shirts? C’mon, I like those to wear around the house.
Extra buttons?! I have a whole TIN full of them! I have no idea what clothing item they came from but you NEVER know when you might need it! 😛
I TOTALLY keep wallets and purses that I don’t use anymore – I love them too much to get rid of them! *sniff*
I do want to do another makeup purge – I’ve got a lot of cream / liquid products that need to be chucked.