The True (and Ridiculously Easy) First Step to Fixing a Messy Living Space

If anyone visited my house in the last 2 months, they'd probably call me a neat freak. I have been working non-stop to implement organizational systems from professional organizer Alejandra Costello, and cleaning regimens from professional cleaner Melissa Maker to get my place into the best shape possible.

But I have a not so secret fact about myself that I think you all should know: I used to be a slob. And I am not exaggerating. Most of my living spaces were an absolute disaster before this place. While I didn't really let my clutter spill into common areas of the home, I'm sure my old housemates can attest to my messiness if I've ever accidentally left my room door open.

There were so many factors that lead to my clutter and chaos, ranging from not having enough storage (I was always in San Francisco after all and someone always lived in the livingroom and used the hallway closet as their clothing closet,) to scheduling too many activities in my life and not allowing myself time to clean, to depression, and sheer laziness. And if you have a cluttered and/or dirty space, I'm sure you can relate to one or more of those issues. After all, we are only human, we can only afford so much space and we only have 24 hours in a day.

And even when you want to declutter and clean, it's hard to know where to begin. During my process, I read so many forums on how to get started organizing my home, and they all said the same thing: Start first by getting rid of the things you don't need or love. Sounds simple enough, right? Toss into the trash or the donation bin all the things you know are not going to serve you, to get them out of the way so that you can organize the things you do want to keep and then finally get down to a deep clean.

But purging all of the things you don't need is such a time-consuming and emotional process. It could take weeks or months depending on the size of your space to declutter. And a first step to a process shouldn't take that long. We as humans are designed to love gratification on the constant. Gratification actually propels us to accomplish more, as it helps us to see the light at the end of the tunnel so we can power through the most unpleasant of tasks. So what small task can you do to feel gratification soon into your decluttering process? Maybe even today?

Take out the trash.

It may sound crazy, but I have realized from my past cluttered homes and the cluttered homes of people I know that the trash bins are stuffed to the brim at all times. Whether we are talking about the trash cans in the rooms of your home you have yet to take outside, or the big plastic bins out in the back yard you forget to drag to the curb on Tuesdays, it needs to be taken care of. (Many times, if the large bin outside is full, it causes us to keep the trash cans in our homes full because there's nowhere for its contents to go.) If that means taking your trash to the shoot this afternoon or setting a reminder for yourself for the next trash day, make this a priority. It will change everything.

How can taking out the trash help you to clean your home instantly?

1. Your home will smell better

The first thing you'll note once you take out your trash is that your home will instantly smell better. A better smelling home will also create a clearer headspace for you to organize, clean, or more importantly do enjoyable activities around your house for that matter.

2. The corner where the trash can was will look better

Another thing that instantly happens when you take out the trash is that that corner of the room where your trash can was will look much better. The lid will close all the way, your garbage won't be on display, and if you have a garbage or recycling bin in the backyard, you'll notice the flies will go away once it's all cleared out and on its way to the dump. Much like how fixing your bed makes your bedroom appear neater instantly, taking out your trash will bring a sense of order to any room. This will motivate you to start tidying other corners.

3. It will make space for more garbage!

If it's been a while since you've taken out the trash, once you do it, you will notice all the garbage floating around your room that you didn't toss into the bin because the trash was too full. Whether it's an old pizza box stacked behind the bin or an empty soda can you left on your coffee table, it all has a place to go now. Just remember to take out the trash once it's full again. This good habit will be a life-changer. I know that adding more garbage to your newly empty bin doesn't sound satisfying to think about, but the goal isn't to not have any garbage in your home ever - It's to always make sure your garbage has the perfect vessel so it can easily find its way out the door.

 

4. You're more likely to throw clutter out

Once you get into the habit of throwing out your trash when it fills up, you have those trash bins to toss items you're getting rid of into. Of course, you want to have a separate bin for things you'd like to give to friends or charity. But for all the used up, broken, torn or rusted over items you randomly find as you declutter, you need a nice wide open place to toss them so that you get rid of them the moment you're inspired. I don't expect anyone in the world to have an easy time one afternoon throwing out the things they don't need. Lord knows it took me several months (And I live in a 1 bedroom.) Decluttering takes time. Small increments of work here and there. It takes those moments of discovering something old and on a whim going "Hmm, don't need this." And that's when it's so important to have your trash can ready for the purge. If you have a full bin, you are likely to hold onto the item or set it back on your shelf or in your closet and tell yourself "I'll toss this later." The empty bin gives you a convenient option available during any moments of decluttering inspiration.

I know this task may seem like a small deal, but it's something I wish someone had told me would make such a huge impact back when I was overwhelmed with cluttered spaces. I hope this will help you to make your goals just that more realistic and tangible. The most important thing we can do when trying to better ourselves is to be real and honest about what we have time and energy to accomplish, while also pushing ourselves to come up with and implement sustainable solutions.

Until next time!