Start Small

The other day when I said that to declutter anything you first should empty it out, I knew that would be an intimidating action to suggest.  Clearing off an entire shelf, removing the contents from a drawer, or emptying your closet can seem like a really big step because you have to start and finish the project.

For example, if you empty out a drawer and then get called away to do something else, you now have a brand new mess, which could be discouraging to rediscover when you finally make your way back to the task.

So, start small. 

Although you may have a lot of stuff on that one shelf or in that one drawer, chances are that you can clean and declutter that one small area in 15 minutes ... 30 minutes tops.

You may feel that one neat drawer won't do much for your house overall, but 15-to-30 minutes a day will add up the accomplishments faster than if you tried to convince yourself that on Saturday you'll clean an entire room for three hours. 

Three hours?  That sounds like too much time.  Fifteen minutes?  That doesn't seem like enough time.  But, really, what would you rather face, fifteen or thirty minutes of decluttering after dinner or the loss of your Saturday morning? 

Slow and steady.