Cold Weather: A Great Time to Clear That Clutter!

Baby it’s cold outside. We’re now solidly in the middle of winter with the holidays behind us and a few more months of cold in our future. We know that a certain amount of snow is bound to fall and we can expect sleet and freezing rain as well. It’s enough to make you want to stay indoors and wear cozy fleece while drinking hot chocolate.

But wait a minute. While fleece and slippers sound awfully appealing the inclement weather also affords you a terrific opportunity to do some of that decluttering that perhaps you’re been putting off for quite some time.

This is really the best time to get to it. When the weather is good you want to partake in picnics, trips to the beach and long walks. Indoor tasks fall by the wayside and the only possible chores to be considered involve yard work and other outdoor maintenance.

But not so in winter when you want to be indoors. Don your fleece and cozy slippers too and get to work on tackling the clutter that has started to accumulate in the corners of each room. Here’s tips from the professional organizer in NYC to make it a bit more enjoyable:

Make your cleanup project a family activity. Not only does it go much faster it can actually be fun to help each other get rid of the “stuff” that is no longer needed or wanted. Crank up the music and sing along. Make it a contest to see who can get their tasks done fastest and have some rewards for everyone’s good work. Bring in pizza or arrange to go out to dinner after the work is done. Cheer each other on and see how quickly the clutter and excess is cleared.

Is your decluttering project more substantial? If so make an action plan so that you can tackle one room or task at a time thereby avoiding the burnout that comes with trying to do too much at one time. It doesn’t have to be done all at once; even though winter lasts a long time be sure to set deadlines for completing each phase so this project is completed by spring thaw.

Here’s a professional organizer in NYC tip: just like they do on the home improvement shows on television, take before and after photographs of your progress. It’s fun and rewarding to see what you’ve been able to accomplish.

Decluttering usually requires some physical effort. Think of your project as exercise such as you might accomplish at the gym or during your at-home workout. You’ll be keeping in shape AND getting your spaced cleared, definitely a win-win situation.

Through it all remember just this: you’re indoors and you’re warm. Time to tackle that decluttering before the warm weather is upon us!