Organizing, decluttering, minimalism: these look daunting, but they don't have to be difficult to accomplish. I am in no way a minimalist myself, but I try to take one step closer to a simpler, organized lifestyle each day. Here are a few tips you can use to help you on your path toward minimalism.
1. Make it easy for yourself.
Organizing already feels like work. It doesn't need to be any more difficult. If it's not easy, it will feel like it takes extra effort to do, and that will make you not willing to do it. The more effort you have to exert into staying organized, the less likely you are to keep up with it. One example of this that comes to my mind involves hanging clothes versus folding clothes. For me, it's easier to hang my clothes rather than to fold them. There's something about folding them that feels like it takes extra effort to do, so I don't like it. Hanging them, on the other hand, feels easier because I just have to wrap them on a hanger.
2. Color code.
One easy way to organize your belongings is to group them together by color. Color coding won't work perfectly with everything, but it is useful for organizing clothes, makeup, and jewelry. I color code my wardrobe because I like seeing my clothes coordinated by color when I open my closet: the blues together, the reds together, the greys together. It's pleasing to look at, and it makes finding a specific shirt or pair of pants much easier.
3. Group together similar items.
I find this to be useful when it comes to storing items in my desk drawers, or even organizing my makeup. Grouping notebooks together in one drawer, stationary together in another drawer, and electronic cords together in a third drawer makes finding these items easier. This can be used for organizing clothes as well. If color coding doesn't appeal to you, try organizing your clothes into groups, such as button downs, T-shirts, long sleeves, sweaters, jackets, jeans, shorts, leggings, sweatpants. The possibilities are endless. You could even combine grouping with color coding. Regarding makeup, I group eye makeup together, face makeup together, and lip colors together.
4. Get rid of things you don't use.
This one is self explanatory, but sometimes it takes an extra nudge to get rid of that dress you've been waiting to wear for the perfect occasion. If you're holding on to something because you think, "Maybe I'll wear/use this someday," trust me, you won't. I've been down that road too many times to count, and it ends the same way every time. I end up keeping shirts I never wear, notebooks I never write in, and makeup I never use. In the end, all of these things just take up extra space. It's better to give them away for someone else to enjoy rather than let them waste away in your home unused while collecting dust.
5. Every time you buy an item, get rid of two other items you own.
This idea was suggested to me by my mom. Though I haven't personally tried it myself, I like the concept of it because it is an easy way to declutter. It forces you to declutter, slowly over time instead of trying to do it all at once, and will make you think twice about buying something. Here's a tip: when you buy something new, get rid of two items you have that are similar to it. For example, if you buy a new shirt, get rid of two old shirts you don't wear anymore. That way you're staying consistent.
As you work toward organizing and decluttering your life, it's worth keeping in mind that everything you own should have a place in your home. In other words, there should be no reason for miscellaneous items to be piled atop open surfaces like desks and counters. These items need a place, a home, where they belong: a drawer, a basket, a folder or even a closet.
