Declutter With Me | 4 Mistakes You're Making | Messy Minimalist Video
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- Опубліковано 18 вер 2024
- Today I'm talking about 4 mistakes you might be making if you're new to decluttering or starting your minimalism journey. I'll also be decluttering my house, the Messy Minimalist way!
Here's a link to the ROCK SALT lamp: amzn.to/2lDePbj
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INSTAGRAM: / messy.minimalist
FACEBOOK: / messyminimalist
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I don't comment a lot on videos but I had to let you know this is one of the realest videos on UA-cam that I have seen in a very long time. I love your down-to-earth approach and how you show that you're not perfect in your house is not perfect but you just a human being and I can definitely relate to that. But you also give tips about what to do to maintain in to do better, I really appreciate that
Hey there - Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you appreciated this video :)
I agree! I don’t comment much, ether but just know, it was so refreshing to see you be real...(and just like my husband and I...and we don’t have any small children !!!😕) We are big starters and not finishers...so frustrating!!
Ha is for this video...definitely subscribing!
Omg! I definitely agree! REAL!
I find that if I keep my donate bin in the trunk of my car, instead of leaving it in my house, stuff doesn't creep back into my life. Every time I decide to let go of something, I take it straight to the car. It also helps when I drive past the donate place, it's already loaded into the car and ready to be dropped off.
Devin Israel I do the same thing it is great
yes same thing for the things that need to be returned to the store but you keep forgetting to return them if you leave them in the house.
Great tip!
I do the same thing myself. Put the items directly into my car. Like you said it helps when you happen to be out that way. As well I found once they are in my car I don't go reach for them again. I know where they are if I happen to need something. As well as my family cant be going through the box of stuff to see if they need it.
Devin - this is an awesome idea! Thanks!
My problem with doing stuff when I'm motivated is that, I usually get motivated at midnight when I'm trying to sleep
Ashley Long 👍🏻👍🏻😂😂
Same. Or at work 👍
Same...
That is my exact problem too! All of a sudden my mind starts coming up with ideas and won't let me sleep, especially of things I could have done or can do
😄😄😄
I love seeing the animals follow you around as you work.
A trick to keep from losing momentum: stop when you still want to do more. It may seem counter-intuitive but if you stop on a high note, even if it means there's one load of laundry left to do (not laundry piled on the couch but contained in a basket) and use that last burst of wanting to get things done to finish up and put things away, you may not find yourself with the laundry unfolded on the couch and the washer full with a load waiting for the dryer to be emptied.
I think the mindset of all or nothing that comes with a big burst of energy gets in the way of being realistic in what can be accomplished. Does that make sense?
And I do love that you show us you life as is without making the effort to stage-manage it before hand. You're like a breath of fresh air.
Carol, that is such great advice. I've been turning off the TV one hour earlier, so I actually have TIME to get ready for bed. It's really making a difference.
Thanks Carol - I've never actually thought about stopping 'on a high note' to allow energy to tidy/clean up a work-in-progress task. It makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
Carol McKenzie this is the best advice ever. Why didn't I ever thought about that? I will definitely try this. Thank you so much for sharing.
Carol, I know this post is kind of old, but I wanted to comment because it makes so much sense. If you stop while you're still on a high note, you probably feel like the time was well spent and worth repeating. Whereas if you wait until you're ready to drop and it's *still* not finished anyway. How likely is it that you want to repeat the experience? It's kind of self-defeating. It's like "I'm enjoying this 'high' of getting things done, " so I keep pushing it. Then, when I'm exhausted, it's not fun anymore, so my brain is kinda saying (at least subconsciously) "let's wait a while before we do that again." Okay, so I am challenging myself to "quit while I'm still ahead," because this has been a problem for me. For people who lack self-discipline it can be very challenging. I find myself at the "paralysed" stage you (Rachael) mentioned quite often. I suffer with depression, anxiety, adult ADD, and chronic pain, but in my heart I know at least some of these would improve if I could get and stay organized! Thank you for this channel. Very down-to-earth and inspiring.!
I just love your videos! I have to share, I started my biggest purge yet yesterday. There is this new thing for Lent (I'm not Catholic, but thought what the heck), to get rid of a bag of clutter a day for 40 days. Yesterday, I got rid of 3 pieces of furniture and 2 boxes of books. I was so excited!!!! Such a good feeling of accomplishment.
Nancy Watson great effort! :) I remember my first feeling when I got rid of the first piece of furniture. :)
toni citarella Not good on the video stuff yet, so maybe another project down the road. But, thank you for your support.
Nancy- That's awesome! Good for you!! furniture can be hard to part with, I'm rooting for ya, so keep it up! :)
Nancy Watson that's incredible!
Wow! You're doing AMAZING!!!
A great way to declutter is by item, not by space. Example: Clothes, not closet, paper, not desk. It has helped me alot!
Great tip! I am a "whole room" gutter! I will try this instead, seems less overwhelming. Thanks!
I don't rely on motivation anymore. I used to be the biggest procrastinator. Always waiting for that tiny spark of motivation. And just when it arrived it already left me within very short time. Now I don't rely on motivation anymore. When I feel very unmotivated to do something, I remind myself that motivation has never done anything great for me. It's like a very unreliable selfish friend. It always lets me down when I needed it the most. Now I just think:" F**k you motivation, I don't need you., If I would have always relied on you I would never have gotten a job, cleaned my house or done the dishes. I am a strong independent woman and don't rely on a silly feeling which poops up in a while. :-D This self talk gives me the right energy and then I do what I have to do. ... Not always, but much better than it used to be. And the best thing is how you feel afterwards, because you did it all without motivation. At least that's what I am telling myself and it seems to work at least for me.
What a great approach, thank you, I'm going to try that!!!
Marie Mai, you are so right! It seems like I feel depressed and I rarely feel good anymore. It is very difficult to get a spark of motivation at times. I decided that I would feel much better once I get many things done in the house that needed to be done. I get up in the morning now and get started like it's a job. I have to admit, that in itself has given me the motivation that I lacked. Seeing some accomplishment, however small that day adds up to a major accomplishment by the end of the week! I feel much better now, knowing that I will really get this cleaning project done.
I’m gonna try this!! Great advice 😊😊
WOW!! Gonna have to adopt this!
@@sheba12106 Go clean someone else's house, that might help ya to get motivated. Hahaha
I have heard so many people say to set an alarm for 15 minutes to work on a project and stop when the alarm goes off. That has never really worked for me because once I'm 15 minutes into a project I I want to keep at it. I love what you said about acting when motivation strikes. How motivation can be a delicate thing and it's best to utilize it when it comes. Great tips! I loved watching you in action too! Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like it works like a charm if you want to keep working bc it got you to start without intimation.
"Motivation is like the golden snitch of quidditch" Omg, this is actually so true!
Once a week my uni tutor would come into the studio and give us one hour to do the main thing we had been putting off that week. It's still a strategy I use now. Once that huge, annoying thing that never shifts from the list has gone, life feels so much lighter!
Wow, I love this. That's awesome!
Rach Mac great idea, thanks for sharing
Rach Mac やや
Your honesty is SO comforting! I think the same, that everyone else has it so put together and I'm slacking. I don't even have kids yet! There's such a feeling of accomplishment watching you clean in fast forward. if ONLY I could do that! lol! You're a gem. Keep going, keep being honest and keep smiling. I really think you're reaching a lot of people for good!
Thank you! I appreciate this comment, it encourages me to keep going! And also - you CAN do it! :) Even if you set a timer for 10 minutes and run around tidying up, it's really satisfying!
Messy Minimalist Thank you!!! *hugs*
1. Leaving "donate" items in the house.
2. Not seizing the moment.
3. Comparing your home to those of others.
4. Not finishing projects.
unknown user . Thank you. You just saved me wasting 10 minutes on these ‘earth shattering’ insights.
thank you!!
Anna Johns and how many minutes have you wasted commenting negative, hostile things on this and other self improvement videos? 😣
I absolutely love your energy and your honesty. I started the KonMari method about a month ago. It's taken so much time and sometimes life gets in the way. I've taken out trash bag after trash bag, recycling, and SO many things for donation. And yet, there still seems to be so much more to do. It's exhausting. But this motivated me! Thank you for these videos! I look forward to them every week :)
Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. And good luck!
I too am guilty, Guilty, GUILTY of all this. Keep going girl. Because I am doing this with you. You motivate me so much. 💖
Thank you! I'm glad I can motivate you. :) Are you in the process of purging, or are you mostly trying to get organized? Either way, I'm rooting you on! Good luck!
as I clean up I try and take note of repeat offenders. what are the things that I always have to pick up and why? do I need those things, if so where is its home. Is the home a good spot?
Love this. Great idea. (I think I'M the repeat offender tho!) hehe
Peach's Tribe that is so helpful! thanks!
This is especially true for things my children want to interact with. The reality is that they want to use things in the family space, so some of their things need homes in that space.
Peach's Tribe the
I highly recommend the podcast called A Slob Comes Clean. She is a fellow messy person and she gave a lot of useful tips on how to stay on top of cleaning. Really helping me.
You're adorable. I've been through the three kids and a big house thing and from the other side of it ( only one at home and he's self sufficent,) it gets easier. Relax while they are little and enjoy them. Don't stress about it. Having less is definitely helpful as there is less to clean and less to put away. Kids = mess and they always will. When your my age you can enjoy the downsized, clean and tidy house but then you miss the kids . :)
You got me inspired about two weeks ago when I first saw your videos! So far I've got three large bags of clothes to donate going Saturday to go and one box of other stuff and threw away three bags of trash!
Uhhh... that's amazing! Nice work! 3 large bags of clothes is a lot of clothes! I'm happy I could inspire. Go girl! :)
Messy Minimalist got it all out of house this morning!! Yeah now to work on my second dresser lol
Rachel, you are scary good at analyzing the logic of messy person/hoarder/procrastinator behavior! As a fellow messy person/hoarder/procrastinator, the self-evaluation and advice you give in your videos is so on-the-nose for me. Thank you for putting into words things that I have struggled to understand about my own behavior. Please keep vocalizing and pointing out flawed messy-person logic in your videos, I think it will help a ton of us out there! Thank you thank you!
I purged all i had (wich was not much to begin with at 18) asking myself just one main question : do i actually give a sh!t. Worked like a charm
Nice :)
Yay for the Harry Potter reference!!
Sims 76 Yup, great visualization for me :)
You did a great job! I hate that feeling of I didn't do it all. I combat that by setting three goals for my time. Be it a day off a morning or before bed. When I have my to dos I make the list and then choose three. If more is done ok. If not I achieved my goal. We all need to feel like we achieve our goals not feeling a bit down for what we couldn't do. You did a great job for the time you had. Love your videos!
I used to do this too! I don't know why I stopped, but I'm going to try and start it back up, I always felt very accomplished, and the key was picking ones that are challenging, but also realistic. :) Thank you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am a starter who struggles to finish everything I start as well, and just found your videos. So many times I have felt bad about myself, stressed, frustrated and discouraged because of it. Over time I am trying to stop adding so many things to my own to do list. Those who quickly and neatly start and finish everything consistently fascinate me. But we all have our strengths! Progress, not perfection.
I love your honesty. I think your videos are some of my favourite on UA-cam.
I've recommended you to SO many friends.
Thursday can't come quick enough each week!
Aw, thank you for this comment!
So agree!!!
I'm a very organized person, always have been. Love organizing, decluttering and tidying. I subscribed not long after you started your journey. I really enjoy your videos so much! Even though I don't necessarily take much away with me, I find them entertaining and inspiring. You're really good in front of the camera and it's interesting seeing how different people can be :)
One of the things that really makes me keep all my surface areas clean is my cat. He pushes everything off tables and counters so I don't really have the option of leaving things around haha!
First, thank you for subscribing, I'm glad you're enjoying my videos/journey. :) Second, that's too funny about your cat! Ours love walking and laying on surfaces too, and they tend to mess things up more than they already are.. so perhaps we just need to take the hint like you did and stop putting things on them! :)
It's so cool that you're doing this and calling yourself out on your mistakes. I am doing this on a smaller scale but it's always nice to hear from you and then get motivated again :)
Thanks - glad I can help motivate! And hey, small scale or large - it's all progress. Keep it up!
I. Am loving your videos. Mom of 5, business owner, who knows I am happier with less stuff, but it often feels like an uphill battle. Also when i search minimalist family, what i find makes me feel like I will never get there! Then i see you. Thanks for keeping it real. Like really real. So here I an starting again. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this video! I appreciate how real you are in the videos. Sometimes I forget that real people don't have permanently spotless, all white, ultra modern spaces to live in. Your channel makes me grateful for what I do have. I've given it a big thumbs up! P.S. your energetic, cheery personality is intoxicating. Keep up the great work!
:) Thank you!
I love how real you are! Thanks for sharing. I used to have so much stuff and I finally feel like I am at the place where I feel comfortable in my house. I have my donation bin in the back of my closet and I also need to get it out of my house and into my car:) Thank you so much for sharing and I love seeing your animals:)
Thank you! I'm glad you've been enjoying them. I'm trying to keep a donation bin in mine as well for my clothing (and my daughters things as she grows). I always have to be careful, because if she finds it, she pulls everything out! ;-) Thanks for watching!
If you have Amazon prime, you can fill up the empty Amazon boxes and print out a free label to be shipped to the goodwill. I haven't done it yet, but I was told by a friend. 😃
I've heard about this!! I need to try it.
Messy Minimalist whaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!!
I love how real you are! I watch these videos in the morning when it’s hard for me to get out of bed and up and motivated. Thank you!!
Glad I can help!! :)
I have this same exact problem!! My husband tells me I just move things from one room to the next...my biggest clutter problem lol!
lol! Uhhh, yeah me too. I have a BAD habit of just moving clutter from one spot to the next. But I'm working hard to fix this! ;-)
Same here, but I can't figure out how to tackle the decision-making fog that causes this in the first place.
Yup sounds like my husband
I love your honesty and that you're actually showing a mess not like a staged mess. love it.
Thank you
Fabulous list of mistakes! Thanks! I'll take it to heart, for sure!
Thanks! Glad you liked them! :)
I love your videos! Thanks for sharing. You remind me a lot of me but you're probably 20 years younger! You are so lucky to be doing this now. Your daughter will benefit hugely from living in a more organized home. I do so many of the things that you talk about. The worst for me is not finishing anything. I'll have folded laundry on the coffee table forever. !/2 finished projects everywhere. It's hard when you have to do things a couple hours at a time. One way I'm dealing with this is that I've made a simple priority list. 1) Clean out the garage so that we can get both of our cars in there this winter. 2) Declutter our bedroom (it's become a dumping ground for displaced items) so that the house cleaners can clean in there, 3) Konmari our the toy closet so that it functions again. Whenever I'm tempted to stray from this list I remind myself, "No, my priority is the garage". Sure my bedroom is driving me insane, and it would be fun for my niece to play in the toy closed, but the garage is the first priority. Thank you for motivating me!
I love that you are standing there in a mess. I'm so tired of videos of people cleaning clean houses.
missmayflower It’s not just messy though. It’s filthy. I found myself very distracted by all the food items left out everywhere...
I have to say, that sped-up cleaning with the slow mo "after" picture is SO satisfying. it's like all the speedy activity and then... ahhhhhhhh
:) Glad you liked it!
new subbie and I love you already! I second the "get stuff gone" idea...I had 2 boxes stacked for ages because it was convenient to rest my purse on! Bonkers! now stuff goes in the car asap!
Thank you! :) That's such a funny comment about the boxes....that sounds like something I would do for sure! (thanks for subscribing!)
Hi Rachel, I just found your channel and loving your videos. Couldn't agree more wth your tips. We went through a huge minimalism declutter journey last year. As a family with 3 kids -clutter somehow seems to sneak back in. I find myself decluttering once again despite being on a tight budget and being super intentional with new things coming in. Stuff seems to reproduce.
try researching an 'action file system' for your papers. it might help and it would take less horizontal space on your kitchen counter. how I do it is with 4 file folders TO PAY, TO DO, TO FOLLOW UP/WAIT FOR RESPONSE, TO FILE, in a small vertical open top filing box, while others have only 3 folders. My system has developed that I open mail immediately over recycling bin, sort them into those folders and then do the action when I have time, then or later.
Ohhh sounds like something I need in my life! Thanks for the suggestion! :)
You are so awesome and so brave to put this out on UA-cam. Everytime you post a video, I think to myself, "She's strumming my life with her song." An old song, I know, but it is so appropriate. I've been watching UA-cam "clean it, clear it, get rid of it...do like I do because I'm so perfect" videos since January. I've made a lot of headway but get frustrated when I realize my home doesn't look like "THAT home." Thank you for putting it into perspective for me. Now... I'm gonna go FINISH my load of laundry that is currently wrinkling in the dryer. Keep up your delightful and honest videos.
I love your videos so much, I don't have an issue with being messy and I don't plan to become a minimalist however all of your points were quite relevant to how ive been feeling in life. Putting things off and comparing and feeling crappy- I resonated most with the "seize the moment of motivation". Thank you for all your videos, I love watching them and I'm excited to watch your channel grow. Your honesty is much appreciated and I'm sure it allows others to feel not alone and I'm sure many can relate
Thanks for this comment. :) I'm glad you're enjoying them! And I actually cut out a whole couple minute blurb about how I felt like that point really applies to other parts of life, not just keeping a tidy home! I mostly cut it because I got scared I was giving poor advice for ignoring things you HAVE to do, and I'd hate to steer someone's career/life wrong! But I'm glad you're able to apply the idea to those parts of life. I feel the same way :)
Yup! Got to agree those 4 mistakes do set me back every single time i attempt to declutter my whole house, or just a room. I’m actually going to write them down and tape the list to my boudoir mirror so I can be reminded daily. I think I’m also going to create an affirmation that’s the opposite of the mistake, thus I can replace the bad habit with a good one. For instance, when comparing my home to others; I may say instead: I get Inspired when I see tidy rooms in people’s houses and I Aspire to create the same order in my own home... thank u so much!
50 points for a Harry potter reference. :)
hehe, woot!
50 points to Slytherin
It is so cathartic to watch someone else clean. Loving your channel! I've had a minimalist mindset for a few years now and I'm still a work in progress but it has helped me as a messy person SO much to own less.
Thank you! I'm finding the less I own, the easier my messes are to manage - hands down!
Thank you very much for your videos, they are so honest and fun :) Please don't be discouraged, 2 months is not a long time, just keep going on. Even Marie Kondo says that it takes about 6 months in average just to sort through all the items and discard what you don't like, and it's only the first step! I think it's only AFTER you have really got rid of all the stuff that doesn't "spark joy" that you can find a place for everything that you really love and begin to develop the habit of returning things to their "home" each time you use something, and developing this habit also requires time. At least, this has been my experience :) Good luck!!
Thank you
Ok girl friend, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you showing your real home, much respect, my house is messy and I really want it to change, thank uou
I love your videos! Nice job. I also have a salt lamp. I love the look and my air quality feels greatly improved. I purchased mine from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Thank you! Oh, I didn't know they sold them there. I'll have to check them out, I'm in the market for a bigger one.
thank you so much for your vulnerability and honesty, I feel like as an aspiring minimalist with kids myself, I have felt like something is wrong with me because my house is still always messy, even after massive donations! I'm with you on these mistakes, and you motivated me to FINISH cleaning my kitchen today! (finally!) lots still to go here, but thanks so much!
I could see some beautiful plants placed on the top of your cabinets in your kitchen... something that's hard to kill. Lol. 💖💖💖
hehe, yep perhaps some succulents?
Alisa Raven Jamieson - Rachel has many large fantastic items stored everywhere! Many would look cool on top of her cabinets.
Guilty of point 1, 3 and 4....for declutter motivation I always watch one of your videos....works like a charm every single time
You did a great job. I'm impressed. (smile) And although it's off topic, you have BEAUTIFUL eyes.
hah, thank you! (on both accounts) ;-)
Yeeesssss I couldn't stop admiring them 😍😍😍😍
Immediately I trusted MM with those eyes, they are unbelievable.
I love your total honesty. Your channel is so refreshing and so real.
Re mistake number one: I put my 'donate' items straight into the boot of my car. I take them to the op shop (Australian equivalent of Goodwill type stores) the next time I go near them. Also, I'm forced to get rid of them before I can do the shopping.
Keep up the good work,
You're doing an amazing and inspiring job.
Wooo well done! I really like that you started with some info and ended with some actual doing, really nice n_n
Thank you! I never intend to talk as long as I do in the beginning, but I'm a tad bit long-winded! ;-) I'm glad you liked it tho
I just came across your videos today and thought I'd say hi! I love how you keep things real and in perspective! Everyone's house gets to a point where it seems overwhelming at times, but that's ok! You did a ton of work! 😊
those people on fb are not having fun!! it's an illusion
YES, they are too busy posing to even be in the moment and enjoy it
Agreed
Right?! When I'm truly having a great time, I always forget to stop and take a selfie!
I've been watching decluttering/organizing/minimalism videos for days and tbh this is my favorite. The honesty of this video makes you so relatable, it's very inspiring! :)
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Your UA-cam fans can all help you finish house projects by being your accountability buddies :-) I need that with exercising! haha. I see what you mean about the hygge nook and chair. The rocking chair is super cute, but doesn't look like it feels super cozy. Seems like you need a big, cushy, velvety chair to match your awesome new bookshelf :-)
Great video yet again! Thanks for continuing your journey with us!
Oh I totally agree! You guys keep me going, and I hope that I can help keep everyone else going too. :) And YES about the hygge nook- that rocking chair is ONLY there because it's in our house and he haven't found the perfect comfy chair yet. :) I'll update when we finally do!
I have been binging your videos since last night and I cannot relate more! I love that you have shown us the real, the raw and just been like. This is us . I wish more people were as candid!
Thank you so much for the inspiration!
#1 is a problem for me. I have to smuggle my used items out of the house in a stealth operation or my mother will go through the bags and find tons of items she supposedly needs and scatter them all over the house (we live on different floors of the same house). I usually have to wait until she leaves the house. (I'm a fully grown adult by the way.)
Avellania, my mom is like this too! Eventually the junk flowed back down to my suite, it was a vicious cycle.
I hear you on the jobs around the house. We got our farm house built and the contractor didn’t make it paint job wise good. And there are dings in the walls around because the builders weren’t careful. Now when we move into it we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us for cosmetic jobs. I watch all your cleaning/organization videos on a daily basis. I even have a playlist so I can watch it for over three hours instead of cable! Keep up the good work organizing, Messy Minimalist! 😁
hahaha I love the comparison between the golden snitch and the motivation ^^
;-) hehe, Thank you!
One of the coolest videos! Loved watching you do all this in fast motion with your cat following you (as cats will do -- one of the reasons to love them). Just proves how much can be done with application of steady work, and being vigilant about getting distracted! Thanks for this.
I always tell people they cannot clean without getting rid of trash and excess clutter. Otherwise they are just moving things around.
this was so calming to watch because i see so many pictures of 'perfect' clean homes and idk why but it felt good to see other people's homes just as messed up as your own
hah, I completely understand. That's a big reason I've been documenting it like this, because I feel frustrated trying to get inspiration from already tidy homes. It almost has the opposite effect for me! Like at first it's inspiring, but then it's daunting when I see my own space.
How do you not have gazillions of subscribers?!
haha, I've been at this for about 2 months, but the number seems to be climbing steadily! :)
OK, so glad there is someone like me! Thanks for being transparent and sharing your advice/motivation!
informative video!
also, your cat is so cute :)
Thank you! ;-)
You accomplished soooo much! I am inspired. Some remark that you made reminded me of a saying one hears in 12-Step programs, which is referred to as "The 3 Ps". It goes like this: First, one feels one must to every little thing perfectly (perfection)....then one puts off taking any action, out of fear of not getting everything perfect (procrastination)....which builds up into the 3rd "P", which is: paralysis.....so, it goes p to p to p.
I live alone, so it was easy for me. But, maybe, leaving only one spoon, one fork,one plate ,one mug and one knife for every member of the family can help out with kitchen.I put everything else in a box far away in the cabnet, for guests.
Wow, that sounds awesome, but I don't know if we'll get there! But I'm super intrigued with this and will see what the hunny thinks. Even 2 or 3 sets for each person would be better than what we have now!
Messy Minimalist It's going to cut down dishes/cleaning up a lot.Wish you well.
Love that you are so open and real about what no one ever talks about...so thank you for that. My biggest unfinished project is downsizing......and guilty too of not getting the donate box out....it wasn't full yet.Just paid for another month of storage and added one more box to the stuff I had taken out of storage a month ago when I went to pay....its so far and I hate that I'm not making more progress....busy full time with school..and that just adds to it....but I find my focus has been on my school work...adult student....good idea but not as easy as when I was 20. Kinda miss those days....when I had nothing. I enjoyed life more
Sounds like you've got a lot going on, slow and steady and you can do it! I also think back to days when I owned less.. I wish I could tell my former self not to hold onto so much! (At least it's now a lesson we can tell our kids) :) Good luck with your schooling and decluttering!
for me having my donation box or bags,just gives me urge to look back again of what I put in there just to see if I might used it. So what I do I just put if out in front yard with a Free sign...
good idea! :) We've done that with bigger furniture and it goes really quickly. I never thought to do it with other stuff tho!
I so needed this!! I said to my hubby yesterday , how come no matter how much I get rid of, its still a mess!? I LOVE that you showed what your home looks like as you're filming this!
Glad I could help! :-D You're not alone!!
My personal opinion is that your house is so big that it requires a lot of work.
You are exactly right about tip number one! My husband cleaned out his closet and didn't take it to the goodwill soon enough and now he has a pile of tshirts that he decided that he wanted... :( But, hey! He got rid of a ton of other old clothes! :) Yes, yes, yes...you are so very right about motivation, too! Girl, you are right on about it all!!! Yes, guilty of unfinished projects... Ok, you wore me out...lol... Wow! Love the library area! You have a beautiful home! Love all the windows! Wow! 😳 You are awesome! 🎈🎉It looks wonderful! 😍You go girl! 💃 Yes, I love the rock salt lamp. I have one of them and it does a lot of things for your health. They're $15 at Wal-mart, too. Don't worry, you'll get that trim painted...I mean, look at you...the house looks awesome! 💖
I just display all the declutter stuff next to the dumpster carefully, and find that they quickly get picked up.
This may be sorta irrelevant but I absolutely LOVE the layout of your house and esp the kitchen. ALL that extra counter space plus the island and all those extra drawers. Also love the trellis idea over there for hanging pans.
Love your honesty in showing your house in an imperfect state. Nobody's house looks 100% picture perfect all the time and if it did you would feel as if you couldn't actually be living life in it...like you were a guest and trying to be careful not to mess anything up.
Haha, thank you! And yes.! Feeling like a 'guest in your own home' couldn't be more unappealing. These are our homes for goodness sake! We work hard to have them and they should feel good to us. :) Thanks for watching Robin!
i love that lip color! what is it?
also, thanks, as always, for the great content!
Gosh, I can't remember which I had on that day, almost all the ones I have are practically the same color. (I should probably minimize those too..!) But I think it's my NYC soft matte lip cream "Stockholm". You're going to laugh, but I know SO little about makeup so most of my stuff is just random brands from Ulta!
Love the Harry Potter reference! You're doing great and have the BEST attitude, especially with regard to not allowing yourself compare your home to anyone else's. I started my minimalist journey to try to get rid of a storage space that I had been keeping. As my daughters have left home and come back, and I had moved to smaller spaces, I found I was once again renting a storage space (most of it is my youngest daughter's as she had her own apartment and now is back home. I am on a mission to pair my things down to make room for more of her things! You're never done simplifying...
40 minutes to your donation centre, round trip with time to unload tops out at maybe 2 hours? That isn't an entire day; it's 12.5% of your day, presuming you sleep about 8 hours a night. Bit more if you stop for a beverage or run other errandz on the way back. The time driving could be used for audiobooks and some therapeutic "caraoke." Two or more days in a row would suck, and it might not be the most environmentally or wallet (gas) friendly thing to do,
but a total time sink it is not.
It can feel like an entire day if it's something you've been putting off doing. There's probably a mathematical formula for the perceived increase in weight a box will gain, the height a shelf will attain, the amount of time and distance is increased in proportion to how long doing something will take.
Procrastination is a multiplier.
Also, there's a small child involved and doing anything that involves packing up kids (not for donation but just for the ride) can make a simple errand feel like Peary's trip to the Pole. And as with Peary, it's not certain you'll ever arrive at your destination.
Erica Tarasoff Of course it's not a full day, but it's entirely likely that it is all of your free time for the day. So if you go to the donation centre one day you can't do anything else besides work, cooking, etc.
Traffic.
Carol McKenzie Thank you for explaining to those without kids, that it can be a full day. Be warned all of you without children, they are gorgeous, beautiful little darlings, but they also can make getting anything done impossible. I remember I had planned all week to go to a flower show, just wanted to spend an hour or two there. But bubs needed a change, then a feed, then threw up over me, the sofa, carpet etc. So I scrub the sofa and carpet, then put bubs down for a nap, then have a shower and change clothes. Bubs wakes up and it starts all over again, it was 5pm by the time we were ready to go (was up at dawn) and of course too late. Please take these obstacles into account before judging any parent :)
I don't know if they're a thing in the US but we get them here, what about donation bags we have them come through randomly like leaflets. If your home you can ask the guy for like 10 n they wont mind. They come back usually within a week n collect it from the kerb, yeah you can't put huge items out but small stuff goes away itself basically... and if you're out when the guy comes with the bags ask neighbours for their bags if they won't use them. It's how I decluttered the majority of my house since I don't drive donating can be a total pain.
It's so motivating to see you speed-cleaning. Like being reminded of what cleaning does to a home and why it is worth the work. Thanks for giving me motivation😊
I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)
This video made me feel better. I was off work all of last week and started decluttering my apartment. While I made a lot of progress, I didn't finish and my place is still a mess! But what you said is true about things getting messy before they get clean. And I feel like I can definitely go back to work on it now!
Glad I could help... I'm late responding to comments, so now that it's been 6 days, I hope your place is shaping up! And if not, that's okay! I have areas that remained 'half done' and messy longer than I like. :-)
Refreshing. I was afraid when I clicked on this video it would be about a sterile looking house. However, your home is lovely and charming. I am glad you found the four things that work for you. Finding what our individual top mistakes are (this will be different for each of us) is enlightening. I think my "mistake" before was trying to do the rules that worked for others. Kudos for discovering your own top issues.
Also not a big commenter but I really enjoy your content - it’s thoughtful, practical, and honest. Thank you for sharing with the world ❤️
Thank you for this video... I’m currently a declutter baby and am making all the same mistakes as you... as you said them I’m like ooh, I do that... and ooh I do that too! It’s great to get advice and pointers along what can be a very overwhelming journey, and to hear the fact that it’s ok that it’s not something that is going to happen overnight.. xx
Very cool. I am also changing habits. I love the speedy cleanup with animal visits! I have 2 longhaired cats and a husky cross. My house is a tumbleweed factory!!!
These are the things that have really helped me so far:
-The FlyLady because she says 'progress not perfection, and has some really awesome habits, -Mel Robbins because she helped me understand something about procrastination and motivation. She uses a deceptively simple technique of saying out loud "5,4,3,2,1'. It uses a different part of your brain than just thinking about it and feeling that gut resistance, and finally,
-bullet journaling because I wrote down lists of types of unfinished projects. It really helps me to choose just one at a time. It has also helped to stop buying material! All my unfinished projects are in a list. I choose one at a time and get to tick it off when I'm done. I have a Habit Tracker - just sensible things like opening, actioning and filing mail every day!
-actually, there's one more! Dave Ramsay's 'Everydollar' has finally helped me get a handle on tight finances.
I am 57 and just getting a handle on all this stuff! Thank you for your great videos. I too have learned to love less and am working towards it area by area in my home. You are very inspiring!
LOVE the bookcase area and all the windows in your kitchen. Way to go cleaning your house!!
I've developed a great hack for getting items I want to resell or donate out of the house. Once I've decided to donate something, I put it in the back of my car. Then, I drive around with them (sometimes for quite a few days) until my daily activities bring me close enough to my second hand store and I drop them off. Once my car is super full, it definitely gives me a lot of motivation to get that stuff to the shop! :)
Love this video and how real it is ... I always put things in piles instead of dealing with it ... and mail ughhhhh.... I have many projects not finished .... it helps me to write down things for the day and it can change to that week to get done
I have never seen any of your videos before. Loved this one! You are so refreshing. I LOVED the speedy cleanup! I had to watch it twice. I finally realized I am a junior hoarder/clutterer (not food stuff, just papers & clothing etc.) on Labor day and have already cleaned out under the bathroom and kitchen sinks. First, admit you have a problem, right? Next, action!! I'm on that step now. I was so motivated watching your video!! Thank you for sharing. :)
Thanks for sharing your tips. I have started living as minimal as possible this year. Removing clothes and makeup and even furniture that is just not at par with what I need. I am even down to just 3 plates, cups, spoons etc. I have some dishes for when I have family over but it's not that often. so the 3 is just the right amount for my family size. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and tips.
I just love this video! You're personality is refreshing and encouraging. It's terrific that you address family demands as well. I often find that lifestyle videos neglect this very important factor for mothers. ❤️
You Tube has been telling me to watch your videos for a while now and I'm finally did! We are row of a kind. I hear my voice and my experiences in yours. I'm 2 years in though but I can relate.
I'm glad you did too! :) how does it feel after two years? Are you in a better place, or is it still an ongoing process?
i loved watching you declutter surfaces and sort everything away to its home fast forward and the music was bomb.
Do more of that please
Great tips! I have been doing Konmari and Flylady. I am slowly getting the house under control. When you have kids things get messy so fast. I'm learning to get over my perfectionism and change my habits. Konmari was overwhelming at first but I find it easier to break it down in small subcategories in order to finish in a reasonable amout of time.
Gosh, true that! (about kids). I could probably benefit from breaking it down into smaller categories too, that's a good idea.
Was getting ready to declutter and was motivated and then the ad before this video "other people just see stuff but we see stuff you worked hard for" ... 😐 true, true....
I feel like this was one of the best videos I have ever watched. I definitely really felt your energy as it was just so loving. Thank you for making this video I love watching you declutter and tackling everyday projects we all struggle with and these 4 tips were simple yet effective and I can't wait to embrace them. Thank you, Rachel!
haha, well thanks! I appreciate that! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video, good luck to you!
Thank you. Tip number 2 was most helpful for me. I really thought that I was about the only one that got paralyzed. Your tip of doing something is good. I always put off doing something until it becomes too big, and then I say that I can't do anything else until I take care of that one thing. And then I don't do anything. Thank you for your tip. Your whole video is nice
Messy before clean, so true ! Put an embargo on non-food shopping as well, except e-books. Plus live your home life as though you were backpacking.