musicMagpie Blog

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Tidying up is easy. You pick up a couple of things, pop them into a bag and then either sell or get rid of them. So why do so many of us struggle with it?

As it turns out, decluttering is as much about your mental attitude as it is your ability to pick up objects and remove them from your home. Luckily, it's relatively easy to change your attitude towards decluttering. Here are 5 approaches to decluttering that may change your life forever!

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KonMari

KonMari was created by Japanese minimalist Marie Kondo in her best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and was such a success that Kondo temporarily stopped taking bookings for her services due to high demand.

The central idea behind KonMari is beautifully simple; you pick up an item and ask yourself "˜does this item bring me joy?'. If it does, you keep it. If it doesn't, you say thanks for all the good times and give it away or sell it. It seems so simple, yet so many of us cling onto stuff that doesn't really make any difference to our lives on a day-to-day basis.

The KonMari approach also suggests clearing your clutter by "˜category' – clothes, CDs, DVDs, and so on – rather than room-by-room.

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The Stock Theory

The stock theory of decluttering boils down to a single question: would I buy this item again today?

The basic idea is that all of the stuff you own should be judged on its monetary value, its current condition and how much you use it. If you wouldn't buy it again based on that information, get rid of it.

The theory is heavily influenced by stock trading, where current value plays a big part in your decision to keep or discard a stock.

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The 5 Minute Decluttering Method

It's a common misconception that decluttering takes a long time, as this post by ZenHabits proves. It details 18 simple steps to declutter your home, each taking 5 minutes each. Theoretically, you could declutter in 90 minutes!

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Feng Shui

Feng Shui is an ancient art based on the idea that the positioning of objects affects the balance of qi, or positive life energy.

As such, the Feng Shui approach to decluttering suggests that you get rid of anything that doesn't guide you towards your goals or contribute to your happiness. So, if you've been struggling to land your dream job, try selling that iPad you haven't used for 6 months!

If you'd like to learn more about Feng Shui, check out this post.

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Setting a Goal

Without a reason to declutter, most people will fail before they even really start. Before you even pick up a DVD, make sure you know why you're decluttering. It could be making your home tidier for your family, creating space for a new purchase or even just making a bit of cash; whatever your goal, working towards it will make decluttering much easier.

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How do you declutter? Share your ideas with us in the comments and we'll feature the best in a future post!

If this post has inspired you to declutter, download the FREE musicMagpie app and get an instant price for your stuff as go. It's surprisingly easy!

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