musicMagpie Blog

Everyone is looking for a way to spend less time decluttering while achieving the same results, if the amount of posts on the subject are anything to go by.

Cutting the amount of time you spend decluttering really isn't that hard, though. In fact, it's as simple as asking yourself 3 short questions.

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Why am I decluttering?

AKA the most important question that everyone forgets to ask. If you start anything without a reason to do it, you'll fail 99.9% of the time – and the same is true with decluttering.

Before you even pick up a CD, make sure you know why. Whatever your motives, having something to aim for and visualise while you clean up will make decluttering a whole lot easier.

Of course, finding a motivation isn't always easy. Almost everyone feels a compulsion to tidy up because we're told its the "˜right thing' to do when we're young, although not many people know why they should tidy up – the emotional and practical benefits.

Fortunately, it's easy to pick out a few reasons. Just sit down with a pen and paper and think about how more space and less clutter will benefit you: it could be a cleaner home, more space for the kids to play in or even just a bit more space to buy new stuff.

If you can't think of any reason to clean up, you might want to check our 7 warning signs that its time to declutter or 5 amazing ways decluttering makes you happier posts…

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How will I declutter?

Now you've got your reasons for decluttering, you need to make a plan. And no, "˜walking around and picking up stuff every now and again' isn't a plan"¦

Different people declutter in different ways, although the fundamentals usually remain the same: tackle one room at a time, work in bursts rather than a marathon and try and enlist help where possible.

If you want some further advice on easy ways to declutter, check out this post!

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When will I declutter?

The biggest obstruction to your decluttering efforts is time. The fact is, most people would prefer to do something "˜fun' rather than spend time cleaning up.

Therefore, you'll need to set aside some time to declutter – and stick to it! Generally, Sunday is a good day to tackle the task, as you've already had a day off to relax.

Not everyone has the discipline to declutter for hours on end, though. If you're one of them, you might find it easier to spend 20 minutes decluttering every now and again; after all, every little helps. If do take this approach, make sure you declutter regularly; if you only take 20 minutes every other week, stuff is almost guaranteed to build back up and your hard work will have been pointless!

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How do you declutter? Share your best tips with us in the comments!

Or, if you're ready to sell your CDs, DVDs, Games and Electronics, click the button below to get started!