Shea Simmons
For many, the idea of “new year, new me” involves getting their space in order. If you’re looking to declutter and organize more in the new year, there’s one step you should take before getting started.
Instead of diving head first into decluttering, you should first make a lot of the place you plan to donate and recycle your items.
Isabel Almeida, a U.K.-based pro organizer, says making a list of where you’ll take your clutter will prevent it from building up and sitting in a corner while you do the research. While sure, you can toss all of your clutter, donating and recycling helps both the planet and other people, so why not give it a shot?
Look up organizations in your area that take donations, note their rules for items (like only donating gently used or worn pieces), and once you’ve got your items for donation, you’ll know exactly where to take them. As for recycling, do the same. Find your nearest location, look up what items can be recycled there, and make your pile.
Once all of your items are decluttered and ready for donation, recycling, or trash, they won’t need to sit around in boxes or piles waiting for you to research where to take them. Simply load them up and go.
Once you’ve got this step down, if decluttering still feels daunting, try the five-minute method to make the task easier.
[Via Apartment Therapy]
