Now that you’ve been isolated at home far longer than you could have ever imagined, what are you going to do from this point forward?

• How’s your life working for you?
• What changes were thrust upon you? Are you happy with them?
• Are you happy with your home, the stuff you have, and where your stuff is located?
• Do you plan what you’re going to do daily? Or do you just let things happen?

I used to think I was an organized person. But now, having gone through two knee replacement surgeries over the course of the past three months, I have found myself just sitting and surveying my cluttered home. Of course, I realize that my husband has been carrying the household burden while taking care of me. He has cooked, washed dishes, cleaned (somewhat) and iced my knees on a regular basis. No extra time to handle decluttering! 

Now that I can move about more freely, I am overwhelmed by what I see needs to be done. I need visual order to feel calm. But I know what to do and how to take back charge of my life – the life I want to live. And that starts with simplifying.

Here are 5 ways you can also start simplifying your life. I’m starting with these to get back control of how I live. And my new knees are going to help me get there!

Get the right mindset—While you can make definite headway in a weekend, simplifying your life is going to be a process and that’s okay. Get your mind in that place where it’s okay to take one step each day toward your goal. A plan to simplify should be simple, right?

Things have changed. If your mindset is currently not where you need or want it to be, I have a solution to deal with this major issue that stands in the way of accomplishing your goals, simplifying your life, and being intentional about what you want to do from this point forward.

For under $10 you can clear away the cobwebs of your mind and set yourself up for success with a new normal mindset. Find out more: https://designingyournewnormal.com/

Spend just 15 minutes—In just 15 minutes a day, you can reduce clutter, put filters on your email, make a phone call to implement an auto-payment, unsubscribe from newsletters that clog up your email, or cancel a credit card you don’t use. If you are feeling like you just don’t have time to simplify, it’s a sure sign you need to! Decide on one small task to complete each day. Set a timer for 15 minutes and see what you can accomplish.

Are you familiar with the Pomodoro Technique? It is a way to help you stay focused on a task by working for a specified time, normally 25 minutes, followed by a short break of 5 minutes. If you’re looking for a good app to set reminders for your 15 minutes (or whatever time you want), check out these apps: Focus Keeper, Pomodoro, and Pomotodo.

Chose one place—What room or area makes you the craziest when you walk into it? What have you been meaning to clean out and declutter the longest? Start there. It’s taking up mental energy you can use for more important things.

Get your family or housemates involved—the common areas of your house are not going to stay decluttered if you are the only one maintaining them. Sit your family down and have a chat about why simplifying is so important to you and how it will benefit everyone.

Start by setting the declutter bar low if you feel overwhelmed. Start simplifying with something simple, like one drawer or one shelf in a closet. When you have a process that works for you, set the bar a little higher. 

Keep a donate box— Keep a donation box in an out-of-the-way place so that you can toss things in as you find them. When the box is full, take it to the donation center of your choice. Want to know “Where to Donate Everything in Your Home A-Z”? Click here: https://www.thespruce.com/where-to-donate-everything-in-home-2648117

Buy one, toss one—Make a new rule for the household: when you purchase a non-consumable item and bring it into the house, you must get rid of something. For example, if you buy a new pair of shoes, either throw out your old, disgusting running shoes or place a pair that is still good, but that you don’t care about keeping, in the donate box. This rule works in two ways—it helps you maintain the simple lifestyle you are creating, and it cuts down on impulse shopping. You’ll probably be surprised to discover that there’s no pair of shoes you currently have that you are willing to part with in order to have the new, shiny pair. Problem solved.

Unless you have the space to put additional purchases, your plan for a clutter-free home won’t work very long. This BOTO (Buy One-Toss One) technique will keep those neat spaces you just organized from becoming cluttered for lack of space.