It will take more than reading one blog post to realize how clutter is affecting your life and taking away from your freedom and creativity. It struck me as I walked into my kitchen the other day, that for the first time, instead of seeing a cluttered counter, I saw sunlight streaming in from the kitchen window. In that moment, I knew that I would never live with clutter again.

While a major overhaul of your “stuff” may be necessary, you don’t have to spend days and months uncluttering to enjoy the light. Start in a room where you love to spend time, and empty it out. Yes, all of it. Make the room as empty as it was the day you moved in (or emptier). This will mean cluttering up another adjacent room, but it is only temporary. This shift in stuff will help you to appreciate the space in the empty room, and the potential of how you will live with less in that space. Equally important, you will have full view of everything that has been cluttering up your space and time.

Assuming the room you take on is your kitchen, after you empty the space, take one of the following approaches to clear the clutter for good!

Fast Track

1. Clean your kitchen from top to bottom. Get it all – cabinets, floor, counter tops, sink, windowsills, and windows.
2. Clean the inside of your stove and refrigerator.
3. Once the room is spotless, move in it. Walk around, sit down, stand up, and see how the clean, clear space feels. Do not move to the next step until you fully appreciate the emptiness of the space and how that allows you to think more clearly.
4. Now it’s time to decide what “stuff” to bring back into the room. Don’t put anything on the  counter top unless you use it frequently. For instance, I used to keep a blender on the counter, but now it has it’s own place behind closed doors.
5. Dump the stuff you never use. If you have  a George Foreman Grill stuffed in the back of a cabinet, but you don’t eat meat anymore, it’s time to let the grill go! (I bought a rice cooker that I was sure would revolutionize my life. Within a month, I was back to cooking rice in a pot and gave the rice cooker away.)
6. Check your food too. Are there cans of soup you bought, but never use? Check the expiration date and donate to a local food bank.
7. Box everything up that isn’t going back in the kitchen and donate it. (If it helps you to bring less into the kitchen, box everything up, seal it with packing tape and leave it in your garage or basement. If you don’t miss it after 30 days, give it away.)

Nice and Easy

1. Follow steps 1-3 above.
2. Do not bring anything into your kitchen until you need it. If you can live with the clutter in the other room for a week or longer, you will really “get” how little you actually need. If you haven’t brought something into the kitchen after 7-10 days, let it go.
3. Box everything up that isn’t going back in the kitchen and donate it. (If it helps you to bring less into the kitchen, box everything up, seal it with packing tape and leave it in your garage or basement. If you don’t miss it after 30 days, give it away.)

You can apply these steps to any room in your house. It will be so important to physically remove the things that you don’t need, but think you want, for at least 30 days to see if you really do want them in the house. You will likely forget all about that vase that sat empty on your windowsill or the 3 extra whisks or wooden spoons.

Decide what you want more of, and make room for it. If open space and streaming rays of sun inspire you to be creative or help you live a better life, than keep working towards less stuff and more light.

What room will you tackle first?