My 5-Minute Decluttering Trick

A couple papers from the mail that need to be dealt with.  A broken toy on the kitchen counter.  A wall hanging that just hasn't found the perfect spot yet.  We all have these little bits of life that clutter our homes.

I don't know about you, but cluttered surfaces drive me crazy!  After looking around my home and seeing all of these little bits of things that didn't belong, I came up with a solution to clear the clutter: a "deal with it" box.

I grab an empty box from the recycling and take five minutes to walk around and grab everything that doesn't belong.  I'm not worried about finding a home for things, or taking care of them.  I am simply removing them from all the spaces they hide in plain sight.

And a crazy thing happens.  As I'm gathering things, I find a few to put away.  I end up taking care of some of those loose ends that have been sitting out "until I get to them".

Yes, some things are still in the box at the end of the day.  But by clearing off the extra clutter from the surfaces in my home, I'm greeted with a calmer, less stressful house, and I'm motivated to keep it that way.