Put your home on a moving-day diet

Can you imagine putting your home on a “diet?” Watching your calorie intake and exercising to lose pounds isn’t so different from going through stuff to toss or give away to declutter your home.

The Denver Post recently published an article, “Declutter diet has moving parts (2/25/11),” about the benefits of shedding items before moving in particular. Obviously, no one wants to bring “crap” to deal with later in a new home. In this case, author Marni Jameson was moving to another state, and her moving company planned to charge her by the weight of her stuff. So she was very motivated to keep what she cherished and not carry unnecessary extra loads to her new home.

She started with tossing things she no longer needed. That’s a good starting point, just like anyone going on a diet might start by clearing kitchen of foods that are not part of the diet. It is way easier to toss things you know you don’t want or have a need for than it is to decide whether to keep something, just like it is easier to clear away junk food than it can be to say “no” to the question, “Do I want to eat this cookie?”

This article mentioned an interesting idea of how “moving” or home dieting every year or two can help keep space clutter-free, even if an individual isn’t planning a real move. To fake a move, go into each room and pick up an item and ask yourself: “If I were moving, would I take this with me? Do I need this in my home?”

Back to dieting, once we go back to old habits, the unwanted pounds have a greater chance of creeping back on us. It’s the same way with clutter: if we don’t get rid of as much as we bring in, clutter can and will overtake the space again. If you’re watching your calorie intake or exercising to burn calories you don’t need, watch your intake on things you bring home and your “outgo” of things you take out of your house, too. That’s one way to keep and feel light and healthy in your home the way you do in your body.

What’s your best trick to help even out things coming into and going out of your home and office space?

Thanks to Terry for bringing this article to my attention.