If your house feels overwhelming, decluttering won’t fix it! I know that sounds backwards because I’ve taught you for years that simplifying and decluttering matter…and they do! Look at my house…I’m proof it works! But decluttering is not the first step. Life doesn’t pause while you declutter. Laundry still gets worn, dishes get used, groceries still come in. So when you’re trying to declutter without control, you’re working on yesterday’s mess while today’s mess keeps piling up. It’s like trying to fold a giant laundry pile while everyone in the house keeps throwing dirty clothes on top of it. You’ll never catch up unless you stop the new laundry first! So you have to manage today’s mess before you can tackle yesterday’s. That’s why this method works. We’re not trying to make your house perfect, we’re trying to make it stable. When your house is stable, you have energy, you have time, and you can finally make real progress!

So here’s how we stop the chaos from growing:

• First, you need to clean your house every day. Not a deep clean, no scrubbing baseboards, just a few things to do every day to keep your house functional. That’s why I use the “Daily Six”. That’s the top part of my cleaning schedule, the 6/10 list. These are 6 non-negotiable things that prevent my house from sliding backwards. It takes less than 30 minutes total. I spread it throughout the day. When these things get done, the mess stops multiplying. You can get my 6/10 List here: https://organizedchaos4bus.com/2022/02/10/the-6-10-list/comment-page-1/
• Second, you need to do the basket method. This is about the visual calm. When your eyes can rest, your brain can think! We can contain the clutter now so we can deal with it intentionally later. So you’re going to grab a basket and toss everything in, all of the visual clutter. The baskets I use: https://amzlink.to/az0CTvAc2ouIe
• Third, you need to lay out seven outfits per person. They only wear these seven outfits for a week. This limits the flow of dirty laundry. Less coming in means you can actually catch up and stay caught up!
• Fourth, you’re going to eat straight out of the dishwasher. So when it’s time for dinner you’re going to grab a plate directly from the dishwasher. Fewer steps means fewer chances for dishes to pile up. We’re removing friction where we can!
• Last, simplify your meals. Five easy dinners repeated for a few weeks. This reduces groceries, dishes and decisions. Decision fatigue is one of the biggest drivers of household chaos!

We’re not lowering the standard forever. We’re creating breathing room. Stability comes before progress. Control comes before decluttering. And once your house stops fighting you, that’s when the decluttering finally sticks!

-Audrey