Declutter

It is very easy to keep clutter out of your life. You just need to have greater awareness and put in a little effort. My training as a pharmacist taught me the trick to decluttering.

Lab experiments

Our pharmacy laboratory work requires us to complete an experiment within a set amount of time. This included the time it takes to clean up the workbench as well. Many experiments are time-limited, meaning they need to run their courses through a fixed period of time. This means that no matter how fast you finish the experiment, the time left for cleaning up is limited.

So how do we minimise the time needed to clean up at the end of the experiment? We clean through the course of the experiment. When we finish one step, we clean up. Some steps required us to wait. Use that time to clean up.

This training has left a lasting impression on me. When I cook, I work with the same mentality. I clean up during and in between each cooking step. By the time I’m done cooking, I only have a few items to clean up.

Clean as you go

How does this apply to decluttering?

1. When you are cooking, keep the kitchen top and sink relatively clean. Wash and put away things that you don’t need, so that you have less things to worry about when you clean up at the end.
2. When you are done cooking, clean up instead of waiting until you finish eating. If you have been diligently putting things away while cooking, you don’t have much to clear up.
3. When you have finished eating, wash the dishes. Don’t procrastinate and let the dishes pile up.
4. When you take a break from working at your desk, put away things that you don’t need. By doing so, you leave yourself with less things to clear when you finish working. Less clutter on your work desk also helps you to focus better.

The trick is to put away unnecessary items as soon as you don’t need them. If you wait, they will pile up. Why not spend the free moments you have putting them away?

I do my accounts daily. I need to track my work and personal accounts, and I used to do it at the end of the month. That made me dread the end of each month because of the amount of work I had to wade through. I have since switched to tracking my accounts on a daily basis. It is now a habit and I don’t have to wreck my brains at the end of the month.

Declutter is not hard once you repeat it until it becomes a habit. You’ll put away things almost with barely a thought.

Not sure if your life needs decluttering? Take a look at your desk, kitchen top or sink and you’ll know the answer.