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I know that many home decor and organizing blogs out there are full of these incredible before and after photos, which I LOVE as much as you do. And sometimes, we attack a project with one big gigantic effort to start and finish it in a short amount of time. This is an intense way to do it, though, because these processes can be time-consuming and grueling. There are times where it works out to get projects done in a big bold step, but I’ve not found that to be what happens normally.

Normal people get things done in manageable bits at a time.

Small Steps Toward Big Changes

Think of all the small things that could be done, but we push them to the side because we are obsessed over the big list of things to do. While we are busy worrying about the big picture, we could make a pretty good dent with slow and small steps towards the changes.

If you’re doing the 91 Day Declutter Challenge, it is a big effort all together, but it is made up of 91 days of littler efforts. And even if you only manage to get half of the little efforts done, you’ll end up with HALF OF YOUR HOUSE DECLUTTERED. Do you hear what I’m saying? Even not doing it perfectly, and just focusing on a small step at a time, you can get so much good stuff done. How would it feel to have HALF your house decluttered. Worth it? Even just 15 minutes a day can get you so much further than you are right now!

*I kind of want to edit this quote above to be “Set your goals high and don’t stop til you get there” …(adding ->)… “but it’s okay to get there one small step at a time, as long as you’re working toward where you want to go.”

Take it 15 Minutes At A Time

In an email to my subscribers recently, I wrote about setting a goal within the Declutter Challenge for yourself. I gave the idea of decluttering at least 15 minutes a day on the days you don’t have time to fully declutter an area.

Today I got an email in response with this question: “If I don’t have much time, how can 15 minutes a day work if I’m doing the bedroom and have to pull everything out?”

In no way am I saying you can fully declutter an entire room, or even an area of a room, in 15 minutes if you’re just starting out. Fully decluttering would involve taking everything out and sorting to keep, toss, etc. Don’t think about the all or nothing! It’s good to know the ideal or right way to do something, but don’t be afraid to adjust and get good things done – you don’t need to do it perfectly!

If you had 15 minutes to get rid of some clutter, you could certainly look through an area and pull out A LOT in that amount of time. A lot can happen in 15 minutes. Can entire projects happen in 15 minutes? Well, not in one 15 minute time, but add up lots of 15 minutes and there isn’t much you couldn’t get done!!!

This applies to any goal and project. 15 minutes of exercise is better than no exercise and will eventually add up to increased health. As much improved health as spending an hour a day? Maybe not at the same speed, but eventually both 15-minute-exercisers and 1-hour-exercisers can reach their goals.

Break your goal into small increments, and do what you can, when you can. Unless you have limitless amounts of time on your hands, you need to get used to taking advantage of small pockets of time. There is so much we can do with the time we have.

I know that small steps can lead to big changes. And I know that a lot of small steps can happen 15 minutes at a time. Set your timers. Figure out what you want and go for it!

From my home to yours,
Mary