Living in Chaos? How You Can Create a Haven in Your Home in the Next 7 Days

Posted on Jan 09, 2020 Topic :
Posted by : Kathi Lipp

There was a time you needed to be a blood relative or give me two weeks’ notice before I’d let you in my front door.

I wasn’t opposed to guests. I just lived in fear that anyone not required by family duty to already love me would see my clutter.

If I did invite someone over, I would spend those two weeks cleaning (i.e., stuffing things into drawers and closets) for my house to seem “normal.” Then I would spend the next two weeks searching for everything I stashed. This was not a great way to manage a house; it was an even worse way to manage my life.

Today, we have a house in the mountains we use as a writing retreat center and host dozens of people each month.

When we aren’t hosting retreats, we rent it out through Airbnb or VRBO. Instead of having two weeks’ notice to drop by for coffee, now we sometimes have two hours’ notice before a houseful spend multiple nights.

If you are currently living in chaos, don’t lose heart. Read on to see how I did it.

My 7-Day Plan to Go from Chaos to Haven

Day 1: Pick one spot you want to make over. Think about the area’s purpose.

Maybe it’s a reading corner buried in laundry. Or a kitchen counter you would love to unbury so you could make dinner with less drama. Got it?

Good. Write it on a post-it note and put it on the space to keep the vision in mind.

Now spend 15 minutes decluttering that area.

Day 2: Decide how you want that area to feel; do you want it to be comfy and cozy? Clean and bight? Write that on a post-it as well.

Declutter for 15 minutes.

Day 3: Spend 15 minutes decluttering.

Day 4: Hopefully, you’re getting a vision for this space. Would you like to add a little beauty? Maybe a vase you’ve hidden in a closet. Or perhaps a picture you love. Figure out how you’re going to make the space beautiful.

Declutter for 15 more minutes.

Day 5: Spend 15 minutes decluttering.

Day 6: Think about your five senses. You already know how you want the space to look, but could you get a candle to make it smell like a spring blossom, or use Mrs. Meyers lemon verbena all-purpose cleanser? Or putting your Alexa device there so you can enjoy music as you read or cook?

Spend 15 minutes decluttering.

Day 7: Celebrate. Clean up and decorate the space using the items you planned in day 4 and 5.

What if it’s not totally decluttered? That’s OK. Now that you you’re on your way to a clutter-free space, you’ll want to keep it up.

The hardest part of decluttering is the act of getting started.

If you want to have a quick start to your decluttering journey, join us for our 7-Day Room Refresh — One Week to a More Peaceful, Clutter-Free Space. You will learn the process of reclaiming your room one day at a time.