{"id":1155,"date":"2019-01-08T20:40:19","date_gmt":"2019-01-09T01:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/momlifehappylife.com\/?p=1155"},"modified":"2019-01-08T21:19:39","modified_gmt":"2019-01-09T02:19:39","slug":"5-step-system-to-decluttering-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momlifehappylife.com\/5-step-system-to-decluttering-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Step System to Decluttering Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you feeling stressed? Or overwhelmed? Or just like you’re trying to survive every day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And even more so now that you’re a mom? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to have it all together before kids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why now am I constantly feeling a sense of anxiety? Is it the kids? Did it get worse going from two to three kids? What is going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I finally figured it out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not the kids. Yes, they are a lot of work, but they are also a lot of joy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s the stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My battle wasn’t trying to control my kids, it was trying to control the clutter. The mess. The dishes. The laundry. The million little toys, stuffed animals and plastic cups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was a mess because my house was a mess.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I took it out on my kids. Because I couldn’t yell at the cups to go wash themselves, I would yell at the kids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would feel frustrated, overwhelmed and just unhappy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the stuff was suffocating my motherhood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it finally clicked that I wasn’t mad at my kids, but mad at all the cleaning I had to do, the stuff had to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby number three changed everything. Hubby and I were now outnumbered, so we had to put in place systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re both Industrial Engineers and thought, heck, if these systems work for Fortune 100 companies,<\/strong> I bet they can work for a family of five too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*This post contains affiliate links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>How to Declutter Systematically – 5S Method<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toyota uses a system called Lean Six Sigma. One of the first methods is called 5S, this happens before applying any of the advanced techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s basically a systematic method to cleaning up and sustaining the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It works magically on manufacturing floors. Think of a workstation on the car assembly line. If you’re putting together a wheel and you grab a wrench, you don’t want there to be 14 different types of wrenches. You need to grab the right one for the job. It would be great if it was color coded to match the bolt you’re tightening too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of your home as your workstation. You need the right tools to manage your home. If you have too many tools, or tools that do not work, you’re going to become frustrated, waste time and create defects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have to change your mindset. Your home is not a storage place, it’s a living space. It’s a space to make your life work, not to create work.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s get into the 5S system. It stands for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Sort<\/li>
  2. Straighten<\/li>
  3. Shine<\/li>
  4. Standardize<\/li>
  5. Sustain<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>#1 Sort<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This is the most important and one of the hardest steps. Sort through your items and decide what you absolutely need and\/or love, and get rid of anything unnecessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Make three bins, one for keep, one for donate, and one for trash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you decide to keep an item, ask yourself why you’re holding on to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is it worth the cost of holding on to it? Remember, something doesn’t just cost the initial price you paid for it. It also takes time, money and mental space to hold on to it. You’ll have to move it around from room to room, clean around it, think about it, put it in storage, and then rebuy it if you forgot you had it. Is it worth all that extra cost?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here’s a quick little example of what happened to me recently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I finally cleaned out the boxes under my bed and found a box full of baby boy clothes. Probably $100+ worth of cute little tshirts and body suits, all size 0-6 months. And my baby boy is now 14 months old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nothing will fit him anymore. The entire box will be donated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I had no idea I had a box full of baby boy clothes under my bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You may not see it directly, but all the stuff is costing you a lot of money and frustration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>Questions to help you get rid of stuff and declutter:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n