The Complete Decluttering and Organizing Guide: Declutter Workbook, #4

By Alex Wong

Embrace the art of minimalism and finally declutter your life with this ultimate guide to organizing!

 

Are you searching for the secret to embracing a life of minimalism? Do you want to escape from consumerist culture and discover the freeing benefits of living lighter? Or do you want to pick up a ton of handy tips and tricks from a decluttering pro? Then this collection is for you.

 

Inside this brilliant 3-book bundle, you'll join best-selling author and passionate minimalist Alex Wong as he reveals a comprehensive decluttering plan that's specially designed to help you organize your life like never before. Combining step-by-step advice with actionable exercises for decluttering your home, mind, social media, finances, relationships, and so much more, this collection arms you with the essential knowledge you need to embrace minimalism and start feeling the incredible benefits for yourself.

 

If you're tired of being dragged down by too much useless stuff, or if you find yourself clamoring to buy things you don't really need, this cutting-edge advice will revolutionize your mindset and give you a fresh new perspective on the value of your time, money, and attention. Whether you struggle with pointless possessions, harmful relationships, social media addiction, or a cluttered mind, The Complete Decluttering and Organizing Guide is your ticket to your brand-new minimalist life.

 

Here's just a little of what you'll discover inside:

• In The Art of Decluttering and Organizing, you'll discover a detailed and practical decluttering plan for streamlining your life, improving your mental well-being, and cultivating a healthy mindset toward your possessions.
• In The Decluttering Your Life Workbook, you'll find everything you need to apply minimalism to your life and defeat the materialist mindset that's holding you back.
• And in The Digital Decluttering Workbook, you'll uncover the secret to saving more time, breaking smartphone addiction, and kickstarting your 30-day digital detox.

Built on tried-and-tested techniques that author Alex Wong has gathered over the course of his minimalist life, his advice lets readers of all ages and backgrounds strike a healthy balance in their lives and benefit from the modern world without letting consumerism or technology consume us.

 

With easy-to-follow roadmaps to minimalism, this collection will take you by the hand and show you how you can begin living a more fulfilling life by focusing on what really matters.

 

Are you ready to embrace the art of decluttering? Then scroll up and grab your copy today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alex Wong
• Release date: Apr 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223741961

Alex Wong

"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done." - Bruce Lee Alex Wong is the head copywriter for an advertising media agency specializing in custom websites and online marketing. He's trained with some of the top copywriters and internet marketers around and has learned the best methods, tricks, and strategies to persuade customers. He loves bringing people's visions to life with the power of words. A few other interesting things you might find interesting: · He's the first person in his family to graduate from university (with a degree in psychology). · Before becoming a copywriter, he's worked as a waiter, customer service agent, telemarketer, animator, tutor, and English teacher. Surprisingly, all of these jobs have helped him to become a better copywriter. · If he could meet one anyone it would be Bruce Lee. You couldn't ask for a better role model. You can learn more about his services at http://alexwongcopywriting.com/

Book preview

The Complete Decluttering and Organizing Guide

This Set Includes:

The Art of Decluttering and Organizing

The Decluttering Your Life Workbook

The Digital Decluttering Workbook

By Alex Wong

http://alexwongpublishing.com/

© COPYRIGHT 2021 BY Alex Wong - All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

The Complete Decluttering and Organizing Guide

Table of Contents

The Art of Decluttering and Organizing

My Cluttered Life

Life Doesn’t Have to Be Messy

1 - How I Embraced Minimalism

What is Cluttering?

Why Do People Start Cluttering?

Why Are You Suffering?

Set Goals

2 - The Benefits to Decluttering Your Life

A Healthier Mind

Boost Your Productivity

A Healthier Body

A Safer Living Space

Avoid Legal Issues

It Will Be Easier to Clean

You’ll Have More Living Space

Decluttering Will Save You Money

You Can Make Money

You Can Help Others

You’ll Stop Living in the Past

You Will Gain Confidence

Are You Ready to Make the Change?

3 - Changing Your State of Mind

Determining Your Psychological State Behind Clutter

Valuing Space Over Stuff

What Are Your Goals?

Holding Yourself Accountable

Getting Clear on What You Need

Summary

4 - Forming a Game Plan

If You Don’t Use It, Toss It!

Dealing with Future Purchases

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Different Decluttering Methods

Room by Room

By Category

How to Choose Which Method or Room?

How to Make Decluttering Fun

Summary

5 - The Basics of Decluttering

How Many Items Should You Keep?

How to Sort and Prioritize

Sorting and Organizing Sentimental Stuff

Useful vs Beautiful vs Sentimental

Summary

6 - The Closet

Strategy for Decluttering the Closet

Optimizing Closet Space. Keep, Toss, Sell, Donate

How to Properly Fold and Organize Clothes

Planning Seasonally

Summary

7 - The Bathroom

Decluttering the Bathroom Basics

Products

Towels

Cleaning Supplies

Summary

8 - The Kitchen

Decluttering the Kitchen Basics

Dishes, Cups, Plates, Kitchen Tools and Linens

Optimizing for Efficiency

Summary

9 - The Bedroom

Decluttering the Bedroom Basics

Decluttering for a Better Night’s Sleep

Nightstands

Drawers

Electronics, Computers and Smartphones

Summary

10 - The Workspace

Organizing Your Office Supplies

Decluttering Your Desk

Dealing with Emails

Summary

11 - The Laundry Room

Decluttering the Laundry Room Basics

Linens

Make Laundry Day a Habit

Summary

12 - The Garage / Storage Room

Decluttering Seasonally

Summary

13 - Books

Magazines, Newspapers and Mail

Summary

14 - Sorting and Organizing Sentimental Items

Kids Clothes, Artwork and Toys

Diaries, Journals and Personal Letters

Things Inherited from Late Loved Ones

Give Yourself Time to Go Through Inherited Stuff

Gifts - Wedding, Birthday, Christmas

Greeting Cards

Expensive Gifts and Belongings

Summary

15 - Collections and Collectables

Photo Albums

Art Collections

Music, Videos and DVDs

Toys

Cards, Comics and Stamps. Giving Up the Collection

Summary

16 - Getting Rid of Things That Are Significant in Value

eBay

Craigslist

Facebook Market Place

Garage Sales

Donating Stuff

Summary

17 - Overcoming Obstacles

Staying Clutter Free for The Long Term

Tips on How to Stay Organized

What if You or Your Family Member is a Hoarder?

What if You Don’t Know Where to Start?

What if You Need Help?

What If You Can’t Give Anything Up?

What If You Start Collecting Stuff Again?

18 - The 30-Day Decluttering Plan

19 - Final Thoughts

Summary Action Plan

The Decluttering Your Life Workbook

Introduction

Who am I

Who is this book for?

Where do we start?

The Mind

Time

Health and Body

Eating and Diet

Relationships

Home Organization

Finances

Ready to get started?

Step 1: Mind

How mental health affects your lifestyle

Keep a journal

Learn to let things go

Learn to be grateful

Meditate, breathe, and stretch

Live in the moment

Watch your thoughts

Use apps to help yourself

Volunteer and help others

Get professional help if needed

Make sure to schedule some me time

Summary/checklist

Step 2: Time

Adopting time management techniques

The pomodoro technique

Focus, be decisive, and learn to say no

How to organize your day

Morning, midday, and nighttime routines

Daily and weekly planning

Tools at your disposal

Summary

Step 3: Health and body

Importance of an annual physical

Setting goals for health and fitness

Tips to setting goals

Obstacles and issues that may prevent you from becoming active and healthy

Exercise options with something for everyone

Tools and Apps

The importance of sleep

Reducing stress for better sleep

Summary

Step 4: Eating and Diet

Intermittent fasting

The different types of intermittent fasting

16:8

5:2

Alternate day fasting

Cleaning out the cupboard

Learning how to plan your meals

Meal prepping for newbies

Other time saving kitchen tips

Grocery shopping

Saving time and money at the grocery store

Superfoods

Summary

Step 5: Social and Relationships

Make time for family and friends

Cutting out toxic relationships

Be more patient and open minded

Open mindedness

Find mentors and coaches

Summary

Step 6: Home Organization

Methods for home organization

Room Vs. Category

Does It Bring Happiness?

Sell? Donate? Toss?

Try giving yourself a timer

Main cleaning items

50 Items to throw away

Stopping future clutter

De-cluttering methods for each room

15 Minute de-cluttering

Summary

Step 7: Finances

What are your goals?

What kind of retirement do you want?

Track your spending

Create a budget

Watch your debt! Methods for paying off your debt

Figure out your expenses and watch your spending

Create an emergency fund

Invest your money

Credit Cards

Invest more in experiences, and less in material things

Summary

Final Thoughts

Summary and action plan:

De-clutter your mind

Learn proper time management

Improve your physical health

Improve your diet

Improve your relationships

Organize your home

Improve your financial habits

The Digital Decluttering Workbook

Introduction

Goals of this book

Chapter 1: The Problems with Social Media and the Internet

Chapter 2: Research and Studies

Chapter 3: The Computer or Laptop

Chapter 4: Emails

Chapter 5: Social Media

Chapter 6: Time Management and Productivity

Chapter 1: The Problems with Social Media and the Internet

What are the negative impacts of social media?

Summary

Chapter 2: Research and Studies

The risks

Resources

Summary

Chapter 3: The Computer or Laptop

Create a system for organizing your computer

Organizing your desktop

Organizing your photos

Organize your video files

Organizing your music

How to keep your programs organized

Cloud storage and backing up

Optimizing your computer

Keeping internet browsers organized

Staying focused

Summary

Chapter 4: Email

Email overview

Tips for email management

Best practices

Gmail Tips

Outlook tips

Tools

Dealing with newsletters and spam

Summary

Chapter 5: Social Media

Statistics and overview

Social media addiction

General tips for social media management

Apps to reduce your screen time

Managing Facebook

Managing other platforms

Procrastination

Best practices

Summary

Chapter 6: Time Management and Productivity

Focus on one thing

The 20/80 rule

Work in 25/5 or 50/10

Learn to say no

Learn to schedule your time

Weekly and monthly planning

Invest in a whiteboard or calendar

Hire a virtual assistant, if you have the resources

Review your goals often

Apps for time management

Summary

Chapter 7: How to live a more enriching life

30-day digital detox

Deep Work

Mindfulness and living an enriched life.

45 things to do instead of social media

Fulfillment exercise

Summary

Chapter 7: Final thoughts

Summary and Action plan

Resources

Review Request

About the Author

The Art of Decluttering and Organizing

How to Tidy Up your Home, Stop Clutter, and Simplify your Life (Without Going Crazy)

By Alex Wong

http://alexwongpublishing.com/

My Cluttered Life

T idying is the act of confronting yourself. — Marie Kondo

I grew up surrounded by clutter, so I know all too well the feelings of stress and anxiety that this kind of environment can cause. My father was a hoarder with an obsessive-compulsive disorder. He loved collecting things but absolutely hated throwing them away. Things piled up in all areas of our home and it made life very difficult for me. As you can imagine, living like this during my formative years had a profound impact on my life. Growing up around my father’s clutter took a toll on my mental health as well as my relationships. Deep down I was ashamed about the way we lived.

When I was younger, I would never have friends come to visit my home out of fear that they would judge me and my family. I always felt like I was hiding some big secret from my friends and the rest of the world. I was embarrassed. I felt like there was something wrong with us and if anyone found out how we lived they would surely make fun of me and judge me for it. Thankfully, I was able to move past this difficult situation and declutter my life for good. The results have been outstanding. I now live a clean and happy life full of success and healthy relationships. I wrote this book to help you do the same.

Life Doesn’t Have to Be Messy

Are you living your life surrounded by clutter? Don’t feel bad. You’re certainly not alone. But did you know that living or working in a disorganized place can cause anxiety and affect your productivity? It’s true. Walking into your office and seeing your desk covered in junk can be overwhelming. At first glance you might think, I’ll never be able to tackle all of this. It can put you in a foul mood before you even get started. That’s not a good way to begin your day.

A lot of us fall into the trap of becoming messy and over-cluttered. These days, it seems we have more responsibilities and less personal time than ever before. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Wake up, get the kids ready for school, work all day, run your errands, rush home to feed the dog, cook dinner for your family, wash the dishes, and before you know it it’s already time for bed. Then you wake up in the morning and start it all over again. It starts to feel like you’re chained to a treadmill running at full speed.

When the mail comes in, you toss it aside and it piles up. Your desk is overflowing with stacks of papers. Your bathroom is a disaster zone. You’ve been meaning to clean out the garage on your next day off but you keep procrastinating. You keep telling yourself you’ll do it next spring and the years just keep rolling by.

Don’t feel bad. We’ve all been there. I’m here to tell you there is hope. In this book, we’re going to discuss some easy ways to get organized and declutter your life. It’s not nearly as hard as you might think. With just a little bit of time dedicated each day you can transform your living space. Even doing little things like cleaning up your bathroom or making your bed in the morning can have a positive effect on your state of mind.

Whether you’re a serious hoarder with OCD or just a busy parent who’s feeling overwhelmed with their messy home, this book is for you. After reading this book you will have the solid actionable steps you need to declutter your life.

In Chapter 1, you’ll learn what it means to declutter one’s life, and how there’s far more to it than just throwing away some old boxes of stuff. You’ll learn why people start hoarding and quickly bury their living space under piles of clutter. Then I’ll tell you how I escaped my own cluttered lifestyle and embraced minimalism.

In Chapter 2, you’ll learn exactly how clutter can impact your physical, mental, and financial health. There are numerous ways a messy living space can prematurely age you, destroy your relationships, and affect your business.

In Chapter 3, I’ll outline a step by step action plan to stop the clutter once and for all, help you tidy up your living space, and simplify your life. You’ll learn the proper mindset needed to take control of your situation and start this next great chapter in your life.

In the remaining chapters, we’ll go through each room step by step with a detailed action plan to remove the clutter, get organized and tidy up your home for good. Together we will set new goals to improve every aspect of our lives, including our messy homes. We’ll cover different decluttering methods, embracing minimalism and overcoming any obstacles standing in your way. I promise it won’t be as difficult as you think. Let’s get started!

1 - How I Embraced Minimalism

My childhood years spent in my father’s cluttered home pushed me to embrace minimalism later on in life. It wasn’t easy, but I was ultimately able to turn this negative situation into a positive one. My first experience with decluttering came when I moved from my home in Korea to Hong Kong for graduate school. I was faced with the difficult task of fitting all of my worldly possessions into a single suitcase.

So many things had to go. Clothing, hangers, books etc. I simply couldn’t take it all with me. I sold a lot of my things on Craigslist. I also gave a lot of my things away to friends. But in the end, I was still forced to throw away many of my prized possessions. Even for someone who is not a hoarder, throwing away things that are perfectly good and useful can be a difficult experience. Some of the clothes I got rid of were only worn a few times. It seemed like a shameful waste of time and money. However, I knew it had to be done to start my new life in Hong Kong. I’ve been a minimalist ever since and I couldn’t be happier.

Hong Kong has some of the smallest and most expensive apartments in the world. This took me by surprise when I first arrived and it forced me to adapt to the minimalist lifestyle. Having a small living space made me choose the things I brought home wisely. Many of the rooms I stayed in were super tiny. Just a place to sleep and a bathroom. In some of the rooms, you could spread your arms out and touch two of the opposite walls. Every square inch of the room was used to its full potential. The bed doubled as a storage compartment when you lifted it up. There was one small table which was used as a desk and a dining area. Even the refrigerator was compact, so I had to be very strict about what I stored in there on a weekly basis. Food I didn’t eat and condiments I didn’t use had to be thrown out. There simply wasn’t enough room in my apartment to store anything besides the essentials. A week’s worth of clothing. My computer and phone. Some basic hygiene items. Still, I was content living in my tiny room in Hong Kong. It was a comfortable place where I had everything I needed and nothing I didn’t. It made me realize how happy and relaxed I could feel living without all the material possessions I was once attached to.

Materialism is all too common in Western society these days. From a very young age, we are brainwashed by large corporations who are constantly encouraging us to buy their products. We see their advertisements during TV commercials and before movies. We see their billboards at sporting events. We’re bombarded by their ads on our favorite websites and also while scrolling through our social media feeds. You simply can’t escape it. The message is repeatedly being drilled into our heads that we’re not successful until we upgrade to this new computer, buy these new shoes or trade-up for that new phone. Or perhaps we think, once we get a nice expensive car then people will really like us! Even though the truth is our old laptop works just fine, our sneakers are still in good shape and our phone is only a year old. And we don’t need a car when living in a big city. We can save money by walking or taking the train.

It’s also important to remember that anyone who likes you because of your possessions doesn’t like you at all. They’re only around for what you can do for them. These kinds of shallow people are trouble and they should be avoided at all costs.

Regardless of the truth, many people still fall into the trap of materialism and measure their happiness and success by the stuff they own. What if I told you that your possessions do not dictate your happiness and your quality of life? It’s true. You don’t need a dozen pairs of the hottest shoes. You don’t need every new electronic gadget that comes out. You can get by with just one winter jacket.

I’m not trying to convince you to become a monk. Of course not! I’m simply asking you to take a hard look at your life and be able to differentiate between the things you need and the things you want.

I was a digital nomad working remote for several years so minimalism became a lifestyle for me. When you’re constantly traveling and living out of a suitcase it’s important to pack light. Now that I moved back to Toronto, Canada I have more space for things, but still I choose to live simple and keep my place clean. These principles work for everyone from digital nomads living out of a backpack to families living together in a big house. I’ve managed to declutter my life for good and now I want to help you do the same. In the next chapter I’ll discuss all of the important health benefits to decluttering your life. Some of them might surprise you! Let’s continue.

What is Cluttering?

Now it’s important for me to clarify the difference between collecting and hoarding. There is nothing wrong with collecting a certain item as a part of a healthy hobby. The famous comedian and late-night TV host Jay Leno has an extensive vehicle collection with approximately 300 cars and motorcycles. Is he a hoarder? I’d say no. He’s just a guy who likes cars and he’s rich enough to spend $50 million dollars on a massive garage full of them.

When I was a kid, I had an extensive collection of sports cards, comic books and toys. This was a lot of fun! I grew out of those things as I got older, but it’s perfectly acceptable to have such collections at any age. Some adults collect high-end bottles of wine or rare coins. These are all normal, healthy hobbies as long as you have the time, money and space to dedicate to such things.

There are a lot of people who aren’t hoarders at all, but they just keep a messy home. They constantly fall behind on the chores. Dishes pile up in the sink, laundry overflows in the basket and there’s a foul smell coming from the trash bags they still haven’t taken outside. Generally, these people can tidy up without much hassle and their mess isn’t totally consuming their lives at this point. They’re usually still comfortable having guests over to their home as long as they have a few hours to straighten the place out first.

In contrast, the hoarder often collects anything and everything they can get their hands on, including items that hold little to no value. Stacks of old newspapers pile up on the floor. Packets of old condiments from the fast food restaurants are over flowing in the drawers. Broken pieces of furniture they found in the neighbor’s trash pile get left in the corner of the living room. They don’t have one can opener, they have twenty. They often say to themselves, I can’t throw this away. What if I need it one day? or, I can fix this old chair and use it. or, I can sell this item. It’s still perfectly good, it’s a waste of money to just throw it away!

The fact is they will never use it, fix it or sell it. It just gets buried under more junk and forgotten about as they continue their hoarding habit. The hoarder doesn’t need any of the items they accumulate and they don’t get any joy out of owning them. Yet still they can’t seem to part with anything they take home. Over the years their living space becomes seriously unhealthy.

Is your clutter habit more than just a messy home? Here are some questions you should ask yourself.

-  Are you ashamed to have friends or family visit your home due to the amount of stuff you have packed in there?

-  Do you have entire rooms in your home that are unusable because they are dedicated to storage?

-  Are there narrow paths leading through your home that are surrounded by piles of things that you’ve accumulated?

-  If you live with family or roommates, do they ever complain about the amount of stuff you have in your home?

-  Do you ever find yourself buying something you already own because you can’t find it?

-  Do you ever pay bills late because you lost them in your piles of things?

-  Do you ever experience feelings of guilt or shame when you see the piles of clutter in your home?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then you might be developing a serious clutter problem and it’s time to make a change.

The purpose of this book is not to force you to throw away all of your prized possessions. Not at all! But if you’re reading this book then you must have recognized there is a problem in your life. Acknowledging the

problem is the first step in making the change needed and I am so proud of you for coming this far. Now we must identify the cause of your issues and change your thought process in the fastest and easiest way possible.

I don’t claim to be a psychologist. And I’m not there with you to help you in person. I can only give you the tools to perhaps take a look deep inside and do some soul searching. If you feel you need professional help, then I highly recommend you look for a reputable doctor in your area.

Why Do People Start Cluttering?

People start hoarding and accumulating clutter for a variety of reasons. Some people think that cluttering is just somebody’s obsession with collecting things. Others may think that hoarders are so cheap they don’t want to waste a single penny by throwing away an old magazine that somebody might read or waste an old plastic bag that can be reused. The truth is, the reasons behind clutter go much deeper than this. Clutter in its most serious form is called hoarding. This condition usually stems from some sort of mental stress and emotional trauma.

In 2013, hoarding was officially recognized as a mental health disorder. It’s only seen in 2%-5% of the population and doctors closely relate hoarding with obsessive compulsive disorder, also known as OCD. OCD is usually characterized by people who have strong compulsions to repeat certain acts. OCD could also be 100% mental, with the person suffering from obsessive thoughts that they can’t seem to control.

Common OCD behaviors include continuously biting their fingernails until the point they’re bleeding, or washing their hands five times after they’ve touched something that they think is dirty. Mental OCD could be obsessing over the thought that your spouse is cheating on you or stealing from you when you have no evidence of this whatsoever. Approximately one in four people with OCD are compulsive hoarders as well.

OCD, much like hoarding, can be seen in varying degrees from mild to severe. It covers a wide range of mental and physical behaviors but generally it’s something that you do repetitively without thinking. You can’t control it, and it takes up a significant part of each day. Without exception, people who suffer from all forms of obsessive compulsive disorder also suffer from anxiety and depression. They’ve tricked themselves into thinking their obsessive behavior brings them some level of comfort and relief from their suffering. While hoarding may alleviate their anxiety, it only does so temporarily. In the long run hoarding greatly exacerbates the feelings of anxiety and depression as the stuff they accumulate begins taking its toll on their quality of life.

If you have a clutter problem you might be thinking to yourself, oh no am I going crazy? Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with you at all. You just have something bothering you that’s triggering your compulsive behavior. Together we will identify it and work to eliminate it. Trust me. If I can do it, so can you.

In the Four Pillars of Buddhism there is a philosophy that translates roughly to, life is suffering. Buddhist and Hindu cultures have always recognized that suffering is indeed part of the journey of life and we will all