Surround yourself with things you love. 
Get rid of everything else.​

Most people feel better when their environments are uncluttered.  Life is often chaotic, and it helps to try to make your home an oasis from the chaos.  We all have too much stuff, and it is overwhelming and depressing.  You want to be able to walk into your home and feel immediately soothed. Some suggestions for good habits to get into:

• Making your bed every morning doesn't take long and yet has a surprisingly big effect.
• Follow the 1-minute rule: don't put off any chore that takes less than a minute to do.  Put your dish in the dishwasher, wipe off the counter, open your mail standing over the recycling container, hang up your coat, your work clothes, and file that piece of paper.
• Make it a rule to always keep your countertops, dressers, chairs, and desks clear.  (Your chair should not be an extension of your closet. It will depress you.)
• Get rid of junk drawers.  They fail us.
• Once a year (first day of Spring?  Fall?) take a good look at your clothing, shoes, dishes, books, subscriptions, rugs, furniture, cords, gadgets, and everything else in your home.  Ask yourself these questions:
  • Do I love this?  If the answer is no, I follow-up with:
  • Is it extremely useful?  If yes, I'll keep it, but look for a better alternative.
  • If I don't love it, and it isn't useful, but it has sentimental value, I'll take a picture of it with my phone and then give it to someone else or donate it (unless I'd really hurt someone's feelings).
  • If I don't love it, it isn't likely to be useful in the next year, and has no sentimental value, I donate it.

If it's been a long time (if ever) since you've seriously decluttered, here are some ways of tackling that chore.
Keep in mind that by donating or giving things to friends, you're giving the objects a good home, allowing other people to enjoy them.

[do as I say, not as I do.]
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