Getting organized starts with decluttering. I’ll never tell you to become a minimalist but I'm a firm believer in going through things regularly to get rid of anything you no longer need to make room for the things you love.

So how do you declutter?

Start with one room at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed trying to declutter many rooms at once. Start with one drawer or one closet you’ll feel so good you’ll be motivated to keep going.
Take everything out of the space. In order to be honest with what you have you have to touch every item and be brutally honest with yourself on whether or not you love or need it.
Create a Keep, Donate, Sell and Toss Piles. When you know where something is going it helps with the decluttering process.

A few things to ask yourself when getting rid of things:

Am I keeping this because of feelings of guilt? Gifts and things passed down from someone often account for a lot of clutter in people's homes. Remember that the memories exist outside of the physical item.
Have I used this in the last year? or would I buy this in the store? A reminder that we evolve and something that you loved a year ago may not be what you love today.
Do I have another item serving a similar purpose? Not many people need 3 hammers, 35 pens or 14 water bottles.
Does this currently fit and make me feel good? Think of this with clothing, though it also applies to furniture if you've moved and it no longer fits the space.

Now that you’re left with all things you love, it’s time to find the RIGHT place for everything else.

Happy Organizing!

-Jocelyn