Starting the process of decluttering

Don't you just hate it when so-called experts say you need to do spring cleaning or declutter your house or apartment?"I'll get rid of the junk when I feel like it," you say to yourself. "Besides, I might need that stuff someday. And it's not really junk."On the other hand, the calendar does say it's spring — a time of renewal, a time for the rebirth of the carpet beneath those boxes.You don't have to go overboard. Just do a few things to make your living space more streamlined.Maybe you've stashed a pile of junk mail in a bag because company was coming and you had to get it out of plain view. Or put the basket of unfolded clean laundry behind the door of the basement to get it out of the way for a while. So that was six weeks ago?Keith C. Heidorn, in his Living Gently quarterly electronic magazine, offers some spring decluttering tips:1. Make a list of things to do. But don't judge items on the list as you are preparing it. OK, so the list is a long one. Just keep writing.2. Prioritize the list. Now's the time to judge the items — you may want to rank items from the hardest task to easiest.3. Start with the easiest tasks. This approach ensures that you establish a pattern of success. You can cross some things off the list. Doesn't that feel good? Don't avoid the hard tasks — just do them a little bit later.4. Reward yourself. This recognition of your success gives you incentive to keep going. But make sure that your reward isn't a step backward for your decluttering program. Buying another 96-piece set of everyday dishes doesn't make sense if you already have some.5. Build on success. Crossing small and/or easy tasks off your list is a foundation to keep going. Keep your pace slow but steady.One rule I like: If you buy something, get rid of something else. Does it work? Try it.Now then, don't you feel better that the pile of junk mail is in the trash and that basket of laundry is folded and put away?