You did it! You cleaned out the garage, the kids’ closets, the playroom, etc. You want to be so proud of yourself…

…but deep down, you’re wondering just how quickly it will get out of control again.

Can you relate?

Here are three quick tips to help you maintain minimalism after decluttering:

 When You Buy Something New

This one is simple. If you buy something new for yourself, donate or give away something that is somewhat equal. For example, when you buy a new pair of tennis shoes, you need to donate or give away the oldest pair you currently have. Easy.

 When You’re Given a Gift

We’ve all felt that guilt when we’re given a gift. I mean, isn’t there some un-written rule that you have to keep it for at least a year before you give it away?

Donating something doesn’t mean you didn’t like it; it just means you didn’t need it.

So here’s the declutter new gift protocol:

  1. Accept it
  2. Admire it
  3. Donate it if you don’t need it.

Paper

If you find yourself having tons of paperwork at your house, try organizing your files by a timeline instead of by topic. If you have 12 folders (one for each month!), when you go to add items to March of this year, for example, you will find items from March of the previous year that you can quickly purge.

It seems simple, but trust me. Applying those three changes will help you turn decluttering from a major project into an everyday habit.