Do you have a “junk room” in your home? A room that is dedicated to junk will attract more junk. Do you really want more junk in your life? Probably not. You deserve better.

However, there still remains the problem of what to do with the contents of that room.

STEP ONE: SET GOALS

First, decide what you want to use the room for, once the junk is out. Could you use a home office, or a reading room? Perhaps it would be nice to have an entertainment room, for welcoming friends to watch a movie or a sports event with you. Once you’ve decided on a new purpose for the room, write that on a sheet of paper and tape it to the door. Leave the sign in place for a few days, to remind you–and everyone else in the house–that it is no longer a haven for junk.

(If your junk room is also your garage, attic, or basement, you don’t need to assign it a new purpose. It’s okay to have storage as long as you can find anything in it within ten minutes of beginning to search.)

STEP TWO: GET READY

Next, collect some empty boxes and label them, one for each other room in your house. (Ordinarily, you’d do this with just one box that is “put away” for things temporarily left in the wrong room. If you’re weeding out an entire room, you’ll need several boxes, and probably one for each room in your home.) You’ll also need a box that is for items you’ll donate to charity, as well as a big trash container for discards.

Note: If you have difficulty telling trash from treasures, you’ll also need a “hibernation” box. Use this box for things that you probably don’t need, but you’re not ready to let them go yet, either. After you fill each “hibernation” box, seal it closed with tape and put it somewhere out of sight such as the garage, basement, or attic. Put a date on the box, probably six months from now. Anything that’s still in that box on that date must be donated to charity or given away. No exceptions!

THE 20 MINUTE CHALLENGE

Now it’s time to start going through the room. Set a timer for 20 minutes, and start at the doorway. If you can’t really get into the room, clear that space first. Next, begin at your left and start moving clockwise around the room. Everything has to go into a box or into the trash. Remember: If you haven’t used something in a year, or even forgot that you owned it, you should probably let it go. Give it to someone else, or donate it to charity unless you have a specific purpose for it and you’ll use it in the next month. Rely on the hibernation box for anything that you aren’t sure about.

As you approach the end of the 20 minutes, you may notice that you have a tendency to put more things into the hibernation box. This is why you should work for 20 minutes and then take a break. After sorting through junk, most people notice that their decision-making skills–and their enthusiasm–start to fade.

Note: If you are one of the rare people who builds up steam during the process, and couldn’t think of stopping after 20 minutes, keep going. Just keep a close eye on how much is landing in the hibernation box. Once you notice that box filling up, it’s time to stop for an extended break.

EARN YOUR BREAKS… AND BE SURE TO TAKE THEM

When you stop for a break, it must be at least half as long as the amount of time you just worked. If you worked for 20 minutes, you’ll need a ten minute break; if you worked for two hours, you’ll need to take at least an hour off. Continue this process until the room is completely empty. Then, you can quit for the day or you can keep going.

TAKING OUT THE TRASH

Don’t try to put everything away from the room boxes. Save that for another day. However, it’s important to take the trash out, and also to drop charity donations at the community drop box, thrift shop, or homeless shelter that you’re donating to. When you’ve taken some time off, you next step is to vacuum the walls and ceiling. This is only partly to clean off cobwebs. The energy of the vacuum cleaner–the swirling air and the noise–are very good at revitalizing stale areas of the room. This is a space clearing process, and you’ll be amazed at how much better the room feels to visitors after you’ve vacuumed.

Finally, vacuum or sweep the floor, get all of the dirt out, and put the vacuum cleaner away. Clean the windows if they’re dusty, launder the curtains if they need it, and dust the blinds or window shade.

As time permits, you can empty the many boxes that you filled, and put the indivdual items where they belong.

ACCENT THE POSITIVE

Now, you’re ready to begin the positive work in your room. Does it need paint? A new light fixture? Curtains? Small changes can make big differences. Finally, move in furniture and create your new room. For Feng Shui reasons, it’s important to spend at least 20 minutes each day in this room, so that you recharge the room with your personal energy.

WATCH THE OBSTACLES VANISH, TOO

With this new room in use, you’ll find that other areas of your life expand as well. You’ll have less junk in your relationships with others, as well. There may be fewer obstacles to career success, you may suddenly discover that helpful friends drop by more often, and money problems can diminish too. Remember: Any time is a good time to tackle the junk in your home, and get it out of your way.