Clutter can be suffocating. Look around your home. Do you see piles of papers, surfaces covered with stuff, clothes throw about in your bedroom, and counters covers in your kitchen? If these things don’t have a place to live, then you might have a clutter problem. And figuring out where to start decluttering can be daunting.
One of the most common questions I get asked is,
“Where do I start decluttering?”
It can be overwhelming. Especially when you are facing a very large decluttering project…AKA you’ve got a LOT OF STUFF!
But I believe you can start decluttering your home without taking off two weeks of work or dedicating hours and hours each day to the process. Yes, it will probably take you some time. Yes, it’s going to be challenging. But it can be done. And it’s SO worth it!
1. Adjust your Mindset
The first thing you need to do before you begin decluttering is adjust your mindset. Mindset is everything when decluttering. If you are emotionally tied to your things, constantly saving things just in case, or because someone gave it to you, then you aren’t quite ready to start.
We live in a world where we can pretty much have anything we could ever want or need in 2 days or less…with free shipping too! (Thanks Amazon Prime!) And even if you’re frugal like I am, you can probably still get something on sale or at a thrift store for a pretty good price IF you ever need to replace something. But that is a very big IF! Over the past 6 years of simplifying our home, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve realized I got rid of something I could have used. But I never actually replaced anything because I realized I could get by without it or use something else in it’s place.
Realizing that stuff is so easy to come by and our needs are much, much less than we think is the first step you need to take before ever jumping into decluttering your home!
2. Small Win Areas
Once you’ve adjusted your mindset and realized that you have far too much stuff, it’s time to jump in. But my suggestion is to grab a small win first. Don’t jump into a big project that is only going to overwhelm you, cause you to stress out, and give up all together. Instead, choose a space you can declutter completely in 15-20 minutes.
Getting a small win under your belt will give you momentum to keep going. Things like your nightstand, the shoe clutter problem by the front front door, a junk drawer in your kitchen, or one cabinet in your bathroom are all great tasks to get your started.
These tasks will not only be done quickly, but will also make your daily life easier. You’ll be so happy to have this task done that you will want to keep going!
Similar: 6 Ways to Maintain a Clutter-Free Home
3. Easy, But Big Impact Areas
Now that you’ve built up your momentum a bit, you can jump into a slightly bigger project. Be sure to steer clear of areas that may hold sentimental value to you.
I know a lot of parents want to jump right into purging toys. But many don’t realize the emotional ties many of us (yes parents!) have to our children’s outgrown toys. If you think that’s you, don’t jump right into toys. Plus, I’m a firm believer that kids will be more susceptible to simplify their items when we practice what we preach and purge our own things first.
I tend to lean towards starting in the kitchen. For me, a simplified kitchen means a lot of time and money saved. I cook more at home because it’s easier to fix meals when I only have the things I use often in my kitchen and my counters are free from clutter. Cooking simple meals is quick and more enjoyable. I spend less on groceries because I’m not wasting food and only buying what I need to fix meals each week.
If you aren’t sure where to start, my suggestion is always the kitchen!
Similar: 7 Realistic Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Countertops Clutter Free
4. 15 Minute Tasks
The next step is to decide how much time you have to dedicate to decluttering. When you start decluttering your home, having a tentative plan in place will help you as you go along. If you have a few weeks of time open, then jump right in! Declutter your closet, kitchen, paperwork, toys, the bathroom linen closet, your laundry room, and even your garage, attic, and basement quickly!
However, if you’re like most people, you probably only have a small window of time each day or even a few days a week to give to decluttering your home. That’s where 15 minute decluttering sessions can make a huge impact overtime. While your kitchen can seem like a huge project, decluttering one cabinet or drawer a day is probably realistic for you.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put off a task because I thought it would take hours only to find it takes less than half the time I imagined!
Have you ever heard the saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Stay consistent and take bite sized chunks each day. You’ll be amazed by your progress 1 week, 1 month, or even 1 year from now. Remember, the time is going to pass anyway. You might as well start decluttering now.
Similar: How Busy Moms Find Time to Declutter
5. Follow the Layer Method
There are a ton of different options for decluttering your home you can find on the web. From the Kon Mari Method to the Minimalism Game, you can find these ideas everywhere. But I tend to keep things simple, manageable, and maintainable for my daily life. I’m a mom of two, I work two different jobs from home, and I’m on the go a lot. So over the years, following the Layer Method for decluttering has worked best for us.
This isn’t an original idea I’m sure! But the gist of it is that I would work in one space to declutter and then move on. Then 3 months, 6 months, or a year later I would go back to the same space only to find even more items to purge. Things that made the cut the first time around, but things I realized I was ready to part with. It took some time. But just like with anything in life from weight loss to budgeting, I’ve found that slow and steady wins the race.
6. Keep a Purge Bin
We are all consumers. Even if we consume much less than the average person or family. We still have new items coming into our home. Therefore, older items need to be making their way out. Once you get to your happy spot, you don’t necessarily need toast aside time for big decluttering sessions anymore.
Rather, keep a purge bin someone in your home. Ours is in our garage. Just put it where you can easily access it! As we come across things in our day to day life that we aren’t using anymore, don’t fit, or aren’t serving us well, we place them in the purge bin. Then every 2-3 months I load those items into my car and drop them off a the local donation center. This one simple step, has made a huge difference in the spaces in our home that tend to collect clutter!
Putting off decluttering for another week or month or until life calms down or after your daughters birthday or once vacation is over won’t solve your clutter problem. Excuses will always find their way into your life. I get it. Finding time to start decluttering can be challenging.
But if you’re at the point of feeling completely overwhelmed by your stuff, you need to start now. TODAY. Follow these steps. Dedicate 15 minutes a day to decluttering. I bet we can all find 15 minutes each day to accomplish this task. Just set your phone down and declutter your house!
Sadie Ake says
This is excellent information. Looking around at the clutter is a nausea-inducing sight once your home becomes cluttered enough.
Sadie Ake recently posted…Thinking about Moving to Queens, New York?