Here’s How to Finally Start Decluttering Your Home

You’ve seen tons of "after" photos to know exactly what you want your home to look like. Spacious, tidy, organized. A kitchen table you can see AND eat at.

And yet…the clutter is still there.

Knowing what you want and knowing how to get there are two very different things. In this post, I’m going to breakdown how to get you from that before (boo!) to the after (yay!).

No, it’s not because you’re lazy. It’s also not because you don’t care.

Clutter tends to come from having a mind that’s already running at full capacity.

People living in cluttered spaces often experience heightened anxiety and reduced focus. So the clutter is stressing you out…which makes it harder to deal with the clutter. Fun cycle, right?

There’s also the emotional side of it. An item that once brought you lots of joy might now be reminding you of goals you never reached or of past experiences. And these can contribute to emotional stress.

That’s why getting rid of things can be so difficult sometimes. It’s not really the stuff itself, it’s what the stuff means.

Once you understand that, this all gets a little easier. And now, let’s see how to do it.

What comes before two? One! One shelf. One nightstand. The top of the dryer.

Set a 15-minute timer and go. That’s your whole job today. Nothing else.

Why does this work? Because one accomplishment is the engine of every lasting change. When that timer goes off and you’re looking at one clean, clear surface, you’ve accomplished something! It doesn’t matter that there’s more to go, just bask in knowing you’ve taken a step forward. That’s how you build momentum.

I get that this might sound a bit “woo woo”, but please don’t skip this.

A big part of doing anything successfully really depends on your personal "why." You could be given reasons ALL day for why you should declutter, but until you have a personal reason, it’s likely you won’t stay motivated to get it done. You need a purpose for doing what you’re doing.

So why do you want to declutter? Is it because company is coming and you’re embarrassed? Because you’re just tired of not being able to find anything?

Write it down. Put it somewhere you’ll see it. That’s going to get you through those days when you’d rather close the closet door and walk away.

I’ve seen so many complicated systems and multi-step frameworks. I’m going to skip all that! There’s one question that cuts through almost any decluttering decision…

“Would I go out and buy this again today?”

If the answer is a quick yes, then it stays. If you hesitated (even for a second!)…well, that’s your answer.

This works especially well for kitchen gadgets, clothes that “almost” fit, and the random items that have followed you through three moves. Your home deserves things you’ll actually choose, and so do you.

Before you pull a single thing off a shelf, grab four bins or bags and label each of them. Keep, Donate, Trash, and Relocate.

The first three make sense so I don’t need to cover those. Your “Relocate” bin is for things that belong in your home… just not in this room. What I love about this bin is that it keeps you from wandering all over the house putting one item away at a time. Doing this takes up a lot of your time and can distract you.

Work fast. Trust your gut. Quick decisions are almost always the right ones when it comes to letting things go.

Are you really going to miss that ugly shirt that’s wayyyy too big for you anyways? I think not.

Every home has it. The drawer of mystery and intrigue! Leaking batteries, a key to a lock that doesn’t exist anymore, roughly forty takeout menus, and some screws you’re keeping “in case you need more screws.” C’mon now!

I’ve got good news for you, your junk drawer is one of the fastest wins in your whole house.

Empty it completely onto a flat surface. Wipe the drawer down (it needs it, trust me). Then only put back items with a clear, specific purpose. We’re coming back to the rule of “one.” One hammer. one notepad, one flashlight, one pair of scissors.

If it doesn’t have a job, it doesn’t get to stay. Period.

I believe that closets are where guilt goes to live.

There’s the "I’ll fit into this again someday" pile. The "aww, but I spent good money on it" stack. And the "I might need it eventually" section…that hasn’t been touched in two years.

Just like Elsa from Disney’s Frozen, “Let it go.”

Clothes you haven’t worn in over a year, things that don’t fit the way they should, pieces you kept out of obligation, all of it can go! Imagine how your extra sweaters, pants, jackets, shoes, and coats could make a difference in someone’s life.

You’re not throwing it away, you’re passing it forward. And your closet is going to have so much extra space that you forgot was even there.

I know the idea of one giant weekend purge sounds satisfying. And it is…for about forty-five minutes. Then it becomes a disaster.

Room by room is slower, but it’s how things get done. Visible progress in one space is what keeps you going to the next.

Try this:

• Tuesday >> kitchen
• Thursday >> one bedroom
• Saturday >> one bathroom

Bigger spaces like the garage or a storage room get a weekend slot when you’re ready. There’s no race here! You’re establishing a habit, and habits run on a steady pace, not one exhausted sprint.

Here’s the real difference between a tidy home and a cluttered one. Create a workable system that makes sense to you and that’s easy to maintain. This way your decluttering efforts have lasting results.

That means every item you decide to hold onto needs a designated spot. When something has a home, it gets put there. When it doesn’t, it lands on the counter or the floor. And stays there. Nooo!

Go through your keep pile and assign a place for each item. If you can’t figure out where it goes, pause. It might not belong in your home at all.

Some days you’re going to open a cabinet and immediately want to close it. Yep, been there, done that.

The trick is having a low gear instead of a full stop. On those days, do the most minimal possible thing. Wipe one surface. Move the donate bag to your car. Fold the blankets on the couch.

Sure, you didn’t do the big thing. But at least you did something. Remind yourself that some is better than none. Staying in the habit of taking action, even tiny action, is what helps you stay with it.

All this work is worth protecting. And the simplest way to do that is one-in, one-out.

Something new comes in? Something old goes out. New shoes show up at the door, an older pair gets donated. New gadget finds a kitchen drawer, something else moves on. The more you practice it, decluttering becomes a lifestyle change that brings long-lasting benefits to you and your home.

That’s why some homes always seem effortlessly tidy. They’ve set the habit that’s on declutter autopilot.

That’s it. Ten ways to get unstuck and start loving the home you’ve been picturing.

I don’t want (nor expect) you to do all ten this week. You only have to do one thing. Then another thing tomorrow. Or next week.