Any large project looks easier when broken into smaller pieces, and decluttering is no exception! Here are three easy ways to break down the decluttering process so you can start with confidence.
Categories
Categories: Narrowing your focus to certain types of objects is a great way to break through the where-do-I-start anxiety. Whether you’re working solo, with family, or alongside an organizer like me, you can choose a category of item to go through to get used to the decluttering process.
You can choose to focus on one room in your home, or go by item type. When you collect one type of item and bring it all together, you can see at a glance how much you have. I’ve seen it over and over: you had no idea you had seven hairbrushes until you got the ones from the downstairs bathroom, upstairs bathroom, kids’ rooms, and the vanity all together! It’s easier to let go of extra things when you know they’re really extra.
Time
Time: If scheduling a whole day of organizing makes your palms sweat, start with five minutes! Set a timer, put on some awesome music, and spend a specific amount of time decluttering and letting go. If you’re exhausted after five minutes, that’s fine! If you feel like you’re on a roll, keep going. You can break your decluttering process into as many small chunks of time as you need.
Low-hanging fruit
Low-hanging fruit: Do a blitz in each room, picking up anything you know you don’t want anymore. Never want to wear an itchy sweater again? Grab all the itchy sweaters in your closet and let them go. As you look for things you know you don’t want, you’ll spot a few more!
I hope these tips help you break through the anxiety of starting so you can, well, start! If you’re struggling with organizing, get in touch with us and we can work together to get you on track.
I love the low-hanging fruit idea – I use that term a lot. Sometimes all you need to do is grab a trash bag and start going after junk mail, or empty bags, or things from the printer you don’t need anymore. It feels good and gets the ball rolling for bigger things. Love your practical ideas here!
Exactly, Sara! The point definitely is to get the ball rolling. Success fuels success!
When we think about decluttering, we can often get overwhelmed because it feels so BIG. After all, we think about it all the time. So by doing all of that thinking, we make things harder than they actually are. I love your strategies for going small with focus, time, and ease. Any of those techniques will quickly get you past feeling overwhelmed and allow you to experience a small success. With that win, you can build from there.
“So by doing all of that thinking, we make things harder than they actually are.” You’re so right Linda! One of the biggest roadblocks to getting organized is simply starting! By creating manageable tasks and just going for it, clients get on a roll and keep going.
I love these tips. The hairbrushes are like what I call the “13 Hammer Syndrome.” If you don’t know what you have, then you may as well not have it, as you can’t find it and are likely to just go buy more of the same. And starting with the low-hanging fruit is solid advice; making it easy means you are more likely to keep at the project.
Thanks Julie! I love the “13 Hammer Syndrome,” that’s a great way to think about it.