The Great Declutter

THE GREAT DECLUTTER SERIES

Follow the 5 steps below to create your own decluttering plan.

OVERVIEW

Confusion. Chaos. Disorder. Hodgepodge. Jumble. Rummage. Shuffle. Untidiness. Tumble.

Thesaurus.com has stated these as synonyms for “clutter.” (It’s actually more than the above. I might get back to this in the challenge group, but it goes deeper than just chaos, it’s more of a heart issue.) Does that sound like your home or workspace? It sure does sound like mine from time to time. I’ve been on this decluttering journey for 4 years and I’ve learned a lot. It would take more space than I have here to share the lessons but off the top of my head, at this moment, I want to share that maintenance is key and having less stuff has made me a happier person. It may be hard at first if you’re starting out but it gets easier and I’ve had the opportunity to share so much of the things I have that I don’t need to others who could better make use of them. And there’s less to clean, but that’s another topic for another day. So let’s get started!

For my word nerds, some antonyms for “clutter” are: Order. Organization. System. Neatness. Tidiness.

Insert image of something clutter-related if I had time and a photo readily available. :p Maybe I’ll come back and add something later. 🙂

There are many programs and courses that exist to help us declutter so I won’t be creating anything new. BUT what’s different about this challenge is that YOU get to make it your own. I’ve tried many schedules in the past but the truth is that unless you hire a personal declutterer/cleaner/organizer, no one knows your house, your priorities, and your schedule like you. There have always been a few days in month-long or year-long challenges where I get stuck because the space is not declutter-able in the amount of time given. So this is Choose Your Own Adventures – Decluttering edition. (Remember those books?)

This time around I really want members to reflect on these two questions:

  1. How do you want to feel at the end of this challenge? I don’t you want you remain unchanged after our time together. After it’s all done and you’ve put in the hard work, how do you want to look back at the last month or so and feel about what has been done. Let’s not go back to the piles and stuff and clutter tendencies. Let’s be changed and freed from the stuff…which leads us to the next question…
  2. What does decluttering make possible? Without the piles on surfaces and things shoved in closets, what is possible? Are we able to host friends and family and make them feel at home? Are we able to provide a meal to a hungry belly? Is there a space for board games and other fun activities so our world can be a little happier? Is there a space for us to be cozy, relax, and find peace? Can we step out into the world a little more confidently knowing that what we have is just what we need at this time? Can we be a little less harried and less overwhelmed because we don’t have to look for our keys or glasses or wallet or phone one. more. time?

*Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

QUICK OVERVIEW

There are 5 steps before we get started – find YOUR why, determine YOUR biggest need, decide where YOUR stuff will go, design YOUR challenge, and follow YOUR plan. The options are to declutter: by room, hotspots, by themes, by space, from small to big tasks, or set low-high goals by the number of items or number of minutes. I will share about a few programs where I have seen people be successful. I will share the tools and tips that have been helpful to me when I declutter. Lastly, I give you a BIG reminder.

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This first portion is a bit lengthy, but trust me, read along until the end. <3

5 STEPS BEFORE WE GET STARTED

  1. Find YOUR Why
  2. Determine YOUR Biggest Need
  3. Decide Where YOUR Stuff Will Go
  4. Design YOUR Challenge
  5. Follow YOUR Plan

Without your why the motivation you have when you first start until you finish will not last. There are so many good reasons to declutter, but until you figure out why you want to do it, you won’t have the BEST reason to declutter. Do the piles overwhelm you? Is there a safety hazard from things falling over? Are you needing to clear space to remove health hazards like mildew? Do you want to make it easier to host gatherings without having to take time to move stuff off your couch for guests to sit?

If there are health or safety reasons, they are probably your biggest need. Or maybe your family is growing and you need the space. You’ve had a career change and your old college textbooks are no longer needed for reference (and also, there’s the Internet and library). Figure out if there is something more urgent than your own desire to clear the clutter.

I’ve added a new step for 2020 – Decide Where YOUR Stuff Will Go! One of the roadblocks I saw in our groups this year was that we didn’t decide where our stuff will go once we’ve decluttered it from its old home. They sometimes sat in donation boxes without a destination. I think this will be a big help in this upcoming challenge.

The fourth step is the choose-your-adventures part. Below are many options to choose from OR you can sign up for one of the existing programs. More info as you scroll down.

Most importantly, you need to follow through on your plan. If it is impractical for your season of life, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Make your plan something just a bit beyond what you think you are able to do but don’t be delusional about how much time or energy you actually have to declutter each day.

OPTIONS

There are many ways to go about decluttering. Most of the programs I have been a part of have been helpful but I was never able to follow them completely. So you get to decide how you want to do this challenge for the next 31 days. I will have some standard “schedules” available if it’s overwhelming to decide where to start but I really want you to make it your own.

  • By Room
  • Hot Spots
  • By Theme
  • By Space
  • Small –> Big
  • Low-High Goals
    • Number of Items
    • Number of Minutes

By room and by space means assigning a room or an area of a room to each day or week. i.e. Week 1, declutter the kitchen. Hot Spots are the most used spots where clutter seems to land OR the areas where you host guests so you need it to be cleared. By theme just means types of items that are assigned to the days regardless of where they are in the house. i.e. Day 1, declutter shirts. Day 2, declutter office supplies.

If this seems overwhelming, start small by decluttering one drawer and then tackling more as you feel more confident about deciding which items need to stay or go. My favorite is low-high goals because it provides both structure and flexibility for when life happens. (Remember to choose one – items or minutes.) i.e. It’s a busy week so declutter 10-15 items or declutter for 5-10 minutes. There’s a bit more margin so declutter 20-30 items or declutter for 20-30 minutes.

PROGRAMS

There are LOTS of programs out there. If you decide not to design your own challenge or try one of the following programs, let me know what you decided to do or which program has helped you in the past. I can point you to other resources if you’d like, just let me know. These are some that I have either gone through or has come highly recommended by trusted sources.

FREE

PAID

BOOKS

I’ve done Clutter Free through the book, the Bible study, the challenge groups, as well as the online course. They are all fabulous and I love them because they really get to the heart of the issue, which are usually heart issues not stuff issues. I went through Declutter Like a Mother the last round. I think it was 30 minutes a day for 30 days which was hard on days we were out of the house most of the day. The Clutter Challenge has been great for when I’ve needed it here and there because birthdays and holidays continue to happen every year and stuff comes in quickly!, we homeschool (enough said), and we have many teacher-y folks in our (extended) family who always have extras from their projects which we appreciate but it does add up.

TOOLS + TIPS

  • Have boxes and bags on hand.
  • Use a timer.
  • Have fun.
  • Celebrate your wins.
  • Give yourself grace.

There are lots more tools and tips available but let’s start with these basic ones. We can easily get sucked into thinking there is only one right way to declutter but if you’re ready to kick clutter to the curb, I’ve learned that I just need to start.

REMINDER

We are DECLUTTERING, not cleaning or organizing.

I’m NOT an expert on decluttering (notice the “work-in-progress” verbiage on the tagline of my site), but I’ve done it quite a few times and I’ve learned that it is not a one-and-done as Kathi Lipp has shared so many times. If you’re looking to clean or organize, there are lots of other challenges that make it a part of the process, but I find that most people get distracted (myself included!) if I start to clean or organize things while the unneeded stuff is still in my home.

We are DECLUTTERING, not cleaning or organizing.

^ Just in case you forgot already. :p I’m cheering you on, my friend!!

For all the posts in this series:
Overview | 5 Steps | 6 Options | Programs | Tools + Tips | Reminder

*Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a tiny percentage if you make a purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure policy here.