THE GREAT DECLUTTER SERIES
This is a 6-part decluttering series. Below are the links to the posts. If you want to read the whole thing in one post, head over to this page.
Overview | 5 Steps | 6 Options | Programs | Tools + Tips | Reminder
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 month. 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. (In the next post, I’ll share existing programs and resources out there.)
- By Room
- Hot Spots
- By Theme
- By Space
- Small –> Big
- Low-High Goals
- Number of Items
- Number of Minutes
By Room
By room is exactly as what you think it is. Assign a room to each week or each few days (depending on how much work needs to be done)
i.e. Week 1, declutter the kitchen, Week 2, declutter the bathrooms, etc.
Hot Spots
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.
i.e. front door/porch, entryways, couches, dining areas, etc.
Theme
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, etc.
Space
Space can be similar to room and hot spots but it just means assigning an area of a room to each day or week…so working in even smaller areas/piles than room/hot spots.
i.e. Week 1, declutter the kitchen Day 1, kitchen island, Day 2, top shelf of refrigerator, etc. Week 2, declutter the garage, Day 1, top of washing machine, Day 2, top of dryer, etc. OR you can choose one room to work for the whole month like I did last year.
Small -> Big
If any of this seems overwhelming because your home is seemingly too far gone, start small by decluttering one drawer and then tackling more and make your tasks bigger as you feel more confident about deciding which items need to stay or go.
i.e. Day 1, top right drawer of desk, Day 2, bottom right drawer of desk, Day 7, top of desk, Day 20, office supplies in the office area, Day 30, office storage shelf
Low-High Goals
My favorite is low-high goals because it provides both structure and flexibility for when life happens. Just choose one – items or minutes.
i.e. LOW = It’s a busy week so declutter 10-15 items or declutter for 5-10 minutes. HIGH = There’s a bit more margin so declutter 20-30 items or declutter for 20-30 minutes.
Number of items
This is similar to low-high goals but it remains the same for the entirety of the month/session. Decide to declutter (get out of your house!) X# of items each day or week.
i.e. Declutter 10 items every day. Declutter 100 items each week. Declutter 1000 items at the end of the challenge.
Number of minutes
Again, this is similar to low-high goals but it remains the same for the entirety of the month/session. Decide to declutter (get out of your house!) X# of minutes each day or week.
i.e. Declutter for 10 minutes every day. Declutter for 100 minutes each week. Declutter for 1000 minutes at the end of the challenge.
Mad Lib-style
OR I just shared this with a friend in the group. I don’t super highly recommend doing it this way because having some direction from the get-go has proved to be helpful for the majority of the group members. If you really can’t decide, just do it Mad Lib-style.
______ (day/time of day) I will declutter ___ (space) for ___ (time).
ie. This afternoon at 3pm I will declutter the middle cabinet of the kitchen island for 15 minutes.
REMINDER
We are DECLUTTERING, not cleaning or organizing.