I have known that I need to go through my home to declutter items for quite some time. I did a large declutter when I started trying out minimalism 2 years ago, but I have changed drastically since that large declutter. I have found I have plenty more to get rid of.
If you are wondering what minimalism or intentional living is, check out my article here.
I have decided to document that journey with you, in the event you happen to need some motivation and to motivate myself as well.
The Minimalists have books, documentaries, a blog, and a great podcast, all of which I recommend. Quite a few references are made to them throughout this article and many of these concepts are discussed on their website. I am hoping to present how I have incorporated their ideas into my routine and also point out some of their other recommendations in case you need further ideas and motiviation.
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Start with your “Why”
There is a difference between cleaning the house and decluttering. There are also many reasons why you may need to declutter. Knowing your why is incredibly important. It will help drive the decisions you make in what you keep and what you let go of.
Example of Whys:
- Spend too much time picking up items.
- Have no place to store the items.
- Looking to simplify my daily life with less decisions to have to make.
- Feel overwhelmed looking around my home. It is not a relaxing place to be.
- Surrounded by distractions that aren’t helping me live a meaningful life.
- Looking to downsize to redirect my money.
- Holding onto items of who I used to be, not who I am today.
- Need a fresh start or new outlook.
Make a Plan:
- Create a checklist of all the rooms/areas in your home. (See end of article for an example)
- If the list seems too daunting to do one room at a time, break it down further in sections.
- Just start, start anywhere on the checklist.
Tip
If getting started is the issue, start with a small portion, a junk drawer, a towel drawer, the pen cup on your desk. My favorite place to start is the kitchen counters. What are you not using everyday on your counters? Remove it! Don’t take up precious counter space with something you use every month or every 2 weeks. Put it in a cupboard and free up the visual clutter.
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Get Started:
- Pick any room/area on the checklist.
- Remove everything from its place in that area. One big pile works.
- Make three piles: Keep, Trash, Donate
- Place each item into one of those piles.
*Tip: Get stuck on an item? If you spend more than 30 seconds deciding, put it into the keep pile and move on.
Before you check it off:
- Go through each item on the keep pile and ask yourself these questions
- Have I used it in the last 90 days? Will I use it in the next 90 days?
- If this disappeared into thin air, would I purchase it again?
- Does this further any of my goals?
- Would someone benefit from it more than I would?
- Am I keeping this for me or for the person someone thinks I am?
- Do you have multiples of these somewhere else in your home?
- Find a place for each item you are looking to keep.
Sunk Cost Fallacy
Who you are is not what you spent your money on. The items you purchased are worth nothing if you don’t use them. Don’t let the idea that you are wasting money by getting rid of something. Sell it if you can and donate it if you cannot sell it within a specific amount of time. You will need to cut the cord at some point, stop saving it for your future self to worry about.
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Sentimental Item
- Are you saving it to make someone else happy?
- Would someone else like to have it more?
- Is it only collecting dust?
- Can you take a picture of it to keep the memories?
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Live with someone else who does not want to declutter?
Don’t declutter someone else’s things. It will only hurt your relationship with them. Identify items that are yours and start there. If you wish to work on areas that are jointly owned with someone else, talk through it with them together.
Is the process above not aggressive enough for you?
We are not all wired the same. So if you look at the above steps and think you want to be even more aggressive on minimizing, try this. The Minimalists have a great process to help those that want to “go all in” with the Packing Party. The idea is to pack up everything you own and pull out items you need as you need them. Everything left over after a specific amount of time can be thrown or donated. You can read more about it here.
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The process above too intense?
Not ready to deep dive into a full home declutter? No problem. You can always just declutter a drawer or closet. Anything helps. You could also try another The Minimalists recommendation of the 30 day Minimalism game. This includes the first day, trashing, selling, or donating one item. The second day, choose two items. It can ease you into it and you may find yourself getting rid of much more than you originally planned.
Photo by Emre Can Acer from Pexels
Do not feel inspired?
Need to dive deeper into the idea of minimalism or intentional living?
- Check out the Netflix documentary, Less is Now, by the Minimalists. Perfect short introduction into the importance of the underlying concepts.
- More of a reader? Check out my current top book, Love People, Use Things by By Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus. I would recommend this to anyone, but especially anyone coming right out of high school or college. Filled with thought provoking It lays the foundation and gets into the true “Why” of minimalism.
Declutter Checklist Example:
- Garage
- Large Rack Shelf
- Small Rack Shelf
- Wall Mounted Shelf
- Floor
- Outdoors
- Plants
- Furniture
- Misc
- Kitchen
- Closet
- Cupboards 1-3
- Cupboards 4-6
- Fridge
- Junk Drawer
- Silverware Drawers
- Counters
- Hallways Closets
- Upstairs Closet
- Downstairs Closet
- Living Room
- Bedroom
- Closet
- Dresser
- Nightstand
- Office
- Craft Room
- Closet
- Craft Bins
- Laundry Room
- Car
References
Packing Party – The Minimalists Blog Post
30 Day Minimalism Game – The Minimalists Blog Post
Less is Now – The Minimalists Documentary
Love People, Use Things – The Minimalists Book
