Decluttering In Your Home: How To Get It Done
Decluttering often feels like a grand concept that will take a lot of time. I want to assure you that there is another approach that is far more doable and realistic for you, regardless of the season of life you’re in.
Today we’re going to cover 3 strategic tips that will help you actually get decluttering done in your home, in short bursts. These tips will help you align your efforts with proven ways to complete a round of decluttering instead of it just being an idea, that sounds good, that you hope to get to someday! Let’s dive in.
Create a plan.
The first step to decluttering is to create a plan so it becomes a tangible, actionable thing you can get a pulse on. First, IDENTIFY what category, zone or area you want to focus on. Next CLARIFY when you will work on it. I suggest you write this down on a calendar or planner, a task list or schedule it digitally in your calendar on your phone as a reminder.
Your plan might look like one of these:
IDENTIFY: Declutter the hallway misc. closet / CLARIFY: I’ll declutter it over two evenings after the kids are in bed
IDENTIFY: Do a general declutter of decor in the main spaces in our home / CLARIFY: I’ll set a timer for 30 minutes on the weekend to get it done
Set a deadline.
Nothing is more powerful for getting a decluttering project done than a deadline. Pinky promise. Here’s a few ideas on how to do this, all of which I have done and continue to do in my own home.
Do it with a friend: You both create a plan for a small declutter task you’re doing in your home and then plan to go drop off your donations together. Set a deadline 1-2 weeks out and hold each other accountable/encourage each other during the process.
Schedule a donation pick up: One of my favorite ways to keep momentum during a decluttering burst in my home is to know someone is relying on my efforts for a donation pick up. Having a hard date on the calendar is extremely helpful to keep you focused and motivated. Two of my donation pick ups you can schedule in advance include Leukemia of Texas and Salvation Army - check locally for more options.
Invite someone over: Use the invite of someone coming to your house to visit as your deadline to get your decluttering burst done. I love doing this before my parents visit. I try to get any donations I have sitting in the garage dropped off before they arrive.
Align your efforts with a cause.
One of the things you utilize to encourage forward motion on any decluttering effort is to align it with something that is meaningful and valuable to you. Aligning your decluttering efforts with a cause or charity that needs your help will help you stay motivated when you want quit or spend your time elsewhere. Reminding yourself that there’s so many people in your local community that can benefit from your donated goods will help you remember that your time decluttering is part of a bigger effort to care for the people in need in your community.
Here’s a few of my favorites right now.:
The Big Blue Truck Dress for Success Operation Kindness
My Stuff Bags Hope Scarves The Welman Project
I want to encourage to seek out your own donation causes, charities and groups in your area and share it with us through the forms on any of our donation pages. See all our donation categories here for more ideas.
Want more support decluttering in your home?
Learn the basics of Decluttering
Declutter Your Home Masterclass