3 Ways To Declutter In Short Bursts
Full permission here to be done with the old way of thinking that decluttering has to be done in large chunks of time AND that you have to clear your schedule to get anything done. Nope! Not here! The reality is that most of us only have short bursts of time to declutter. Not to mention the limited mental bandwidth to declutter, am I right? Decluttering in small bursts keeps you focused and fresh while you’re making decisions and more motivated to complete small tasks because it’s a practical, doable time commitment.
Here’s 3 ideas for how you can declutter in short bursts of time, regardless of your schedule and season of life.
1. Grab a bag or a box.
To get started on this one, all you need to do is grab a bag, a cardboard box or large container that you can donate. Bonus points of the bag, box or container is reusable or recyclable! Next you’re going to fill it up with items you no longer need in your home. You can approach this in a few different ways. One option is to put your box in a central location in the house, walk your home and bring things back to the box when you find something you’d like to donate (yes, grab those items you need to recycle or toss as well). Another idea is to declutter for a short chunks of time or over the course of a day or week.
Another approach is to bring the bag or box into a certain room and focus all your efforts in that one area. When it is full, you’re done OR when you’re done in that space, you can move to another area to keep filling it up. Remember to remove your donation items from your home ASAP and send them on to their next life with love and care. See more donation resources here.
To provide proof that this idea works you can check out how I used this same idea with my kids and a cardboard box.
2. Set a timer.
Seems obvious but a timer can be your best friend when it comes to decluttering in your home. Here’s one of my favorite time timers I love to use in our home for all sorts of tasks, or simply set your timer on your phone. When you don’t feel like you have much time to devote to decluttering, this will help light a quick fire under you. I’m talking 10, 20 or 30 minutes on your timer to declutter. That’s it!
Where should you declutter during these short bursts? So glad you asked! Here’s a few ideas. You can pick a certain zone to focus on that’s been a chaos/clutter magnet in your home. You can focus on one room. You can also choose one category of items to declutter throughout your home (like books, toys, hanging clothing, etc.). Keep blinders on to everything else and just focus on that one category, room or zone you’ve committed to and see what you can do in whatever short burst of time you can give.
If you’re just getting your feet wet with decluttering, you might want to check out these past blog posts for more (and see more declutter resources at the end of this post). Decluttering In Your Home: How To Get It Done 3 Thing That Sabbotage Your Declutter Efforts
3. Declutter at random.
Sounds like a loose concept but hear me out. I want you to get into the mindset that decluttering can happen at any time, on any day. It does not have to be scheduled to be impactful. When you encounter something that needs to go, immediately remove it and take it to your donations holding area. Set up a donation box, bag or zone anywhere in your home that makes the most sense for you. We have a spot in our garage that once it fills up, we make a donation drop off or schedule a pick with one of our favorite charities in our area. It can also be as simple as a bag on a hook on the back of a closet door or a box on the floor in the garage or a utility closet. Get creative. Anything goes.
So those clothes your kids have outgrown, those extra 3 spatulas you never touch and make you dig for the things you actually use in the kitchen drawer, the unopened toiletries you bought on impulse and haven’t touch in over a year, the items in your closet you avoid daily, the toys your kids no longer play…send them on to your donation zone the same day you make the realization, or better yet, the moment you know it needs to go. No timer needed, no plan on the calendar necessary!
Commit to making decluttering a part of your daily mindset to chip away at reclaiming your spaces in small bursts. I promise you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can create more space and breathing room in your home.
Now tell us below, which of these 3 short burst decluttering ideas are you going to try first? And please circle back and let us know how it goes!
How can I help? Want more support decluttering in your home?
Learn the basics of Decluttering
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
Now it’s your turn to weigh in!
Tell us below which one of these 3 declutter strategies are the most helpful to you while you’re decluttering to get the job done.
Dynamic Women In Their Home - Nazly
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
Our next interview is with Nazly D. She’s one of my favorite humans I’ve connected deeper with in this space through home. I met Nazly through her husband that I knew from Texas A&M Architecture School and then went on to work with him professionally at an architecture firm in Plano for many years. She’s currently in higher education research (in short) with an extensive background in psychology and developmental psychology (she has a PhD to be exact!) She’s a mom of a toddler and knows the world well of working hard and playing hard with her family. I love chatting with about anything home, design, organizing and decluttering. You can often find us sending photos of areas we are working on in our home or new vessels for our plant babies to live in! She’s such a honest and beautiful human (also a rock star volleyball player!!) and I’m so thrilled to share more about her with you here.
Scroll down to enjoy my interview with Nazly about all things home and life.
Share a quick snapshot of your last 5 years:
The last 5 years have been a whirlwind with many ups and downs. We moved from Dallas to Houston in 2016 and I started a new career in higher education research. Over the years I continued to grow in my field and currently serve as the Executive Director of Data Analytics and Institutional Research at a University in Houston. At the end of 2019, I became a new mom and right as I was coming back from maternity leave, the pandemic began a few weeks later. My husband and I were fortunate to be able to keep our jobs and spend more time with our baby. Then in July of 2020, I lost my two longest-time friends, who I grew up with like sisters, to a violent incident. My whole world came crashing down and I began a long journey of coping with the grief and trauma in the middle of a global pandemic. I felt this desperate need to control my environment as a way to cope, and thankfully came across my husband's former colleague and friend, Kristin! Being part of her Declutter Your Home Masterclass gave me the tools I needed to change my mindset around my relationship with stuff and things and allowed me to gain control of my space and create a more peaceful home. This has single-handedly been the most transformative aspect of my grieving journey over the last several years.
What's your day to day like right now?
During the week, my day to day consists of waking up, spending some quality time with my toddler while getting ready for work and prepping for preschool/grandma & grandpa's house, commuting to work, lots of meetings that could be emails, and driving home in time for dinner and toddler bedtime. After she goes to bed, my husband and I spend the evenings together, usually watching something hilarious and having dinner. Then it's bedtime for us, rinse, and repeat the next day! Weekends are much more casual, typically spent running errands and grabbing snacks while out and about. Our daughter loves Trader Joes, since they have an entire wall dedicated to puppy and cat photos, which we have affectionately termed "the puppy wall" (we aren't cat people).
How long have you been in your current home?
We've been in our current home since the summer of 2018.
What do you love most about your current home?
We love that our home has intentional spaces, every room has a purpose. We love our patio/backyard probably most of all. The sellers were the only owners of the home before us and spent a great deal of effort and care into the home. They created a beautiful garden with fountains and beautiful pathways. It’s our happy place.
What's something you'd love to change/or feels challenging for you in your current home?
If I could change something right now, it would be the kitchen finishes, including the countertops/backsplash and maybe the cabinet color and floors. They look nice currently and are very functional, but I wish they were lighter, brighter, and a bit more modern.
In the last year, have you spent any time decluttering/editing in your home (if so where/why)?
Yes! Oh my goodness yes. I started my decluttering/editing journey last Janurary, so it's been a little over a year. In that time I have more or less decluttered nearly every space in our home. I started downstairs in the kitchen and living room since we spend most of our time in these two rooms. I keep tweaking here and there to make improvements as we go, but I’ve got a good foundation.
If you have spent time decluttering/editing, what was the result? Was it helpful?
Decluttering and editing our spaces has made me realize how much functional space we actually have and has led to greater use of each space. It has also helped create a sense of calm and peace in our home. For example, when we see only essential things out on counters, it clears so much mental space and reduces anxiety.
What part would you rather do - declutter OR organize (+ why)?
I actually really like decluttering, there's something that feels cleansing about it. I have struggled with decluttering the closet though…between pregnancy and grief, my weight has fluctuated in both directions wildly, so it’s a little confusing to figure out what still fits.
Where's your favorite spot in your home right now?
I have two, my living room and our bedroom. I spent a lot of time really thinking through both of those spaces and curating them to align with our goals and aesthetic that brings a sense of calm.
What object in your home means a lot to you?
A watercolor painting my dad did of our daughter for her 1st birthday.
Tell me something fun or quirky about you I probably don't know...
I think I have actually developed OCD over the years, I legit paused a conversation one time with a colleague to stand on a chair and fix a crooked ceiling tile in a hallway at work...also I played volleyball in college! That's maybe a little less strange and obnoxious haha!
OK, NOW A FEW RAPID-FIRE HOME QUESTIONS!
Light/bright OR dark/moody:
Generally light and bright
Open concept or separated rooms/nooks:
Open concept
Color or neutrals:
Neutrals
Real plants or faux:
Real plants
Listen to music or read:
Music to drive, books before bed
Favorite morning or daily ritual:
Washing my face and doing my skincare routine...feels so luxurious!
Morning person or night person:
errrr....neither! If I had my way I would sleep early and wake up late! But I'm definitely not a morning person.
Favorite piece of furniture in your home:
1000% our couch...comfortable AND beautiful. I am a true believer in Cantoni...worth every penny!
Do you dress like the interiors of your home?
What a fun question! I would say somewhat, as I tend to wear neutral colors as well.
THANK YOU NAZLY for sharing more about your home and life with us! I know you have so much greatness on the horizon for you that I can’t wait to hear all about. Thank you for bringing us along for this life snapshot!
Photo Credit: Nazly D.
More Support for Your Home + Life:
✔ The brand new ORGANIZED HOME MASTERCLASS will be live May 26th! Learn more about how epic this new Masterclass is HERE!
✔ Ready to take action in your home? START HERE.
✔ Not sure where to being + need help getting started? Check out the tools I’ve created for you HERE.
See you in the next interview!
Declutter Your Home Masterclass: What it is Actually Like Inside?
[ THE SNEAK PEEK YOU’VE BEEN ASKING FOR ]
We all want a peek behind the curtain to see if this program is right for us before we click buy…I get it, I am the same way! So let’s demystify and answer your top questions I’ve received about the Declutter Your Home Masterclass since the launch in early September.
[ THE SNEAK PEEK YOU’VE BEEN ASKING FOR ]
We all want a peek behind the curtain to see if this program is right for us before we click buy…I get it, I am the same way!
So let’s demystify and answer your top questions I’ve received about the Declutter Your Home Masterclass since the original launch back in the fall of 2020.
If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the full outline of the content in the Masterclass HERE.
YOUR CONCERNS + QUESTIONS ANSWERED
1. I am afraid it is going to take up too much TIME. (I barely have any, how will I do this too?)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
✔ It is flexible and self-paced program, which means it can work with your schedule. I teach you how to find pockets of time to make tangible progress!
✔ I have strategically organized the content in a way that you can digest in small bits. Then move on to the next topic.
✔ I only encourage you to make progress on decluttering in your home through MINI TASKS. This is the way to stay motivated and see clear progress quickly.
✔ All the tools I have created for you in each section SAVE YOU TIME. When you follow the tools/checklists I provide, you get the results you’re craving the quickest.
2. Since this is self-paced, how do I stay on track and stay motivated?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
✔ Self-paced means that you get to move as fast or as slow as you need to. You personalize the pace to make sense for your current life and what it will permit. For some of us, that is a few evenings a week after the kids go to bed. Others like to dedicate part of a weekend. It all depends on your person goal(s) which I help you intentionally discover and outline in a practical, tangible way. Replace your phone scrolling with this MC in small bits and you can completely transform your home + life before you know it.
✔ The content is organized in a very simple way, WELCOME, START HERE, STEP ONE, STEP TWO, STEP THREE, BONUS CONTENT (which is filled with extra awesomeness by the way). In each section you are given a quick video with me to watch, and a list of content to review, plus all the resources and tools to get you moving quickly on that topic. You are stepped through each area in a way that is easy to understand/implement.
✔ I’ve recently added a bonus checklist that you can keep and print out to help you keep track and check off your progress while you move through MC. You’ll find that under the WELCOME section. Also, each section is loaded with simple, helpful lists to help you move through the skills with ease + lots of support.
3. Once I buy the MC, I know I have life-time access to all the content, but what does that really mean?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
✔ It means that once you purchase the program, you have IMMEDIATE ACCESS and CONTINUED access to all the material and resources as long as you’d like (for personal use only).
✔ Occasionally I might add updates or an extra bonus to the material or an awesome resource I run across and you get that too! You are the first to be notified of these extras via email, and they will be added to the MC outline pages (where you find all the content).
✔ You can login and access the content from the Masterclass outline page from pretty much anywhere (on your smartphone, tablet or laptop/desktop).
4. What’s the best way to move through the Masterclass to get the most benefit/bang for my buck?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
✔ To get the MAXIMUM benefit of the Declutter Your Home Masterclass, I honestly believe you need to go start to finish. Move through the sections as I have laid them out for you. The order is easy to follow.
✔ Each of the sections were written/created in a way to build on skills and knowledge we’ve discussed in the previous section. You will want the knowledge base from each of the previous sections to rock it in the next section. They all build + support each other!
✔ I also provide quick links for you to access all of the most important resources and tools to implement new skills at the end of the section content. Each of these quick resources are easy to pop open and utilized the moment you need them without digging through the full section to find them.
5. When will I see results from the skills I learn in the Masterclass? What will my home feel like, and what can I expect?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
✔ The first results you will noticed are the simple mindset shifts you will make early on in the WELCOME section. These will continue and are strengthened during the START HERE section. You will notice an IMMEDIATE shift in how you approach your home, making future skills you’ll learn even easier to implement.
✔ In Step One and Step Two, we start taking the most ACTION steps were you will see real physical results right in front of you. You will learn how to assess concerns (and find problem areas) and find high priority areas in your home to address and then create a goal. I teach you exactly how to break it down into small steps to actually make it happen. I give you ALL the exact tools you need to learn and implement decluttering anything, in any area of your home. It’s amazing! Skills you have forever!
✔ By the time you are in Step Three and you’ve moved through all the previous sections, you are an old pro! You have an incredible skillset to identify issues in your home, understand how they got there, declutter the area, improve the efficiency and organization in the space, and then know what to do with the items you’re parting ways with. You will also learn how to prep your home for future success and continue to set decluttering goals for your home as needed.
✔ Most importantly, these results are sustainable that you continue to benefit from. You get immediate results, you get results throughout the process, and you continue to benefit from your decluttering efforts long after you’ve completed your goals, even in the smallest of areas and even through the smallest of goals. Also, YOU START SAVING MONEY because you actually know what you have in your home!!!
✔ Your home will feel lighter, more efficient, less frustrating, less stressful…many report they feel like they “can finally breathe” in their home. It feels calmer, it feels relaxing. They feel less anxious. You start saving money…the list is longer…who doesn’t want all of this?
YES, THAT WAS A BIT LONG WINDED…but sometimes that is what is needed, as I wanted to make DARN sure I eased your concerns and help you decide if the MASTERCLASS make sense for you right now. If you have anymore questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at: fuzzyhippodesign@gmail.com
And thank you AGAIN to all my current Declutter Your Home Masterclass Students!! You are all telling me about the amazing things happening in your homes, the difference you feel, and the improvements you see in your day to day. I am so grateful + happy to be along side you for it! Keep the awesome stories + feedback coming!
30 Day Declutter Challenge
HOW ARE YOU? Wow, what a doozy of a year we’ve had so far. Some of you joined us WAY back in March when we all went into shelter-in-place and started a quarantine lifestyle for the health of ourselves and our community with the onset of COVID-19. During those first 30 days, I invited my Instagram family to join me in a 30 Day Declutter Challenge where we did one *mini* declutter challenge each day for 30 days (we took Sundays off), so it took about a full month-ish.
Hello my dear friend!
HOW ARE YOU? Wow, what a doozy of a year we’ve had so far. Some of you joined us WAY back in March when we all went into shelter-in-place and started a quarantine lifestyle for the health of ourselves and our community with the onset of COVID-19. During those first 30 days, I invited my Instagram family to join me in a 30 Day Declutter Challenge where we did one *mini* declutter challenge each day for 30 days (we took Sundays off), so it took about a full month-ish. I wanted to recap that 30 day experience with you all here, and if you missed any days, or wanted to get started here on your own time, I have it all mapped out below for you.
The nature of these challenges, as I mentioned, is that they are indeed intended to be*mini* declutter challenges, meaning that they should likely only take you between 5-15 minutes each. Consider it a quick declutter session where you stay focus only on the task at hand, and then you move along with your day!
Did you know that I did all of the challenges right along side everyone and showed each day my progress and how I approached each mini challenge?
Yes, I sure did! See all of the details in my Instagram highlights, click HERE.
[ NOTE: you’ll need to scroll through the Instagram highlight bubbles and look for these highlights: 1Mini Declutter | 2Mini Declutter | 3Mini Declutter. There’s three different highlights to capture our full month+ because we went through a lot of awesomeness together! Also, I mislabeled a few days on IG, but if you follow them in order, they correspond with the full list below. I blame the errors on the foggy quarantine brain… you know…]
Let’s dive into the list + then I’ll share some final notes on the experience + TOP TIPS I shared with my IG family during that time.
DAY 1: SOCK DRAWER
DAY 10: LAUNDRY ESSENTIALS
