“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” —Dale Carnegie
The idea of living a simplified, uncluttered life with less stuff sounds attractive to many. They have considered the benefits of owning fewer possessions: less to clean, less debt, less to organize, less stress, more money and energy for their greatest passions. They are ready to declutter but some get quickly tripped up by the very next question… where in the world do I begin?
Many begin to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and defeated around the idea of decluttering their homes. That’s too bad. The decluttering journey doesn’t need to be as painful as some make it out to be. In fact, there are a variety of people who have come up with some pretty fun, creative ways to get started.
Consider this list of 10 creative ways to declutter your home:
1. Give yourself 5 solid minutes. Leo Babauta at Zen Habits recommends 18 different 5-minute decluttering tips. Pick one today that sounds appealing. Or better yet, pick a random number 1-18, read the specific tip, and commit 5 minutes to completing it.
2. Give away one item each day. Colleen Madsen at 365 Less Things gives away one item each day. Over the past several years, she has experienced quite a transformation simply reducing her stuff one day at a time.
3. Fill one trash bag. Early in our journey towards simplicity, one of my favorite decluttering techniques was to grab a simple large trash bag and see how quickly I could fill it. While much of what I collected was trash, this could also be used to fill a bag for Goodwill.
4. Try the Oprah Winfrey Closet Hanger Experiment. While this idea didn’t originate with Oprah, she was the one to help give it notoriety. To identify wardrobe pieces to clear out, hang all your clothes with the hangers in the reverse direction. After you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After six months, you’ll have a clear picture of which clothes you can easily discard. This experiment could also be applied to a number of clutter areas in your home (cleaners, toys, linens, tools, hobbies and craft items).
5. Make a list. Dana Byers recommends creating a list of places/areas in your home to declutter beginning with the easiest… which doesn’t sound all that creative until she adds this note, “When you’re done with one area, STOP.” This list could be made as easy or difficult as you desire based upon what areas of your home make up the list (drawers/closets/rooms). And could easily fit into any schedule.
6. Take the 12-12-12 Challenge. A simple task of locating 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home can be a really fun and exciting way to quickly organize 36 things in your house. On more than one occasion, this challenge actually became a quick competition between my wife and me… and your kids don’t have to be too old to participate as well.
7. Change your perspective. Unclutterer offers a powerful approach to decluttering when they offer a number of strategies to help you change your perspective and begin to notice some clutter you may have missed. Among their ideas: take photos of your house, invite over a toddler, or ask the boss to meet in your office. With all of the examples, the hope is to cause you to see your home in a new light.
8. Experiment with numbers. For example, Courtney Carver invented Project 333 to challenge people to wear only 33 articles of clothing for 3 months. If 33 articles of clothing seems too little, adjust the rules as you need by picking a new number. The important thing is to challenge yourself to live with less and see what you learn from the experiment.
9. Use your imagination. Psychology Today recommends using your imagination to help declutter objects that may seem difficult to remove. Try asking yourself unique questions like, “If I was just buying this now, how much would I pay?” These creative techniques may prove to be very helpful for some with difficulties removing unneeded clutter.
10. The Four-Box Method. As we first set out on our journey to minimalism, this was the technique most often used in our home. As I set out to declutter an area, I brought four boxes: trash, give away, keep, or relocate. Each item in every room was placed into one of the four categories. No item was passed over. Each was considered individually. Some projects took an hour… others took days or weeks. But the technique and principles remained the same.
No matter what you choose to help you get started – whether it be one of these ten or one of countless others – the goal is to take your first step with excitement behind it. There is a beautiful world of freedom and fresh breath hiding behind that clutter. How you remove it is up to you.
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If you are tired of the clutter in your home and looking for a solution, on September 5th, we will be launching a 12-week course called Uncluttered to help you own less, live more, and find the life you’ve always wanted. Find out more here.
Hi Joshua, was wondering if I could get your permission to quote from this blog for an article I am writing? Could you drop me an email please and I will provide more details. Thank you!
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Very helpful tips Joshua! Fill a large trash bag is a great and easy way to start decluttering but it will be wasted if you throw it away. Instead of throw it, I think we should give to who need it. Cause the things you throw away can be treasure to someone.
Thanks for sharing your ideas Joshua!
Very true… every 6 months I make sure I take a close look at our closets… as I have a growing kid.. it’s so normal to accumulate loads of unwanted stuff.
So I put all the unwanted stuff to a trash bag n put it away for recycling boxes usually kept in shopping complex or in his school.
This was my house is not only clutter free also stuff reach the needy.. and I don’t have the guilt that I wasted so much money..
That is exactly what I am doing right now. All things I am throwing out are of good quality and will take to the local op shop for somebody else to use and the money will help the organisation. I love op shops not only for me but the help it gives to others.
I really liked your article and intend to put it into my plans for today.
I wish I could print it.
Take photos of the ideas that you like. Then email them to yourself.
Try to copy and paste what you want to print to a word processing program like WORKS or WORD and saving then printing it. :-D :-D ฯ
Some great advice here. If you find you need a little more of a structured method for clearing your clutter, why not check out this my Home Declutter Kit http://kck.st/2e8YIld
6 months is not long enough when a person lives Ina seasonal country, I have winter coats, boots that are used only 3 months of the year…
Wonderful article.I can mention that the best minimalist of all centuries was Jesus followed by Saulo Paul and others who gave us a lot of minimalist prospective and ideas.So, definitely this is nothing new. what of course is new about is how American society or maybe other societies introduced us a world full of things that at the end never will make us 100% happy,right!????
Yes Jesus called it ” keeping your eye simple” and your body will be bright. Timeless
Great advice on decluttering your home. Now that we’re moving into autumn it’s even more important to have an organised home. Have shared with my business followers because it’s bound to be of interest!
Due to health problems I am unable bend for long or stand. I takes me three times to do what I used to this in self makes things harder it is mostly clothes on the floor I just do not know where to start I am exhausted before I begin full of energy then zilk
Hi, i totally understand that, since i am disabled myself. Youtube could try to start with 3 x 1 minute per day and add a minute per week or per day until u reach your physical limit.
I also use a large spring-loaded tong from the hardware store. Ist great tool to grab something without bending. Here in europe a special Product for the disabled would cost approx. 40 -50! Euros but in the hardware store u get it for 2 (!) Or like 4 per mailorder.
*you not youtube, autocorrection, sorry!
I too suffer from chronic back pain and try to avoid picking things up from as far away as the floor lol with clothes I have a set of small shelves next to my bed and I fold and place clothing, socks, shoes etc that I’m wearing for a few days on the shelves, so when I sit up in the morning everything I need is there. Also I have to wait till pain meds kick in before gtg on hands and knees and collecting things off the floor. While I’m down there i collect and put stuff up higher, on chairs, benches, shelves whatever. I keep bills and papers together in trays with sides that i buy for a few dollars at coin save shops. Then i have all the paperwork in one place for the week. My washing when it comes in from outside I put on spare bed and sit there n fold etc And I’ve had to resort to sitting on a bar stool when cooking, so much easier. . Hope this helps.
I have the same physical problem. I have started just pulling up a chair to whatever pile needs my attention.
I remember when I had surgery and was in similar condition to what you describe. I would grab a laundry basket and a trash bag, sit on a chair near the stuff I was sorting, and use a pair of long barbecue tongs to pick things up off the floor and put in the bag or the basket. Worked well for me. I moved several chairs to various places in the house, so there would always be a handy place to sit while I was working at something in that room.
There is also a sturdy little seat on wheels you can buy. It’s actually meant for working in the garden. I don’t have one and it may be a bit low for you, but maybe worth looking into.
I was also overwhelmed by all the stuff in my house. It was too much for me to do a lot at each time. So I am throwing something each week with the garbage pick up even if it is only one thing. Things that are too good to throw away I find a way to donate it even if it is a little at a time. I love to read and I buy books so after i am done with them, I donate them where they will take them. The library also took all my magazines. Cleaning a whole room at a time and make it big is way too much for me so this way it is not hard. It is not as fast but it is steady. It is incredible the difference that it makes. Cleaning a drawer also makes a difference so if you can only clean one per week, make it that way. Do it the way that it makes you comfortable. it is your journey.
I’ve had a lot of success decluttering using The Minimalism Game. It’s a month long decluttering challenge that builds momentum over the month. There is a great online community taking the challenge each month. I share my experience here – https://moretimethanmoney.co.nz/tag/minsgame/
I like the idea of 12-12-12, a good way to keep on top of things.
I really like your tip “fill one trash bag.” That seems like a really awesome way to get rid of some of the rubbish lying around your home. I’ll have to keep that in mind and see if I can remove some different things and make my home much more organized.
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Good post about decluttering. I always have this problem when it comes to clutter.
What I do is to use floating wall shelves,which can add attraction to my room as well as take out unwanted things from the room.
http://bestshelvingunits.com/floating-wooden-square-wall-shelves/
Very nice site. One thing I thought of for my situation was to just work one item type at a time. For example…today maybe a person could just do books and magazines. You can still use the 4 box idea for sorting them. Maybe next time only work on clothing? On another day kitchen items…etc. I did this for a few months once and it was so stress free and easy. Then one day I started in again and realized to my shock there was nothing left to get rid of…and the house was clean! So I got in my car and went to the beach for the day! Yipee!!! But this decluttering method totally kept me from feeling overwhelmed.
Excellent advise I do the same as you !
I really like “your” method of decluttering… Thanks, think this way would work for me, too. God bless..!
C Seabird, I forgot to add your name to my reply. I wanted you to know that I was speaking of your way of decluttering.
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So many useful tips for decluttering!
I just started following your blog, and slowly getting into minimalism myself.
Help declutter life!
Some people need help to declutter, and as a private housekeeper, I provide boxes and trays to my clients and help to motivate them to begin, as it will save them money if less of my time is spent shifting stuff so I can vacuum and clean. I also offer to take whatever they don’t want off their hands, which makes the project less hassle for them and I do this on a donation basis.
I’ve recently come across the KonMari method for decluttering. For so many people (including myself), it seems that “letting go” of their surplus belongings is the biggest hurdle to overcome; stopping many from starting or properly finishing the entire de-cluttering process.
What I like about Marie Kondo’s methodology is her change of perspective DURING the clearing process. Her method involves a simple but very different focus to the de-cluttering process, and seems to involve less angst, less anxiety, & the benefit of a longer-term outcome (ie. When you’re tempted to buy more stuff after your clean-out, you’re more likely to apply the same methodology when assessing new purchases).
It seems to me to be a practical method that helps you to get the job done with the least heartache…& for me that’s huge!
In other words, at the end of your clutter-clearing process, rather than having undergone a monumental struggle to let go of things which leave you feeling that your home is somehow EMPTY, bereft, clinical or without character, you are left with spaces FILLED with selected items you truly love (rather than FILLED with clutter, stagnation & hidden treasures you don’t get to enjoy).
I’ve just gotten a copy of her books for more detail, & to learn how I can effectively maintain my space after I’ve done the hard yards. I think this method is deceptively simple, but very worthwhile & powerful.
I wish you all good luck!
Good suggestions on decluttering!
I think this is a great idea on decluttering your house! Junk removal can be hard for some people, and decluttering can start with a single item. A minimalistic approach can be very uplifting to the spirit and our health; our lives should not be so burdened with junk.
Thanks for sharing that information!
I have read two of your books and since that time have been decluttering my home. If I now buy something new to wear I give four things away from my closet. Living simply has certainly made a huge difference in my life.
Always goodinformation!!’
very,very,very good! thank you
I am too sentimental have just retired and need to decluter 3 rooms
Keep putting it off I think everything I have I will need!!! The plastic tubs keep growing?
I LOVE this cute little idea! I have a hard time motivating myself to get started, but limiting my time and playing fun music helps. This is an even better idea than mine! It will be a fun and rewarding routine for each time I leave the house. :)
God bless you!
I love these suggestions, thank you
Great article Joshua. The 12-12-12 challenge is actually great. I did clean my house by donating and returning useless things.
Felt great and the house is a lot more empty now.
Have a donation budget per year. Then try to substitute it with giving away your things to charity, instead of money. You will not have to pay $ as a donation if the value of your donated items covers it. Great incentive.
I love the quote saying without trust there are no collaborations. this is true. This is what I learn.
I have to thank you, I have so much stuff, going from a house to a trailer, a divorce and now a separation and the death of my dad 5 yrs ago and mom 2 months ago…losing my job. ..my family trying to burn my house down and my 10 yr old grandson…well…reading how easy i hope it’ll be to declutter will be great…I hope I can do it…if send you before and after but Im to embarrassed. ..wish they still had shows that come to your house and get rid of it all and redo it…id so let them in..lol..but thank you so much for the tips…I can do this!!!????????????????
Felt great and the house is a lot more empty now. Great article Joshua. The 12-12-12 challenge is actually great. I did clean my house by donating and returning useless things.
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