Note: This is a guest post from Courtney Carver of Be More with Less.
Decluttering is usually the first step people take to simplify their lives. It is often the easiest and most effective place to begin. Removing the excess from our homes naturally encourages us to look at the more challenging, often hidden things that also complicate our lives: debt, busyness, mental clutter, just to name a few. But it often starts with physical possessions.
Decluttering teaches us how to let go and create space. Owning less helps us save time and feel lighter. And it often causes us to rediscover the joy of giving.
If you feel overwhelmed with stuff or struggle when it comes to letting go, start with some of the items that don’t come with major emotional attachment—or at least, the items without positive emotional attachment.
If you are looking for a good place to start, let go of these 10 items to jumpstart decluttering:
1. Clothes you don’t wear. Clothing is a great place to begin. Most of us have too much of it, but we still wear the same things over and over again. Donate the jeans that don’t zip. Toss the socks with holes. Remove the outdated fashion. And if you have an extra coat or hat, give it away. There are lots of people who could use it this time of year.
2. Unidentifiable items in your junk drawer. It might be too soon to jettison the entire junk drawer, but you can easily remove the items that have no name, no place, and no meaning instead of saving them just in case you remember why you put them there in the first place. If you don’t know today, you won’t know tomorrow.
3. Lotions and potions. Get all of your lotions, potions, makeup, shampoo, and other products into one place. Put the things you use every day back where they belong. Toss the rest.
4. Lonely items. If it can’t be used without a match, and the match is long gone, it’s time to let go. Think cassette tapes without a cassette player, Tupperware tops without containers, and lone socks.
5. Kid stuff. Instead of shaming your kids into decluttering, make it fun for them. Announce a prize for every 10 things they can collect for donation. The prize can be a family activity or your child’s favorite meal. If you have more than one child, offer a bonus if everyone hits their goal to encourage them to work together.
6. Stale food. Set a timer for 15 minutes and go through your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator. Dump anything out of date, or opened and stale. If you find things that are good but you’ll never eat, bag it up and drop it at a homeless shelter or church.
7. Extra dishes. If you have two sets of dishware, silverware, or glassware, one can go. If you love your good dishes, use those every day. If they are stuck in a box somewhere and you never use them, give them to someone who will.
8. Other people’s stuff. If your home has become a storage facility for friends and family, make a few phone calls. Be kind, give notice, and politely ask them to remove their stuff or offer to help if they aren’t interested.
9. Things that bring you down. Sentimental items are usually saved for later on in the decluttering process, but letting go of things that remind you of people, places, and events that have hurt you in the past will make room for more joyful memories.
10. The guilt. This might not fall in the “easy” category, but if you let it go now, it will make the rest of the journey more meaningful. You paid enough already with time, money, and attention. Guilt is the worst payment of all. With guilt, you continue to pay with emotion, by holding onto the past and by punishing yourself for old habits. Say goodbye to guilt.
Letting go of these items will lighten things up and encourage more decluttering, more simplicity, and more freedom. Once they are gone, celebrate your progress and dig back in.
A simple life is waiting.
For more, check out our The Declutter Your Home Checklist.
Laurie Cunningham says
When my grandmother passed away, she had tons of gowns and none of us wanted them. I brought them home and gave them to the high school drama club. They loved getting all those gowns to use.
Amy@MoreTimeThanMoney says
Excellent list. I used pretty much this strategy and managed to get rid of 564 things in a month! It wasn’t easy but it was a great kickstart a new relationship with my stuff. I charted my progress here – http://moretimethanmoney.co.nz/2015/05/31/playing-the-minimalist-game/
ren says
Since I started this journey I have several successes. total of five trips to charity, dozens of items set out to curb. Bathroom cabinet pared down and organized. Storage room gone thru and have just decided to purge any items I haven’t used in past year. Clothes are constant ongoing process. Went thru kitchen cabinets, made one into appliance garage, freeing up space undersink. Kitchen drawers gone thru, put everything in tote, saving what i have taken out this summer and will be getting rid of what isnt used thru the holudays. Linen closet purged and organized. Hallway bookshelf purged. Two sets of dishes being donated. Daughter’s room, top to bottom updated and purged. Front closet gone thru and will be gone thru again. Getting rid of patio table, computer cabinet, huge tv, old windows. Garage finished up today. The next big purge is the basement. Tomorrow I’m going thru my closet again. For any summer clothing I haven’t worn. I’m totally committed to downsizing. Goals going forward, Basement. Downsizing what we take camping. Sort thru huge amount of photos, finish whatever scrapbks I have started. Make drawer dividers for kitchen cabinets.
kat says
In the process of moving. Relocating if all works according to plan. I have been reading this blog for a couple years. Finally decided to “let go”. Have purged so much. I tell people i want nothing in my new place. Nothing that isnt beautiful to the eye or useful. They look at me as though i have lost my mind. Truth is i have never felt so focused and clear.
Shelley Tracey says
I Am Trying To Do A Bag A Day For 30 Days. Can Be Trash OR Items To Donate. Doesn’t Matter What Size Bag. I LoveThe Days When I Exceed One Bag. I’m Sure I Will Extend Past 30 Days With All The Clutter I Have Accumulated After 34 Years Of Marriage, And Living In The Same House The Whole Time!
Cheryl Roeben says
Wow! I wish I could convince a lady I work for to declutter her closet…it’s packed so full of clothes, many of which she hasn’t worn more than once or twice in the past two years. Some things have been even longer than that since they’ve been worn. I do the laundry so I know what I wash & put away regularly. Putting clothes away in her tiny 4 foot wide closet is a real challenge because everything is so packed in! One quarter of the closet is taken up by a shelf unit for folded things that she almost never wears, which doesn’t help; however, every time she says something can go, you better believe it’s gone!
Cynthia says
I’m sharing this on my facebook business page. It’s very good advice that bears repeating. Over and over again! The more ways we can help our clients free themselves of physical clutter, the sooner they can tackle the psychic challenges. Thank you!
msze says
listened to your advice. i started with the make up lotion, hand creams, and the clothing. Geeze I have recycled so many of them, especially those clothing which i was hoping I can wear them when I lose that 10 lbs, and it’s been sitting there for 5 years!! Those hand creams, they are all xmas gift, and I feel like I can use them for the next 20 years. have given them away!! :)
Thanks for the advice.
Cristina Martin says
Hola me parece genial tu articulo. Recientemente he decidido en simplicar mi vida, mi casa y todo lo que esta de mas en mi hogar. Y tu articulo me ha dado buena vibra. los voy aplicar todos. Luego te cuento como me fue y si funciono. El exito no es ganar sino no desilucionarse
Gracias
Cristina Martin
Carina says
Some of these tips are great if you have to much stuff you never use. However, I don’t think the idea about bying things you don’t need and then just throwing them away to make you feel better is a great solution, nor is it a good advice. (regarding your tip about Lotions and potions for example: “Put the things you use every day back where they belong. Toss the rest.”) This just results in a lot of non-bio garbage. Recycling, re-using and above all, NOT buying what you don’t need would be a better solution.