Easy decluttering may sound like an oxymoron but it is possible.
Early on, my decluttering efforts involved making space for more stuff. Have you ever done that? Have you ever decluttered a shelf or a room, or cleaned out a bookcase and thought, “let’s fill that beautiful space with better stuff?” When I finally decided to become clutter-free for good, I was very motivated. I was on a mission to eliminate as much stress as possible. I wanted a clutter-free life in every possible way.
I remember I really wanted to do it the “right way” or discover “the best way” but as it turned out, I had to do it “my way” and even that changed over time. I continued to find motivation and inspiration for decluttering in articles and books but reading those articles and books was a decluttering process in itself. I had to take what I was interested in and let the rest go.
After years of practice, I started writing about it and have shared numerous articles about decluttering and becoming clutter-free. My goal was never to push one method or form of decluttering but instead offer a variety of approaches so depending on your lifestyle and the way you do projects like this, you could find something that would work for you.
How to create a path for easy decluttering
There is more than one way to create a clutter-free life but usually decluttering is a big part of it. These 5 articles and different approaches will help you make decluttering easy, or at least easier. If it feels like an impossible task, you probably won’t stick with it. If you feel like you have to push through, find a new path.
When approaching decluttering, there are two big factors to consider. The first is the decluttering project and the second is you. We often dismiss the latter and attempt to do the something the same way it seems to work for other people. It’s more important to understand what works best for you. Honoring your personal time and energy availability is crucial if you want to make decluttering (and most things in life) easier.
The following 5 articles will help you see different techniques and approaches so you can pick something that works well for you. If there is nothing that is an exact fit, modify what comes closest. Take what works and let the rest go.
Easy Decluttering: 5 ways to create a clutter-free life
Please remember, find something that resonates with you and try it. Leave the rest behind. If things get tough with decluttering come back and find a path to make it easier. You are always allowed to change your mind and try something new.
1. Decluttering Burst: let go of 100 things in less than an hour
I’m all for the slow and steady approach to change and simplifying. It took me years to completely declutter our home, donate our stuff, empty our closets and drawers, become debt-free, resist filling our calendars and over scheduling myself each week. Each change took longer than I thought and there always seemed to be more piles of paper and clutter to sort through. Once it was complete though, I knew it happened at just the right pace.
Even though my usual pace when it came to decluttering and simplifying was slow, I did add in a few simplicity experiments and a decluttering challenge here and there. Interspersed in all the slow and steady were little bursts of fast and furious action. While it was the exception, these little bursts helped me maintain motivation to stick with my tiny shifts that were contributing to years of massive change in all categories of my life. Read more and try this Decluttering Burst here.
2. Five 10-minute decluttering projects
10-minute decluttering projects are small enough that you can finish them quickly. That feeling of accomplishment will make you excited to move on to the next 10-minute decluttering project. This approach will also help you overcome procrastination. When it does feel challenging to move forward, think about the time and space you will be creating to do the things you really want to do. From taking a long walk to reading a new book, learning something or baking cupcakes, you probably have a long list of things that make you smile. Instead of devoting hours sorting through your stuff, start with one of these 10-minute decluttering projects.
3. 52 Things To Declutter From Your Life Today
Sometimes instead of a long list of why to declutter or decluttering techniques, you just need a straightforward list of things for easy decluttering. While decluttering can feel like an impossible task, sometimes a big glass of water, a fun, let-it-go playlist and a very specific list of things to declutter can get things started with more fun and ease.
The best part about a list of things to declutter is that it removes most of the decisions you have to make. If you get stuck with decisions about what to do with the stuff you declutter, simply box it up and get it out of sight for now. Slow progress is still progress. Get the list of 52 things to declutter from your life here.
4. Decluttering Your Life: 7 little notes to help you let go
Decluttering your life will take some time but it will be time well spent. As you let go, you’ll begin to really understand what matters to you. You will notice that the stuff that surrounds you, demands your attention and energy and wonder how you might better use that attention and energy. Easy or easier decluttering will leave more of that time and attention for you.
That’s exactly what happened to me. When we downsized to an apartment less than half the size of our house, I wasn’t ready to let go of some things. I sealed up five boxes of stuff I thought were important. I wrote the following in big letters on the top of each box. “Put in storage. Decide later.” You might be thinking, “wow, procrastination at it’s finest” and that was part of it, but there will be moments in decluttering your life when you want to (or need to) take your time. I recommend honoring that and going at your own pace.
When we found our new apartment, there wasn’t any storage space so I let those five boxes go. Today, if you offered me one million dollars to tell you what was in those boxes, I couldn’t do it. I don’t remember. The stuff wasn’t important. I realize that stuff and clutter is only one part of decluttering your life but the lessons learned as you let go carry into every other stage and phase.
If what you need most right now is the inspiration to let go, read and even print out (if helpful) these 7 little notes to help you let go.
5. 10 Gentle Rules For Decluttering
These rules for decluttering aren’t rules about which room to start with or how long to declutter each day. These rules create a path for easy decluttering and don’t include specific decluttering methods, or tell you what you should or shouldn’t own. Instead, these rules of decluttering are here to …
- help you let go
- encourage you feel good about decluttering
- help you create space
- inspire you keep going when it feels like stuff is winning
Choose 3 of the 10 gentle rules for decluttering that you need the most right now and use them as reminders that you want so much more than piles of stuff … in your home and in your clutter-free life.
If like, me you want to reduce stress, be clutter-free and start by making decluttering easier. If it feels too hard, that doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. It means you haven’t found the way that works best for you.