How to Structure Decluttering and Organizing Goals

As a mom to three young kids, it sometimes feels like one of my most important household roles—after, you know, mother and wife—is Chief Wrangler of Stuff. Despite my best efforts, the kids continue to age, which means they're constantly growing out of clothing, books, shoes, and toys... and I'm constantly acquiring new items and moving the old ones out the door.

And that's just the kids! My husband and I, too, cycle through possessions, and if you don't have kids in your home, I'm sure it's the same for you. We bring in new decor and give away the old. We accumulate eight wooden spoons but only use one. We buy those inflatable paddle boards but just never find the time to take them out on the lake.

Eventually, we reach a point where the clutter becomes too much. And then we declare war on our surroundings, beating back the teetering piles and sweeping away the overflowing surfaces in a frenzy of manic energy.

If that's you, if you're at that point of needing to declutter and organize your home now (or, better yet, yesterday), then today's blog post is for you. We're going to share five frameworks for decluttering and organizing, in the hopes that one will line up with your preferences and needs. (You get to choose!) Then we'll end with a few tips to help you break the cycle, keeping your newly organized spaces neat for the long haul. 

Let's do it!

Five Frameworks for Organizing and Decluttering at Home

Perhaps you've written down "organize and declutter home" in your PowerSheets® goal planner but aren't sure where to begin. We get it: decluttering goals can feel overwhelming, especially since there's no one right way to tackle them! The good news is that you get to choose how you want to frame your organization goals, based on your schedule, your energy levels, your spaces, and your preferences. Here, we're sharing five frameworks to get your wheels turning:

By Time

The big idea: Set aside a certain amount of time on a regular basis to make progress. You can tackle whatever project you'd like in whatever way you'd like as long as you log those minutes!

Good for: Those who find it hard to get started, those who value flexibility, and those who only have short windows in which to make progress

How to do it: Pick your poison. 15 minutes a day? 1 hour a week? One four-hour session a month? You get to choose the amount of time and frequency. Once you've made your choice, add it to the daily, weekly, or monthly section of your Tending List, then set your timer!

By Number of Items

The big idea: Commit to dispatching a set number of items on a regular basis

Good for: Those who enjoy watching numbers add up and those who like to work in short bursts

How to do it: Set a number of items to handle per day or per week, then get to decluttering. (We suggest 10 to start.) Keep track of how many items you've removed on your Tending List (it's fun to watch them add up!) and be sure to keep bins for each final destination—trash, recycling, donation, the give away pile—close at hand. This will help keep up your momentum up from day to day.

Room by room

The big idea: Tackle one room in your home at a time, completely finishing each before moving on to the next

Good for: Those who are methodical and those who appreciate seeing a task to completion before moving on

How to do it: Start by making a master list of rooms to declutter. Then, based on your schedule, assign a cadence for completion (for example, one room per month, or one room per week), then assign rooms to weeks/months. Finally, pick a room to start— perhaps the one that's the biggest pain point or most important to daily life—and then break it down into smaller projects. For example, for the kitchen, you might break it down into the refrigerator, the pantry, countertops, upper cabinets, etc. Don't forget to add the room to the weekly or monthly sections in your PowerSheets and assign the smaller areas to days in your planner!

By Category

The big idea: Tackle one category of item at a time—for example, paperwork, clothing, toys, kitchen items, or photographs

Good for: Those with smaller spaces

How to do it: Start by making an initial list of categories. (You may end up adding categories later; your list doesn't have to be exhaustive to begin!) Then, choose a category to tackle first. We recommend something that feels less emotionally freighted, a.k.a don't start with childhood photographs! Finally, based on your schedule, assign a cadence for completion (for example, one category per month or one category per week), and then assign categories to weeks/months. Don't forget to add the category to the weekly or monthly sections in your PowerSheets and assign the smaller work sessions to days in your planner!

The Snowball Method

The big idea: Like the debt snowball, the snowball method of decluttering has you moving from smaller to bigger areas to build momentum and confidence. 

Good for: Those who are hesitant to begin

How to do it: The Snowball Method combines elements of many of the other frameworks we've listed here. There's a lot of freedom—you can start with a smaller room (like a powder room) and roll your energy and confidence into bigger, more complicated rooms over time (like a playroom, the attic, or the garage) or you can move from a smaller area of a particular room (like a single kitchen drawer) to more complicated areas of the room (like the pantry). You get to choose! Either way, keep yourself on track by adding action items to the weekly or monthly sections of your Tending List and scheduling decluttering sessions in your planner.

How to avoid clutter in the first place

Now that your home is decluttered and organized, let's keep it that way! Here are a few simple practices that will help keep everything in its place—and avoid bringing unwanted items across your threshold.

Keep spots for trash, recycling, donation, and give aways close at hand

Sometimes the act of decluttering can seem to create even more clutter! To make it easy to move unwanted or no longer needed items out of your space, set up permanent boxes or bags for things to throw away, things to recycle, things to donate, and things to give away. That way, even if you only have a short amount of time to work, you can quickly move items out of your living area and send them on their way.

Build tiny rhythms

Put a few rhythms in place that help you maintain order in your home. The goal here is not to build overly-elaborate systems; the goal is to create systems so simple and intuitive that you can do them even if you have a sick child or a stressful week at work or it's the holidays. 

Maybe it's mass uploading items to your local Buy Nothing group on the first of the month. Maybe it's keeping donation items in the trunk and stopping at the thrift store every week on the way home from piano lessons. Maybe it's walking your first floor and depositing stray items in a laundry basket right after the kids go to bed.

Start with just 1-2 (add them to your PowerSheets!) and build from there.

Add constraints

While I have been known to moan about the size of my closet, I'm grateful for it in my wiser moments. I know that having a smaller space for my clothes forces me to constantly evaluate what deserves a spot on the shelf or bar. If a shirt or dress isn't earning its keep, out it goes. (If I had a larger space, I'd likely be less ruthless, and end up digging through overfull racks only to wear my few favorites.)

You can take advantage of this principle, too, whether you have a smaller space or not. If there's a category that tends to get out of control, constrain it to a set space. Once the space is full, something has to exit for something new to come in. The possibilities are endless: a basket for stuffed animals, a shelf for tablecloths, a bag for makeup, a bin for holiday decor, a bookshelf for novels.

Try a waiting period

If you struggle with impulse purchases, start a running wishlist in your phone's Notes app (or a cute notebook!). Instead of hitting purchase immediately, add it to the list (including a link, if needed) and revisit it later. As time goes on, it will be eye-opening to scroll through and realize that most of the things you thought you wanted no longer have an appeal. 

Clutter might seem harmless, but every item in our homes has a claim on our time and psyche. Everything we own must be stored, looked at, cared for, and, when its value has run out, disposed of. Though it sounds dramatic, it can feel true: the things we own own us. 

Instead, let's commit to decluttering and organizing in a way that fits our needs and leads to lasting change. Then, once we're in a good place, let's use smart hacks and tiny rhythms to keep it that way. And, as always, let's start small and celebrate tiny wins along the way. We're cheering for you, Cultivators!