Congrats on your decision to declutter your home. I know that it can be daunting, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. But I promise that there is a process that can make decluttering easier. There are some challenges, but they are not insurmountable. I will walk you through this process and these challenges.
What It Takes To Declutter
There are two major steps in decluttering your home:
1. Stop buying unnecessary stuff.
2. Get rid of useless stuff.
This sounds oversimplified, and there is more to it. But it forms the core of getting rid of clutter.
Stop Buying Unnecessary Stuff
Why is it important
This is the most important step in decluttering, and by a long shot. Bringing in unnecessary stuff will slow down your decluttering. It can also stop or set back your decluttering process. Even if you succeed, the clutter will build back up unless you stop buying unnecessary stuff. In fact, you should refuse unnecessary stuff even if it is free. As long as you are polite about it and explain your reason, the donor should understand.
Not buying unnecessary stuff requires no physical effort. But it can be challenging if you like to shop as a hobby. It will take discipline, but changing your hobby is worth the effort. If you need extra motivation, then think of the money that you will save.
How do you do it
Before we can stop buying unnecessary stuff, we must first understand what it means. Something is unnecessary if it fits either one or both of the following conditions:
1. You do not need the function that it serves.
2. You already have something that serves that function well.
This means that you shouldn't buy things under the following conditions:
1. You have no use for it.
2. It is redundant (unless it is a spare for something vital).
3. It is a trivial or dubious upgrade.
Example 1
If you hate running as an exercise, then you don't need a treadmill.
Example 2
If you have 2 pairs of shoes that go with an outfit, then you don't need a third.
Example 3
If your smartphone works well for your use, then you don't need a new one.
Now it is okay to get a replacement if it is an important upgrade or if something breaks. But you should discard the old item. Also, spares are good for vital items but don't go overboard. The number of spares should be roughly equal to the number that you are likely to use at a time.
Once more, not buying useless stuff is the most important step in decluttering.
Get Rid of Useless Stuff
Getting rid of useless stuff is the step that takes the most physical effort. It is also the step that takes the most decision-making. Before we start, we will define "useless" as follows:
Something is useless if you are not going to use it.
There are 4 major ways to get rid of useless stuff:
Sell it
This is the most difficult way to get rid of useless stuff. You will need to advertise and worry about pricing. Also, you may still not get very much for it.
Donate it
This is the best way to get rid of something if it is in good repair. But if it is in disrepair, then it is better to put it in the garbage or recycle it. It is pointless to get the donation agency to discard it for you.
Recycle it
If you can't sell or donate something, then this is the preferred way to get rid of recyclable items. But many items are not recyclable.
Put it in the trash
This is the last choice for getting rid of useless stuff. It is also the method that is (for good or bad) easiest to use.
How do you do it
The important thing here is to start with the easy stuff. Do not start with trophies that you are proud of or family heirlooms. Start with stuff that you should have thrown away already. Most of the easy stuff belongs in the trash.
What should you throw away first?
Expired medicines and stale food
This is useless and dangerous. Throw it in the trash.
Junk mail, old newspapers, and catalogs
This is a waste of space. Recycle it or throw it away.
Damaged clothes and gadgets that don't work
These are wasting space. Throw them away.
Clothes that don't fit
These are also wasting closet space. If they are in good repair, donate them. Otherwise, throw them away.
Unopened boxes gathering dust
If you haven't opened a box in years, then you are not using what is in it. It is time to discard it. If it has old photos, then make digital copies before ditching the originals. The originals will fade, but the digital copies won't. Donate, recycle or throw them away as you see fit.
Stuff which you forgot that you owned
You won't go looking for stuff if you forgot that you own it. But if you come across it, then get rid of it. You didn't miss it the first time, so you won't miss it now. Donate, recycle or throw it away as you see fit.
Empty boxes or anything else that belongs in the trash or recycling bin
You should see empty boxes, used containers, and other similar things as the trash which they are. Put them in the trash or recycling bin.
Other things worth getting rid of
Items that are redundant beyond redemption
It is very easy to have too much of something, especially if it is small. But you don't need hundreds of paper clips, pens, or thumbtacks lying around the place. It is okay to have spares. But spares don't need to outnumber the items that you can use at one time. For example, you can only wear one pair of shoes at a time. So you don't need more than one extra pair to go with any given outfit. Donate, recycle, or discard the redundant items.
"Just in case" items that are not for emergencies
"Just in case" items should be for emergencies and contingencies. These include things such as spare necessities or repair tools. Fire extinguishers and flashlights are okay. But there is no such thing as an emergency trinket. Donate, recycle, or discard these items.
Decorative items that are not displayed
We use decorative items by displaying them. A picture or sculpture stuffed away in a box is not decoration. It is clutter. If you don't want to display these items, then it is time to donate or discard them.
Equipment and appliances that you don't use
Any equipment or appliance that you don't use is depriving you of living space. These can include kitchen gadgets and exercise equipment that you don't use. Getting rid of them may seem like wasting your money. But your money was already wasted when you bought them. If you keep them, you are also wasting your space. It is time to donate or discard them.
Clothes that you haven't worn
It is easy to become attached to nice clothes that you bought. But if you haven't worn them in well over a year, you are not likely to wear them again. Now there are exceptions such as suits or dresses for special occasions. For the others, it's time to donate them so that someone else can enjoy them.
Best places to start decluttering
The best places to start are the places that give the most encouraging results. Decluttering can be daunting, and encouraging results will be a big help. Here are types of places that are good to declutter first:
Easiest spaces to declutter
Decluttering the easiest spaces mean that you will see the quickest results. These are usually small spaces such as drawers, cupboards, pantries, and closets. You can then move on to small rooms before tackling the big rooms.
Places where clutter is most visible
This is where you remove clutter that is out in the open before removing hidden clutter. This would be decluttering the open spaces before decluttering drawers and cabinets. This method makes your results more obvious in the early stages.
The most important living spaces
These places will give the biggest improvement to your living space when decluttered. Starting here will let you enjoy your living space sooner. So if you think that your living room is the most important, then you can declutter that first.
Where you start is up to you and depends on what encourages you. What matters is that you start and continue decluttering. Also, you should finish decluttering a space before moving to the next.
Things to Consider
Keep the right mindset
The right mindset will make a big difference in your efforts. A good mindset is to see decluttering as taking back your living space. In fact, when you get rid of something, take a good look at its size. Its size is how much living space that you added back to your home.
Another good mindset is to see anything you don't use as a type of trash. Decluttering is about taking out the trash and keeping it out.
Declutter before you organize
You should remove the useless stuff before organizing the rest. You should also remove the useless stuff from your home. If you don't do both, then you are "rearranging the rubbish".
Decluttering is a journey and not a destination
Nobody is perfect, so it's okay if you miss a few items. But when you see a useless item, you should get rid of it. Also, some useful items now will become useless later. This is why it is a continuing process. But it will get easier.
Declutter your stuff and not other people's stuff
You shouldn't discard someone else's stuff without that person's permission. That will cause conflict and resentment. Instead, you should set the example while sharing your vision with that person. More often than not, that person will come around and start decluttering too.
What to expect
When you declutter, you will notice several benefits. You will notice some within weeks of starting, and you will notice other benefits later. Here are some of them:
More living space
When you remove all that clutter from your space, you will have more space left over.
Living space is easier to keep tidy
There is less stuff to put away and more space available to put it.
Living space will look better
The reason why minimalists live in such tidy places is that our places are easier to keep tidy. It's not because we spend more time cleaning. A place looks better when it is not overrun with clutter.
More money
When you stop spending money on unnecessary stuff, you will have more money left over.
More time
When you spend less time shopping and less time cleaning, you will have more time left over.
Less stress
You will have more money and time to spend on what you enjoy. Also, your home will be cleaner while being easier to clean. This all adds up to less stress.
These are not all the benefits. But they make it clear that the benefits of decluttering are well worth the effort.
In summary, there are two steps to decluttering. The first step is to stop buying unnecessary stuff. The second is to get rid of useless stuff. The first step is the more important of the two. You should only buy something if you need it and don't have a substitute. When you get rid of useless stuff, you should start with the easiest things first. Also, you should start with the spaces that are the most encouraging. The benefits are plenty and are well worth the effort.
If you need to declutter, then the question is as follows:
When will you start?