The following is a guest post from Julia Ubbenga of Rich In What Matters.
The more I read and listen to decluttering experts’ content, the more I realize that I decluttered our home in a nonconventional way.
I was several months postpartum with our second child when I dove into minimalism, and I felt as short on time as I was on sleep.
While I knew there wasn’t a right or wrong way to declutter our home, I also knew whatever little free time I dedicated to decluttering had to be effective. My days were dominated by diapers and feeding people. I didn’t have time or energy to spare.
In short, I was looking for a decluttering method that promised significant “bang for its buck.”
I’d read about The Minimalists’ packing party. (Decluttering by boxing up everything in your home as if you were moving and then unpacking only what you need and love as you go. After 21 days, you donate everything still in boxes.)
The efficacy that strategy touted was tempting—it promised to clear space, and quickly. But it wasn’t practical for the stage of life I was in.
I’d read several books and blogs that said to build momentum by starting small, in contained areas of least sentimental value. Like a bathroom or kitchen drawer. Or your purse. Or your car. While I certainly had stuff to dispose of in these places, they again, didn’t deliver the “bang for your buck” punch I needed.
What did it matter if I had an organized bathroom drawer when I was drowning in kids’ clothes and toys?
While chipping away at drawers was fine, it wouldn’t allow me to regain function in my home. For that to happen, I needed to tackle the clutter by categories. And I needed to tackle them in the order that they caused the most stress.
Here’s what I did—and what you can do—to declutter your home in a way that allows your efforts to make the biggest impact.
1. Divide your clutter into categories
Grab a pen and paper (or notes app on your phone) and list out your clutter categories. Whatever comes to mind, write it out. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Below are some of my categories. Yours will likely look different, and they should—minimalism looks different for everyone.
My wardrobe
Kids’ books
My books
Notice I didn’t include “my husband’s golf magazines” on my list. Focus on your own stuff and the stuff that’s your responsibility to care for.
2. Assign a brief “why” for each category
Next to each clutter category, jot down a few words to remind you why you want to declutter this specific area. Here are some examples:
Kids’ clothes
- Spend less time on laundry (and more time on the things that matter)
- Own an amount of clothes that our kids can fold and put away themselves
Paper
- Spend less time looking for missing papers
- No distracting (and stress inducing) piles on the countertops
3. Rate each category on a stress scale
Rate each clutter category on a scale of 1-10, 10 being an extreme stress source and 1 being a minimal stress source. Just go with your gut—no need to overthink it. Jot the number next to the category.
For me, kids’ clothes were a 10. They flooded our home and were the bane of my existence. Definite 10.
Kids’ toys were a 9. I was constantly tripping over toy piles and stuffed animals seemed to multiply overnight.
Paper clutter was an 8. We had no system to manage our papers and shuffling piles took up way too much of my time.
4. Tackle the top-rated category first
The trick to decluttering with a bigger impact is tackling the top-rated clutter category first. Whatever area you rated a 10, start there. (If you have more than one area rated at a 10, flip a coin, draw straws—just choose one and start.) By decluttering your “10s” first, you ensure that each decluttering session will improve your daily life and your ability to function within it.
For me, the biggest clutter culprit was kid’s clothes. So that’s where I started (read here to see how I decluttered them). The results were life-changing, really. My kids started helping with laundry because the amount of clothes to manage was no longer overwhelming. I felt like I could breathe again in the laundry room and kids’ room. And I created significant free time for myself.
After decluttering our kids’ clothes, I knew I was on to something, and had to have more. So I used this motivation to tackle the second-highest clutter category, kids’ toys.
As I continued down my list, category by category, my decluttering muscle grew. And so did my ability to function in our home. With less stuff, the most stressful areas of our home became manageable. Soon, I had even more time to dedicate to decluttering and more time to focus on what (and who) mattered.
Truth is, 78% of people who feel overwhelmed by their clutter have no idea what to do with it. If you see yourself in that statistic, then use this article as your answer for how to efficiently tackle your clutter. (The links in step #2 above contain specific strategies for decluttering different clutter categories.)
Remember there is no right or wrong way to declutter. And the best way for you to do it will be determined by the expert on you—you.
If you’re ready to make real changes in your home environment and regain the upper hand on daily life, then try the steps above.
You can chip away at your clutter, or you can knock it out in chunks that create the space and breathing room you’ve been craving.
Identify the clutter category causing you the most stress and get to work. Choosing a life of less, and working efficiently to create it, will change your life in amazing ways.
Julia Ubbenga is a freelance journalist and mom of four who documents her family’s journey into minimalism on her blog Rich in What Matters. Her teachings on simplicity and intentional living help others live with less stuff and more life. You can find her on Instagram or check out her free decluttering guide.
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