I’m a big fan of slow, steady change including teeny-tiny steps and the following decluttering tips support that.
Most of the time, our biggest challenge when it comes to making a change is that we make it way too big. If it’s too big, it feels impossible to get started.
When we decluttered our big house, we made big change small.
These are the tiny steps we used to make a big change.
Big change: Got rid of 90% of our stuff
Teeny-tiny steps:
- I put a few things in a box that I didn’t care about.
- Decluttered and removed the easy things (like duplicates, empty frames, shoes that hurt my feet).
- Noticed the space I created.
- Felt a little lighter.
- Decluttered and removed things that weren’t as easy to let go of (like clothes I spent a lot of money on, small appliances I never used, other decor, furniture).
- Noticed the space I created.
- Felt a little lighter.
- Decluttered the hidden clutter (the boxes in the garage and storage shed, things tucked on high shelves and under beds).
- Sold anything worth more than $50, anything less we gave away.
- Turned to the harder items like books and sentimental items and let them go too. Not all, but most.
- Noticed empty rooms in our house and was ready to let go of that too.
After decluttering and letting go, we downsized to a much smaller space. As a result, we have less to take care of and more time and energy for doing things we love.
3 Teeny-Tiny Decluttering Tips
If you want to declutter your space but it feels overwhelming, make big change small. Here are 3 teeny-tiny decluttering tips you can use to begin to create momentum for even more decluttering.
- Start with a space you can finish in 10 minutes or less. Instead of starting with the garage or your closet, start with one drawer in your kitchen or one shelf in your living room. Even a window sill is a great place to start. The reason this is so powerful is that you can complete the whole project quickly and start to experience the benefits of a decluttered space. It’s kind of like paying off your smallest debts first to build momentum and confidence for paying off the bigger debts.
- Get rid of the duplicates. How many sets of measuring cups and spoons do you have? Wooden spoons, spatulas and wire whisks? Or remember that time you liked the way a shirt fit and bought it in every color (and then wore your favorite color all the time)? If you have extras that you don’t use, let them go so you can use and enjoy your favorite things every day.
- Place a box by the front door. Use the box as a reminder that you want to let go and drop things in as you pass by that aren’t useful or meaningful. When the box is full, give it away and replace it with a new empty box.
After a few weeks of practicing these teeny-tiny decluttering tips, you may feel more excited about getting rid of stuff that doesn’t really matter to you. Always start with the easy stuff to build strength for letting go. Then you can consider the stuff that you aren’t sure about or sentimental items.