Have you been giving the whole decluttering thing a try, but you’re just not making as much progress as you’d like? Maybe you’re using the wrong method! Watch the video below or read on to see if this may be why you’ve stalled out!
First, there is no one right method to declutter. The right way to declutter is the one that works for YOU and that you will actually do. There is TONS of advice out there about how to declutter, but most fall into one of two categories:
- All at once– this would be the Marie Kondo type where you put all your effort into decluttering for a period of time (a week, maybe a month), do your whole house all at once, and then as long as you maintain it, you never have to go through this again.
- Little bit at a time– you focus smaller chunks of time toward it (5-10 minutes a day even), work on things gradually, and over time (years even!) your house ends up with much less clutter.
There are pros and cons to both methods, but the best method is the one where you’ll actually follow through! This depends a lot on your personality type. I think most people are successful with the gradual method. Personally, I’m an all-at-once person, but that’s just because it’s how I’m wired.
I’m an all-or-nothing person in most areas of my life, and it’s not always a good thing. It took me a long time to learn this about myself and even longer to actually accept it (because sometimes it means I don’t have balance!). Now that I know this though, I try to work with this trait instead of against it. When I get into a project, I’m literally OBSESSED with it.
September for me is all about work. It’s when we have our live virtual event every year, so literally all my spare time goes into thinking about work. It’s just all I have on the brain. But then October tends to be all about decluttering and organization for me.
Pros about the all-at-once declutter:
- It gets it done and over with. For me, I find that once I start, I can’t stop, so this allows me to get more done with more focus.
- It’s more efficient– if you are buying bins for something, it’s easier to buy a ton of bins at once, do three or four projects, and then return the bins you don’t need. Just be sure to actually return them (ask me how I know!).
- Organizing is contagious– whenever I’m on an organizing rampage, my family also starts organizing subconsciously. It works in reverse, too. If my husband starts organizing his side of the closet, I do…
Further reading: getorganizedhq.com