Figuring out where to start decluttering is the hardest part of the process! This post is going to over where to start decluttering to create a cozy and minimal home!
You also might find yourself lacking the motivation to start this project. Whether you just want to tidy up or want to start living more minimally, just try to remember how good the end result will be! According to a wise Richard Bach, “The simplest things are often the truest.” Decluttering will make your space somewhere you LOVE to be as you’ll be surrounded by things that mean something to you.
Although it can be a tough project, it will ALWAYS be worth it in the end!
What should I declutter first?
A common question. What things, what rooms? What do I get rid of first?
I’m gonna be blunt with you right now, but only because I love you. It doesn’t matter what you start with!
In my opinion, the only thing that matters is that you focus on one thing at a time. Even better, focus on one room at a time. Start with the kitchen and don’t go to your bedroom until the kitchen is COMPLETELY decluttered.
Being able to put your focus on one thing will maximize how productively you’ll accomplish your task. So, don’t worry too much about WHAT to declutter first and focus on HOW to declutter.
And now…we can get to the fun stuff! Let’s get started…
This post is ALL about where to start decluttering!
Where to Start Decluttering to Create a Cozy & Minimal Home
Document the glow up!
I said what I said! Just as you would take a gym pic to capture your gains or whatnot…take a picture of your home or apartment before you get to decluttering!
Part of this process is the rewarding feeling that comes when you’re finally done. This will be a million and one times more fun if you can SEE the physical difference that you made! So take a minute or two to snap some before photos and compare them with the after!
This will make the process fun for you and make you proud of the progress you make.
Schedule a day to clean up beforehand
This seems a little counterproductive, huh? Aren’t you going to clean it while you go?
In my own experience, cleaning up an area before you start to go through your belonging makes a HUGE difference. It will clear up your head and get you in a better mindset before you begin!
Not only will it clear your mind, but it will make it easier to go through your items and decipher which ones are a need and which ones can be donated. If it doesn’t have a space in the room after it’s all cleaned up, that may serve as an indicator to get rid of the item.
Overall, I think it’s worth it. Just hurry and schedule in a day where you tidy up the house/apartment, no need for a deep clean, but just enough to increase productivity for the decluttering day!
Schedule a time to do donations!
Having a responsibility to make a donation will be sure to motivate you to get things done! Whether the donation center actually schedules donations or you’re just marking it into your own schedule, it should do the trick.
Another option is to sell your items online! When it comes to clothing, I love using platforms such as Poshmark and Depop. They make it super easy to take pictures of your clothes and ship them as soon as possible! ThredUp, an online thrift store, is also a great option to either sell your clothes or donate them to charities!
Overall, if you’re scheduling out times when you’re going to donate your items, you are more likely to do the decluttering!
Create a memory box
As you’re going through your items, there is sure to be a common theme. There is an item that is taking up space and you want to get rid of, but it may have too many memories attached to it. And that is OKAY!
If you don’t have a memory box already, I would definitely recommend starting one! When you’re in a situation such as the example I mapped out above, having a memory box will completely solve this problem! If you just love the item too much but don’t want it sitting in your room anymore, simply toss it in the memory box, and you’ll be able to have those memories for as long as you wish!
Having a space that is designated for items and photos that are filled with good memories is not only good for the soul, but for the home. So go to the store, pick up a container, and fill it up with all of your good-memory-inducing items. It’ll be fun and productive!
Go paperless where you can
This will probably come as no surprise to anyone, put paper creates SO much clutter. As I’m a student, I notice that papers get piled upon each other very quickly.
This is why it’s important to go paperless where you can! There are a million resources online, and it is amazing to take advantage of! It’ll also make it easier to keep track of things like your schoolwork, finances, etc.
Of course, a little paper here and there isn’t going to harm anyone, but going paperless where is possible is sure to make a difference as you’re decluttering your home!
Set a timer to increase productivity
I will always be the girl who has to set timers to get ANYTHING done. For some reason unbeknownst to me, knowing that there is an end in sight will ALWAYS make the task easier.
The Pomodoro Method is one that I use mainly for studying, but will also use with tasks in my day-to-day life. If you’re not familiar with this productivity method, it consists of setting a 25-minute timer and focusing HARD for this time. Once the 25 minutes are up, you get a 5-minute break to collect yourself. After the 5 minutes, another 25-minute timer is set…so on and so forth.
Using productivity methods like this helps so much in accomplishing even the most daunting of tasks!
Keep the things that MEAN something!
There are two ends of the spectrum: wanting to keep everything and wanting to get rid of everything. For me, I think I go through phases. However, it is SO important to find a balance.
To do this, there are questions to ask yourself as you go through your belongs:
- How often do I use/wear this item?
- Is this item worth the space it takes up?
- Is this item a NEED?
- And the iconic Marie Kondo method…”Does it spark joy?”
Each one of these questions will force you to think of the impact and value of the item. It will help you to keep things in your own space that you KNOW make a difference or truly mean something to you! And I think that should be the end goal of a home declutter day.
After evaluating how you feel about the item, making the decision on keeping or donating will be so much easier. But just remember that it’s OKAY to keep things that do spark joy, even if there’s not an explicit practical use!
Make it fun for yourself!
This is the most important step…make it fun! There are quite a few ways to do that…but here are some of mine.
First, play music, listen to a podcast, or maybe watch a Youtube video! Having something to listen to while you’re working on decluttering will make it fly by. Making your brain busy will make the hard part seem a lot less hard. Who doesn’t want to dance to music while going through their clothes?
Next, you can make it into a game! One game proven to show results is the classic “set a timer and see how much you can do in that time” game. Competing with yourself will get you more motivated to get things done quicker! Plus, it’ll be SUPER satisfying.
Lastly, set up a reward system for yourself. Tell yourself that you can sit down and eat a cookie or maybe go out to dinner if you finish going through a certain amount of things! For me, a cold iced coffee will always be a reward. It can be large or small, just whatever will motivate you. This is actually my favorite thing to do to get myself WORKING!
Try it out! I promise the results will be AMAZING!
This post was all about where to start decluttering!
While you’re here, you should check out my post where I go over organization tips to have an aesthetic bedroom. Click here to read this post! Organization and decluttering go hand-in-hand, so it’ll be the perfect post to compliment this one…check it out!
If you want to keep up with me, make sure to also follow my Instagram and Tiktok @xojacilynn!
Best of luck with your own decluttering!
XO,
Jaci Lynn
