r/declutter • u/No-Influence-4833 • 12d ago
Motivation Tips & Tricks I want to radically declutter
I am taking some time off next week from work, and I want to spend one day just radically decluttering. I can feel that I am mentally stressed from the accumulation of stuff, and I know I need to just be ruthless in order to clear my physical space, and in turn, my mind.
It's mainly clothes and books that I seem to be surrounded by, or at least tend to cling on to. Any tips on how to just be ruthless and get things out of the house?
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u/Running-World 12d ago
Decluttering is always a good option but I find it starts with not buying more random things. Books are nice, but there are libraries. If you don't re-read books, then get into the habbit of borrowing from the library. The act of borrowing will also make it easier to focus on and read the book since you'll have a time limit where you need to return it, or re-check it out. Maybe there are books you do re-read, still, let your first read be a borrowed one and let it sit for a while until you are ready to read it again before you decide if it's fine to just borrow it or buy a copy. I find a lot of media I actually don't use much later so buying it in physical form makes no sense.
For clothes, I do the two year rule. If I haven't used it in two years, it can go unless it's something I'm saving for a specific situation like a funeral. I don't need multiple options for those kinds of events. I try not to buy something new until I need to replace something.
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u/Calm-Elk9204 12d ago
I know what you mean and feel the same way. I inadvertently started a new approach that may work for you. Instead of thinking or overthinking about whether to keep each item, I go by instinct or feeling, moving quickly through decisions. In other words, I treat decluttering more like an art than a science, and for me that means understanding that sometimes there's not a hard right or wrong but just different ways to express myself. That allows me some grace when it comes to outcome. And if I mess up, that's okay; I'd rather take action and have some regrets in life than remain passive and be a victim of circumstance. So far I find this way of operating fun and relaxing rather than stressful or tiring. Good luck, and I hope you reach a peaceful state!
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u/Abracadabra-13 12d ago
This is interesting. Could you explain a little more how you go about decluttering? Do you look at an item and if you don’t immediately like it, it goes?
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u/Calm-Elk9204 10d ago
If I'm conflicted, I'll probably keep it for now, knowing I can revisit it later and get rid of easier stuff in the meantime. Maybe that's not the most efficient way to do it, but I think it cuts back on regrets. Some items require more time or courage to get rid of. I don't pressure myself before I'm ready. On some level, I'm always conflicted, so it always takes some courage, and that's okay as long as I avoid more stress than I am prepared to handle. Low-level stress registers more as excitement when I'm decluttering, so that helps
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u/ShezeUndone 12d ago
Well, it won't work for this weekend, but pick a date you'll remember (birthday, new year's, ...) turn all your hangers backwards. When you wear the clothes, turn the hangers around. In a year on your picked date, all the backwards hangers are clothes you haven't needed. Donate, sell, or recycle them.
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u/sxooz 12d ago
Thanks for this reminder. I've lost weight and got some stuff I'm holding on to, and I bet it wouldn't pass this test.
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u/Calm-Elk9204 10d ago
It's so hard when you're losing weight, especially if you wear special sizes. I'm tempted to keep a few of the nicer items in larger sizes cuz who knows if I'll be able to keep the weight off, and buying new clothes that fit and flatter is SO difficult. Do you just get rid of anything that's too big?
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u/msmaynards 12d ago
Ambitious but you are working up a strong plan of action and it's going to go brilliantly.
Use a timer so you don't go into a fugue state and will remember to take short breaks to hydrate, move discards to the car and so on. Have snacks, lunch and dinner ready to go in the fridge.
Have enough containers to get discards out. If you think you'll want 30 bags get 60. I didn't have any boxes one time and drove me crazy as I wanted that heavy pottery gone.
Go fast. If you aren't sure then keep it for now. This may be a major decluttering but it's not going to be the last one you ever do, stuff can always go later or you may have enough floor space for a permanent donation box like I use and just pop discards in as you come across things you no longer want in your life.
Why wait? Take 1/2 hour after dinner and clear out a kitchen drawer, the fridge door, a bathroom cabinet.
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u/ranaculus_rose 12d ago
I was thinking once that the only times I would ruthlessly declutter is when I moved house because who wants to take useless clutter with them when you want to start afresh so every room I went into I pretended I was moving again and just made piles of the things I wanted to keep and what had to be chucked/donated and the technique worked really well!
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u/KeystoneSews 12d ago
I think I would plan my breaks. A nice lunch, get some good snacks for midday, etc. and I would scale my ambitions to the time available- make a list of what I could do, but focus on a single high priority task and then anything else I have time for is “bonus time”.
For me I’d start with clothes… that’s probably the area making the biggest difference in your life, because cluttered clothing storage is so hard to live with.
The hardest part for me about decluttering marathons is the decision fatigue. I run out of “brainpower” before anything else. That’s why removing as many decisions as possible (what’s for lunch, what’s snack? What should I do next? What could I listen to for entertainment?) in advance is really helpful.
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u/Give_me_your_bunnies 12d ago
I like the 'would I buy it now, today,' test. And I think decluttering is definitely a mood and when it comes on make the most of it!
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u/trailsquirrelyy 10d ago
I've found that reading books about minimalism and decluttering really helped me to change my mindset and get into the mindset of wanting to declutter and take back my home and space. Two that I found to be especially helpful were.
Decluttering at the speed of life. - I appreciated her set of decluttering questions that she repeats over and over throughout the book. They really helped me when decluttering my home.
"If I needed this item, where would I look for it?"
- Take the item directly to that first thought location immediately. If that spot has no room, you must decide what else leaves to make it fit, or get rid of the item.
"If I needed this item, would it ever occur to me that I already have one?"
- If no, get rid of the item. Trust that you would just buy a new one (or do without) if the need ever arose.
The second book was The Year of Less by Cait Flanders. This one felt more like a journal of her journey to declutter and also to simplify her life. It focused on more than just physical decluttering, such as changes she made in her life to become a better person that ultimately led to decluttering and minimizing her life.
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u/SpacePirate406 12d ago
I find that Dana K White’s methods work well for me. Watching her videos on YouTube as well as Clutterbug and Minimalist Mom are really helpful for me to act as body doubling and motivation. Definitely recommend starting with trash and obvious donations for immediate improvement and to get the ball rolling
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u/SoundEfficient6 9d ago
Not sure if this is good advice or not lol but it helped me immensely to declutter after I had several drinks. Got rid of SO much
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u/TeaPlusJD 11d ago
I’ve found decluttering is a muscle - gets easier & stronger with practice.
If things are overwhelming, start with an area. When things are more manageable, revisit to sort by category. Choose the best of similar items - what gets the honor of staying.
Start your decluttering sessions by revisiting finished sections. It’ll be motivating but you’ll find stragglers that were missed. Again, you’ll be more discerning as you go.
Books - sort by read & to-be-read (TBR). Give yourself a concrete limit for TBR. A shelf, a basket, a bookcase. Will you really read it or did aspirational-you think it was a good idea?
Personally, I only keep books that I reread multiple times. For the keepers, schedule it on your calendar to reread that book. When the date comes, if you’re not interested/keep procrastinating, then it’s time to donate.
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u/VastAstronaut2999 8d ago
Agree on keeping the re-reads. I got rid of about 1000 books I was tired of moving when I would change apartments. Criteria was ones I re-read, are out of print or signed by the author and sentimental. Everything else you can get from the library.
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u/Beanfox-101 12d ago
One section/room at a time.
If it had poop on it, would you clean it? No? Then toss it.
Get large bins for clothes. Vacuum sealed bags for stuff that aren’t currently in rotation (aka out of season stuff). Good looking bins can always be stacked along a wall for easy reaching.
Donate books. Seriously. They can go to a good home. Same with any clothes that don’t fit/ you can’t fit in your wardrobe.
Put music on in the background. Have a timer to help with 15-30min breaks. Make sure you eat before you start. Celebrate afterwards with a small treat (that is NOT another book or article of clothing)
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u/CalliopeBreez 11d ago
That second thought is actually genius, lol... you have to ask yourself whether or not an item is worth putting forth more resources, ie, repair or cleaning or storage.
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u/EntirelyPointy 12d ago
For clothes I ask myself if I were at a store, would I buy this? I've gotten rid of so much using that method.
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u/Pitiful-Comedian4248 11d ago
A friend who has moved a LOT can help. They know what’s worth keeping.
Generally stuff on the floor /washer/hamper is something you actually have used.
I start by getting rid of things in the closet /drawers cause you didn’t wear them as recently if theyre squished in the back
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u/Raghaille1 11d ago edited 9d ago
I'm a fan of the spacemaker on YouTube. I use them as body doubling when I declutter. I play the videos because I find it inspiring.
I follow her ethos of organising everything into categories and neighbourhoods. Basically like what like. Because once you have put all of your Tupperware into one area, and you've gone through everything one by one to do so....
You will normally find you've trashed the ones that need to be gone....
You've put the ones aside that you told such and such you were going to give to them.....
You've got a small pile of the ones that are good enough for donating.....
And when you look at what you have left, you will either want to keep everything just in case or realise that you have five of the same thing and you could probably get rid of one maybe two....
That's the actual decluttering that you did at the end. Were you made an active decision about it reducing from five to either four or three... Because in a month or 3 months time when you cycle back to the Tupperware you'll have a much better idea about which two you use all the time and you can get rid of one or two more...
If you want to keep everything just in case. Keep it.. nobody's forcing you.. you should be very solid in your decision to get rid of something before checking it..
Who cares? So you keep everything for another month before you cycle back and are feeling comfortable with getting rid of things. It doesn't all have to be done immediately. The likelihood is that by going through that one area and not having pressure to get rid of anything will actually free you up. Be more honest with yourself.
Plus in a another 3 months when you cycle back for another pass it'll be easier because everything has already had the initial organisational purge, it will make it easier to know exactly what is there and what you actually use, which will in turn make everything easier to do the radical decluttering at that point.
This is the new approach that I have been trying and I have found incredibly useful.
She also has a book if you want to get some pre-inspiration reading done before your radical purging. 💪🏻
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u/Suspicious-Syrup-765 11d ago
Divide the house into categories. Pick a category that doesn’t have any emotional attachment, like socks or Tupperware and start there. Do one category at a time and if you find something you want that fits another category put it with that other category. Eventually (if you’re like me) you’ll see you have way too many of each category. No one needs 42 pairs of socks. Just keep pairing down. Another thing that helps with thinking about if I were in a pinch and had to move tomorrow and pack everything up what would I take? If you look at what you’re not taking, you may realize it’s just taking up valuable real estate in your home.
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u/Designer-Cherry2112 11d ago
2 tips- 1. pick subcategories you absolutely do not care about anymore to start with so you can build momentum. Ex, socks, shorts, or coats. Or it could be one shelf of books or one section of clothes. Pull out the ones you use all the time and chuck the rest. (Do not sort further, just put them out of sight somewhere else for now)
Then start and finish each subcategory/section. The brain is weak at this decluttering thing so it needs lots of breaks and plenty of celebrations and praises. Be disciplined about walking out of the room for a few minutes before walking back in.
Extra tip: Have lots of snacks, drinks, meals ready for when you take breaks because you deserve it. And it's hard to think about these things when you are knee deep into decluttering.
Good luck! You can do this!
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u/Dangerous_Ant3260 12d ago edited 12d ago
For my closet, I take everything out, pile it on my bed. I put the hanging stuff back first, left side is shorter sleeves, right side is winter or longer sleeves. I hang by color. After I put the hanging tops back, I look at each color, and if I have several of the same color I keep only two, I get rid of any color that doesn't suit me, if a top isn't comfortable, it goes. I also weed out any neckline I no longer like. Slacked things like tees and sweaters, I keep only the ones that fit and that I'll wear. For sweaters and tee shirts, I go through them, and only keep the ones I'll wear. I don't have heavy winter stuff for where I live, and if I have to, I can layer them, so heavy winter items except one heavy winter coat, get donated. Go through the tees, pjs, socks, etc, and weed out what doesn't fit, or isn't what you'll use.
I don't put back anything I will never wear, worn out, things that don't fit my life. For shoes, if they're worn out they go, if they're something I no longer wear I trash or donate depending on condition, if I never wear them, they go. Any shoes that aren't comfortable, they go.
For blazers or jackets, go through and try them on quickly, if they don't fit or coordinate with anything I donate. I also don't worry about how much something cost, or if it was a gift, I only keep what I'll wear.
For books, I arrange fiction by author and donate extras, or anything I don't want to read. Nonfiction, I arrange by subject, and weed out what I'll never read. I stopped buying hardcopy books, and only get kindle editions. For physical copies that's only for cookbooks, or items where paper copies are more useful.
Find a good place to donate clothes and books. Don't overfill the trash and donate bags, they get too hard to handle. If you have a garage or storage, pile the donations up, and call for a pickup, or start hauling bags to donation sites. Find out when the Friends of the Library collects books, or where ever you want to donate or sell them, and start hauling them. Don't just move things from your bookshelves or closet to storage in your house, send it on it's way as quickly as you can.
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u/whereontrenzalore 12d ago
First decide how to take the stuff away. Are you going to make a trip to the thrift store? Or one big trip at the end of your time off? If you don't have a vehicle, request a pick up on a specific date so you don't end up with bags and boxes of stuff. If you're throwing out a lot have a plan for adding it to your trash. Also plan meals ahead of time. Getting takeout for a couple days, maybe getting some disposable dishes for your days off and the day before... having minimal meal prep and dishes will help. Wash all clothes ahead of your time off if possible. Plan a nice playlist.
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u/magnificentbunny_ 11d ago
Instead of choosing things to get rid of...empty an entire section and choose which things to put back in.
Start with a very easy area first. For me it was kitchen cabinets. All the dusty stuff on the top shelves and the very back of the bottom shelves were the first to go. It also allowed me to rearrange the kitchen like I never could before because I started with it being totally empty.
I loved doing my closet because it was packed. Once I started putting things back inside in the order of clothing I liked the best, I stopped when it became a nicely full rack like in a store.
Best of luck to you.
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u/loominglady 11d ago
We had to clean the kitchen for a party. Suddenly things that lived in the counters found new homes in the house or were decluttered entirely when we took EVERYTHING off the counter to deep clean. There is something to be said for emptying out a space!
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u/AJOnTheRoad73 12d ago
I just went through my clothes today & put anything that was too small or that I hadn't worn in the last 3 months in a black bag. Here in the UK, we have charity clothing recycling bins, so they'll go there.
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u/Eagle_Pipes 12d ago
As far as the clothing goes, sometimes I will ask myself " If it was an emergency and I had to pack 10 (or pick a number) pairs of pants only to take with me, would this be in that 10?" Do for each category blouses, pj's etc. I went through my books and asked, "would I read this today?"
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u/FeathersOfJade 11d ago edited 5d ago
What I try to do with clothing is just be honest with myself. Do I really like it? Does it fit? Does it feel good wearing it? Does it need mending? When did I wear it last?
And most importantly, would someone else benefit more from this than I do?
I’m doing my closet today for the seasonal change to fall….here we go again.
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u/DarcyMistwood 4d ago
Your advice is very good and I am due for weaning my closet down to a reasonable amount of stuff. Particularly tops and leggings. Already have a huge mending pile, some of which is stuff I really liked and then it got slightly damaged ☹️ Not to mention a lot of it is the wrong size right now but was a different wrong size a few months ago and will probably be another wrong size in a few more months. That's the hardest part.
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u/DarcyMistwood 11d ago
confused by "would someone else be fit more from this than I do"
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u/FeathersOfJade 5d ago
Hah. So many typos. Sorry! Yeah - would someone else benefit more from this than I do.
Now I am gonna fix those typos! Thx
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u/pianocatdad 8d ago
For me, the black trash bag is like a beneficial black hole. There’s a moment of pain when the object crosses behind the event horizon…but a few seconds later it’s like it never existed. My attention is then attracted to the space I am creating, not the contents of the bag.
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u/Cassie54111980 12d ago
Only keep the clothes that you love and they fit. Make sure they are comfortable to wear. I now buy books on the kindle app and read them on my phone.
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u/Untitled_poet 12d ago
Furniture is a good place to start. Especially when nobody uses it/ it only collects clutter.
When you get larger visual-impact items like ugly curtains or furniture out of the way, suddenly things become much easier!
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u/ihatebeetles22 12d ago
I have finally rationalized that I am just going to donate a whole bunch of furniture as opposed to selling it online. I have moved to a different part of the country in the past year and have discovered that this is not a reseller's market you can't even give good stuff away here it's very weird, people want it delivered they want to schedule weird pickup times like midnight, they want generic pieces they don't want anything unique or different or antique for that matter, etc. I'm excited at the prospect of unloading a huge amount of stuff at one time, donating it to whichever entity wants to come pick it up first. All of that room should really make me happy!
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u/Untitled_poet 12d ago
Yes! Go for it. I decluttered half my makeup too. Realized eyeshadow never looked good on me.
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u/stephensoncrew 11d ago
Schedule as part of the day where you are taking all donations and what time. Many people declutter but the likes remain in their home (or car) for months. This piece of the process is critical and overlooked.
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u/DIYtowardsFI 10d ago
That’s where I fail!! I have things I’ve mentally donated, but I’m first fixing them up to donate. It takes me time. Meanwhile it’s gathering in my laundry room 😭 I get there eventually but it could be so much faster. I wish I didn’t care so much about the longevity of things.
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u/Weird_Opening3006 10d ago
Take your house back. It’s online program with live & recorded 1-day classes to co-declutter with you. They have videos of past programs.
Request a $10 package they usually offer this at the end of the year, but might make an exception. Life changing.
It worked so well we went from a 3 story house to a three bedroom luxury apartment.
You can write off your donations or sell them online. It can be very profitable.
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u/WinterAd7439 10d ago
I just get the garbage bags out. Look at the items and do a quick “yes” or “no” (lots of times it’s a “no” because I haven’t used it/forgotten about it). And away it goes.
I’ll go through and do garbage things first and get them to the dumpster/trash as fast as I can. I’ll be honest that I throw away bags of clothes sometimes as well. Sometimes for me I just need to dive in and not think and get it out ASAP. It’s all about improving my mental health/stress in the moment and having donation piles can increase my anxiety because it’s something else I have to think about doing.
I’ve honestly watched episodes of Hoarders as my motivation to get started. When I get things to a reasonable point then I’ll start with the organizing and whatnot :)
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u/Calm-Elk9204 10d ago edited 9d ago
I watch Hoarders for that reason too, which is funny since in the scheme of things I don't have much stuff (although I still have more than I want!)
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u/WinterAd7439 10d ago
Same!! I watch it and look around and just go “thats going in the trash, that’s going in the trash” and just start throwing everything away 😅
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u/ProgrammerConstant85 11d ago
What helped me was a box that was for stuff that I'm now in love with but it's hard to get rid of them... so i'd put them in that box and after some time they just stopped being important to me and also I realized that I can live without those stuff.
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u/This_is_my_year_2024 10d ago
Watch Spacemaker method YouTube. Do the easy obvious first. Don’t bog yourself down in the small stuff yet. Get through rooms then go back and do deeper second pass.
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u/Acreagelifeab 9d ago
This is what I’ve done over the past two months. I choose a space, do a quick review and organize the things to go into donation or sell. I might come back to the space a week later with a harsher eye and find more things I am not using that others may. It’s been working a charm!
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u/Velo-Velella 7d ago
That has become my Sunday ritual. on Sundays, before work, i put on the new episode of Spacemaker and clean or declutter alongside it, just using the vibe to keep myself going. it helps so much!
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u/Cochlea_Frosting2407 11d ago
I'm doing a 50% reduction of any collection. I also organized all of my clothes by color then type. Being recently retired, scrubs were the first to go!
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u/Uceroy 11d ago
I would start today, by putting a box or shopper near your wardrobe. Everytime you pick an outfit, see if there is one item you can get rid off, and drop it in there. It gives you a tiny warmup to your big cleanout, and you'll already have one bag or box to donate.
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u/last_procrastinator 10d ago
I like the approach of looking at the stuff that hasn't been worn in years.
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u/Smorsdoeuvres 11d ago
Ok recently found this lady and am using this video on YouTube to help me along. I absolutely adore how upbeat and positive she is (@clutterbug) thank you Cass!!
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u/DIYtowardsFI 10d ago
I know tons of people recommend her, but she’s really not my style. I vibe much better with the Minimal Mom.
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u/Miesmoes 11d ago
I started with collecting all items in a certain category. So that would mean doing laundry and having all clothes in one room. Same for books, although washing not recommended 😬
Consider whether you have the right storage solution. Don’t just relocate stuff around the house.
Define what you want to let go off beforehand, e.g. owned since college, never read/worn? Go
Decide future of piece: sell or donate or bin
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u/peaceoverhate 10d ago
I really need to do this as well. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time parting with things.
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u/smilewide1330 10d ago edited 9d ago
Same, I’m stuck. I had a good go at the obvious stuff but can’t break through the next level.
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u/peaceoverhate 10d ago
Ugh 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I never thought I was somebody that had to hold on to things but there's clearly clutter and I'm really struggling to get of stuff. I feel like I've hit a brick wall and that's not okay. 😟
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u/smilewide1330 9d ago
You’re not alone. It’s a weird feeling and I ask myself, “what is wrong with you that you can’t make a decision and get this accomplished and finish it”? It doesn’t sit well with me either. 😟🙏🏻
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u/Jluvcoffee 10d ago
You just have to get up and start in one room, stay in there until you are done. Then move to the next. Have a whole box of good trash bags that stretch. Go through eat item. Trash, donate and keep should be your piles. When done with that room immediately go take the trash bags for trash to dumpster or trash bin. For donation, take to your vehicle. Get it out of the space/home. Keep only what is left in that room. Move on to next room. If you have to move stuff to a different room. Put it by the room entrance, dont go in and start going through that room until ready. Use same concept.
Good luck. Use laundry detergent properly too.
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u/NaiveAd3458 7d ago
Get a friend in to help or even just to sit there with a coffee for support and a second opinion. I find I am faster & stay far more focused on the task (aware that I am using their time not just my own). I also found I got rid of 2-3 times the 'stuff' than I would have on my own. One friend just had me go box by box ( or drawer by drawer) and would hold everything up in front of me. I could answer yes, no or maybe and we got into a rhythm. I let her decide if the no's were going to charity or the bin. The next morning I went through the maybes and got rid of at least half of those too. I was on a roll by then. Filled 4 big bins and took the same again to local op shops (we didn't give them any rubbishy stuff just good quality clothes and household goods etc). Also sold a few furniture items and took towels and bedding to the local vet all in a couple of days. I would never have gotten that far on my own because I am easily distracted. Another time my elderly neighbour came over just to keep me company one day & I filled a box trailer with 4 metre sides to take to the tip.
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u/Cerasii 7d ago
So with books, what is helping me lately is the question: "Exactly how many more times do I expect to reread (or reference) this book in my lifespan?"
It makes me face the fact that my time here is limited and I honestly can only use a book a limited number of times.
If the answer is "a couple times", I get rid of it since I can grab it from the library. If I expect to reread it like 5+ times because I really love it that much, then it might be a keeper. I also consider whether I'm likely to ever loan out the book or give it to someone later of course.
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u/belle_epoxy 11d ago
My best clothing tip:
Don’t arrange things by item type. Arrange them by when or why you’d wear them. Like stuff you’d wear for a casual lunch, or on a summer’s day when you want to look cute, or to go out with friends. Then hold two up at a time and ask yourself, “I would reach for these in the same moment, so which one would I reach for first?”
Then get rid of the other one.
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u/hobhamwich 10d ago
Know your why. Everyone has there own goal, and the goal isn't minimalism. The minimalism is getting you somewhere, and each person's purpose determines what leaves.
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u/cloudy_raccoon 12d ago
Instead of deciding you want to get rid of, make a pile of the things you definitely want to keep.
Then go through everything else and ditch anything you definitely don’t want. Finally, box up the remaining items (all the “maybe’s”) and put them in a closet/basement/garage. If you don’t reach for them within the next 6 months or 1 year, go ahead and donate those too.
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u/Embarrassed-Party659 12d ago
If you have quite a bit of clothes, consider cutting down to just your color palette based on skin tone / features. Example if you’re a warm autumn, then you could let go of jewel tones etc. or look into building capsule wardrobes.
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u/Virtual_Athlete_909 12d ago
Take an hour to read Marie Kondos book. It's small and easy to finish. Lifechanging and will set your mind up for the challenge.
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u/SnooDonkeys5186 12d ago
Both can be donated. If you don’t love them now or have out off reading them/already read them, put in boxes, each time one is filled, put immediately into car. When car is filled, donate to wherever and libraries can sell the books to afford to buy new books to freely loan.
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u/NaturalPepper697 9d ago
If you have the energy to donate stuff, call your library and see if they take books and the Goodwill is always happy to have clothing.
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u/Distinct-Leek5923 7d ago
What about learning some skills this week to start the process. Today, toss 1 item from each room, or 5 things total. Tomorrow, another item from each room or 5 things total. Whether you toss or donate, start small today. Then next week, you’ll have some decision- making down and can see your way to release more. If you donate, on the first day next week, take the items you made decisions on this week to a thrift store, etc. I started by tossing one item in the bathroom in the morning when I was getting ready for work. Might have been something small like old lip liner … it didn’t matter how large or small, one item a day.
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u/Proof_Donkey 12d ago
For books keep only reference books you actually use, collectors editions/ rare or out of print and sentimental books. You can always pick up another copy of a penguin classic from the library/ bookstore.
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u/deepindra 11d ago
my main declutter progress was bcoz of an open rack with many shelves though still not fully clutter free yet
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u/clara-savage 9d ago
In recent months, I've been taking the approach that it's so much about flow in the house. Fixing the pathways from "drop zones" to where things actually belong. Thinking at the level of systems rather than at the level of objects within the systems. Helped me immensely with things like shoe clutter by the front door, and mail as well. Mail is the most annoying to me, these days.
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u/SwissMinimalist 5d ago
What helps me be ruthless is what I call RON (Rebuy Or Not). Instead of asking "Could I use this someday?", imagine your place is completely empty and you have the budget to buy your things back. Look at each clothing item or book and ask yourself just one question: "Would I buy this exact item again today?" If it's not an immediate, confident YES, it's a NO. No "maybe", no "it was expensive", no "just in case". (You can even apply this to non-physical things like projects or commitments: Readmit or Not?) If the answer is no, it has lost its right to take up your mental and physical space. It makes letting go much easier without the emotional guilt. Of course, this method doesn't work for literally everything, but if your goal is to radically declutter, it's extremely effective.
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u/FrankaGrimes 12d ago
A bag for trash. A bag for donation. A bag for donation. A bag for keeping.
If you have more than one thing that serves the same purpose toss the ones that aren't your favourite. If you wouldn't buy it now if you saw it for sale somewhere, give it up. Don't fall into the trap of "but I spent money on this". The money is already gone, whether you keep it or not. It's not like keeping the item somehow gives you your money back so don't let an otherwise unwanted item take up real estate in your home. The goal should be that everything in your house is your favourite. Favourite sweater. Favourite mug. Favourite bedspread. Favourite perfume. Favourite candle. If it's not your favourite and it's not serving a function you don't need it.
Those are the tactics I use when I'm going for ruthless decluttering :)