Decluttering: The First Step

Getting started is the hardest part of decluttering! It’s even hard for my clients. They go through the whole process of searching for professional organizers, finding me, booking a consultation, and deciding to hire me… and still, when I arrive for the first organizing session, they are often very uncomfortable about getting started.

When I’m working with a client, I dive right in. But if you’re DIYing your decluttering journey, where should you start?

Start with something super obvious: grab yourself a trash bag and start picking up any obvious trash. Don’t overthink it - if you can’t decide if something’s trash or not, leave it for later. We’re looking for the quick wins here: things like food wrappers, scrap paper, receipts, empty packaging. Look on your floor, look on your counter tops, look on your seating, look on your tables. Don’t worry about anything else, just look for the trash and put it in the bag.

Why should you start here? 

First, it’s easy. It’s always a good idea to start with something easy to warm up! 

Second, trash is a distraction that’s making your space look more cluttered than it really is. Once you remove that distraction, the space will look less cluttered and the task at hand will feel a lot less overwhelming.

Third, you’re building a skill, and that skill is noticing and acting on what you notice. Some of us were taught this in childhood and some of us weren’t, but we can all learn how to do it, and get better at it over time! When you notice things and act on what you notice, it’s easier to declutter and stay clutter-free.

Once you’ve removed the trash, you’re totally allowed to stop for now, or for the day! Check in with yourself: how do you feel? Do you need a drink of water or a snack? Do you feel exhausted? Take a break, hydrate, refuel, and come back to your decluttering journey when you’re ready.

In the meantime, your only assignment is to put any trash or recycling you generate in the appropriate bins from now on. After all, you don’t want to undo all that great work you just did!

And if you’re looking for help, accountability, or a cheerleader, I can help! Schedule a consultation with me and I can help you get organized virtually.

LMW