Streamlining the Unexpected Initial Approach to Tidying Any Space
In the quest for a clutter-free home, a strategic first step can make all the difference. Instead of diving headfirst into the discarding process, choosing what to keep should be the initial focus. This approach, often associated with the minimalist lifestyle, offers several benefits that can streamline your decluttering journey and help you make more intentional decisions.
By selecting items you truly want and need, you clarify your priorities and motivations, making decisions easier and more purposeful. This method encourages defining clear criteria for keeping items, such as usefulness, emotional attachment, or necessity. Practical decision rules, like the 90/90 rule, which asks if you have used an item in the past 90 days or will use it in the next 90 days, can help prioritise what truly matters.
Organising kept items in a separate area, such as a table or bed, allows for a better visualisation and management of what remains, potentially revealing duplicates and reducing clutter further. This approach helps avoid common pitfalls, such as holding onto "just in case" items without a real need, feeling overwhelmed by deciding what to throw away first, and becoming indecisive or emotionally stuck due to a room's sentimental aspects.
By starting with what to keep, you remain motivated and focused during the decluttering process, reducing stress and decision fatigue commonly experienced when beginning by trying to discard first. Scanning through a room with a box in hand and selectively choosing items to keep is a more effective approach in the first step of decluttering.
Applying this selection and rejection process in different contexts, such as career choices or relationships, can lead to better decisions and a more curated line of belongings or products. So, the next time you find yourself faced with the daunting task of decluttering, remember that starting with what to keep can make the process simpler, more intentional, and less overwhelming.
[1] Kondo, M. (2014). The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Ten Speed Press. [2] Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Random House. [3] Frankel, E. (2016). The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life. TarcherPerigee.
- Adopting a minimalist approach to decluttering your home intentionalizes the process, helping you keep only items you truly value or need, such as useful tools, sentimental belongings, or necessary items.
- By using clear criteria, like the 90/90 rule, you can prioritize what truly matters in your home and avoid collecting clutter, such as "just in case" items or duplicates, that may unnecessarily complicate your space.
- A decluttered home can serve as inspiration for other areas of your lifestyle, such as home-and-garden and home-improvement projects, providing a well-organized backdrop for your family to enjoy.
- By blogging about your decluttering journey, you can help others in the pursuit of minimalism and a clutter-free home, offering tips, tricks, and encouragement along the way.
- Featuring your decluttered home in home-and-garden magazines or websites can showcase your commitment to minimalism and serve as a source of inspiration for others seeking to simplify their own living spaces.
