How to Declutter Fast
How to declutter and get rid of stuff fast
If your house is so cluttered that you don’t know where to start, don’t be overwhelmed. As an experienced clutter consultant and professional organiser, I have some tips to share with you.
Allocate the time
Chose a time when you know that you won’t be interrupted. If you only have an hour or two to spare, don’t try to declutter a whole room, start with an area, shelf or drawer. Don’t worry about how long it will take, just put the time aside and get started.
Remember that decluttering can be a physically and mentally demanding job, so break up a large job into smaller manageable sessions. I know you want to declutter fast but preserving your energy will help to stop the overwhelm and you’ll be more efficient and get more done in the long run if you don’t try to tackle too much at once.
Visualise your completed project
Whether it’s an entire room or just the junk drawer, visualising the result will help to keep you motivated and on track. Imagine how you will use the space that you are going to create and how you will feel once it’s done. Take before and after pictures so that you can see progress.
Have a declutter project plan and be prepared
It helps to have sturdy boxes or strong bags to sort into and space allocated to move things to, such as the boot of your car, so that you are already set up to get things out of the house.
The decluttering mindset shift
Rather than thinking about what you will have to let go, think instead about what you will keep. These are the things that are useful and that you love and cherish, sorting these items from those items that are no longer serving you will create a positive mindset when it comes to decluttering.
Making decisions
Decluttering is about making decisions. To do it fast, you need to be making quick decisions. Start with the easy stuff, like anything that is rubbish or beyond repair. Do a sweep of the room and get that out first. Then declutter large and bulky items as this will give you a quick return for the effort spent. i.e. you’ll see the visual impact immediately which will be motivation to keep going!
Next, start by sorting items into three categories 1) Keep 2) Donate and 3) Recycle. Take each item and make that decision!
If you are struggling, here’s a list of some questions to ask yourself:-
How much do I use this?
Have I used this in the last year and will I use it in the next?
Could I use something else that I already own to do the same job?
Do I even like this?
Am I holding onto this because of guilt?
Could I borrow this from someone else?
Could I buy this again easily if I had to?
If I have many of the same items which one means the most to me?
Would I use it more if it was stored somewhere more accessible?
If my house burnt down would I be sad if I lost this?
If you have gone through all of these questions and are still not sure, you can put the item in the keep pile and return to it later. Many decluttering professionals will say, “if in doubt throw it out” but I don’t subscribe to that philosophy, if you are genuinely unsure, then you are not ready and that can create procrastination and a mental block to getting through what you need to do quickly.
How to declutter sentimental items
Remember that it’s you that has invested an item with meaning, your memories live in you and not your physical objects.
Holding onto something because you have spent the money is the wrong mindset, the money is already spent and now your emotional bank account is being drained and your physical space is being taken up by something that you don’t want or need. Chalk it up to life experience and move it along!
There is no reason to keep items because you feel guilty that they were a gift. Try reversing that thought, you wouldn’t want someone to keep something in their home that you’d given them out of guilt. So let it go, donate to charity and let it be a gift to someone else.
Know this
It will get easier. It’s like muscle memory, when you start to see the results of your efforts, you’ll be motivated to continue. Once you have decluttered, it will be a hundred times easier to be organised. The reality is that the less you have, the less you need to organise. This is the beauty of decluttering and why you should always do an edit first before putting an organisational system in place.
Make it fun
Put on comfy clothes, grab your drink of choice, listen to your favourite music or a podcast while you work.
Pick a treat to reward yourself when it’s done. You deserve it!
