Six Steps to Clear Your Clutter

By Alison Marks

Alison Marks, MA, founder of Inside Out Design Coaching, helps people create homes they love that love them back. ©2006 Alison Marks.

Is your clutter special? Do you need to hang on to all that stuff because you might need it someday? Because your grandma gave it to you? Because you paid good money for it? Because collecting stamps or elephants or glass balls is what you've always done?

I've got news for you. Your clutter is really not that special. Everyone has clutter in their lives, and the reasons are usually the same. What's really unusual is to find someone who has learned to critically examine their stuff and honestly assess their needs, someone who lives a life mostly clear of clutter. These people are in charge of the things in their homes and work spaces, rather than feeling controlled by them.

Believe it or not, living in a decluttered space – one that runs smoothly and is full of things that make you feel good – is a possibility for you. Get out a notepad and pen! Here are six steps you can take to get control of the clutter in your life.

1. Inquire and Inspire: Write out the answer to this question: How would my life be different if there was no clutter in it? Be specific. When you get clear about what's possible, you can do the work that needs to be done from a perspective of inspiration rather than guilt.

2. Scan: What clutter, exactly, do you need to clear?
FIRST, write down all those things you that have been bugging you. You know the ones! THEN, walk through your home or work space and add to the list any other areas of clutter you encounter.

3. Organize: Now take five pages in your notebook and write one of the following on the top of each page:

  a. under 10 minutes
  b. 10 minutes – 1 hour
  c. 1 – 3 hours
  d. half to full day
  e. large project

Decide how much time each item on your list will take and write each one on the appropriate page.

4. Plan: Block out time on your calendar to do it. Break down the larger projects into chunks that are doable in a day or less. If possible, enlist some help. If you live alone, suggest to a friend that you trade time to do this.

5. Prepare: Before you go into a decluttering project, set yourself up with boxes or bags for different purposes (garbage, recycle, thrift store, give/return to people, and a transit box for things that go to other rooms when you're done), as well as a notebook where you can jot down the things that require follow-up.

6. Do it! There is no right or wrong way, but there are some things to keep in mind that will make it easier for you.

Start wherever you it feels good to start.

Do one thing at a time.

Use this mantra to question each item: "Is it BEAUTIFUL? Is it USEFUL? Is it LOVED?" If it's not one of these three things, there's no good reason to keep it.

Make the decision NOW.

Focus on your dreams, on what you're creating space for, rather than what you are giving up.
Make a game of it. Challenge yourself to see how much you can get rid of.

Have fun!

We are all really just passing through this world, and eventually we will leave it — and leave all our clutter behind. With this in mind, the idea that we need to hold onto things is really pretty silly. What makes more sense is to open to the flow in and out of our lives of things that make it easier or more beautiful, and to take good care of those things for whatever time they are in our care. I hope you take advantage of the opportunity to declutter — to be thoughtful about the things that surround you, so that they can support you in living the best life you can.