I know planning isn’t easy for everyone. I struggled too. But I promise you this guide will provide a clear plan of attack to start decluttering your house.

When you look at your clutter (no matter the size) do you ask yourself:

• Where do I even freaking start?

• How long will this even take?

• What do I do with stuff I don’t want?

• Can I open my door and hope people take everything? JK!

Well, you’re in the right place. I’m here to help you create a decluttering plan so you can stop feeling overwhelmed as you tackle life with less! Let’s begin!

How to declutter a house

Create a thinking space.

How can a person begin planning how they’re going to declutter their home if they have nowhere to prepare and think?

Choose a space in your home, table, desk, anywhere where you can be with your thoughts, a planner, and a pen. This place is just for you, do not keep any devices here, not even your phone! 

Action: Clear a place where you can think and put thoughts to paper. 

Know & Write Down Your Values.

Understanding your values can speed up the process of downsizing your things.

What’s important to you - honesty, innovation, vulnerability, standing up for yourself and others, self-respect, curiosity, charity, humility, creativity, etcetera.

When you get clear about your values, it’s incredible what you’re willing to let go. If self-respect is essential to you, maybe you’ll finally get rid of those skinny jeans that never quite fit, but make you feel not enough.  

Or maybe getting rid of the art supplies you never used because you never really enjoyed art. On the other hand, you’ll start painting, because you got rid of all that paperwork cluttering your home because creativity is a necessity in your life. 

Action: Define Your Values! Be clear and include examples!

For More Inspo, read Jennifer’s Post from SimplyFiercely.com: How Defining My Core Values Changed My Life

Create a mantra.

One of my significant barriers is perfectionism. Perfectionism always makes you feel like you’re not doing enough, you don’t have enough,  or you’re not good enough. So if you have any negative feelings floating around, flip and reverse those thoughts with a mantra. 

My favorite is: I Am Doing Enough. I Have Enough. I am Enough

Action: Write down your negative thoughts. Now flip it to become a confident mantra! Whenever you feel paralyzed, take a step back, find a quiet space in your home, and repeat your mantra. Combining mantras with deep slow breaths helps you maintain focus.

Decide where the clutter will go?

Often, people stop because they don’t know what to do with an item. Should I recycle it? Is it recyclable? Who will take this? Prevent paralysis. Make a list of different places you can donate, sell, trash, or upcycle your things. Find electronic recycling centers, Women Shelters, Refugee Shelters, Homeless Shelters, Local schools, Find local Facebook groups, or use one of the many apps out there to help you sell. 

Need more tips on deciding how to discard items? Check out Christine's Post at TheMostlySimpleLife.com

Need somewhere to donate? These Charities will Pick Up Furniture For Free!

Action: Make a list of the places you can donate, sell, trash, recycle or upcycle unwanted items.

Breakdown big Clutter projects.

What are the rooms, or parts of your house that are overwhelming? Instead of tackling massive projects, break these projects down into smaller tasks. For example, if you have a room full of boxes, going through each box, will be its bite-size project.  

Action: List all of the big projects in your home, and break them down into smaller projects.

Make a list of rooms/spaces in your home.

Ask yourself, what areas in my home would make my life easier? Make me happier? These are the areas you are going to start with, so you can feel better!

Action: List all the places in your home you want to declutter. 

Prioritize.

Ask yourself, what areas in my home would make my life easier? Make me happier? These are the areas you are going to start with, so you can feel better!

Action: Add a star next to the top three areas in your home that will make your life easier, happier, or less stressed.

Create Better Habits.

The number one way to stop clutter is to prevent clutter.

Now that you have your schedule laid out to think about what you do that can contribute to clutter.

Maybe you leave the mail stacked on the table, making a mess and an unsightly tower of papers. A new habit, keep a shredder nearby and shred the paper every day.

Maybe your shoes are all over the place, get a box or a bin and place it next to your front door. When you get home, you’ll see the container and immediately chuck your shoes in them. 

Action: Make a list of your habits contributing to clutter. Think about the underlying reason why you have this pattern, and create a new practice to negate the bad one. If you need help, use the clean routine in the Decluttering Playbook, to get you started!

Know your schedule!

The most important part of planning is knowing what available time you have to clear the clutter. Use the weekly schedule and lay out what your current routine and find blocks to use as declutter time. Remember any time; even one minute can contribute to your clutter-free goal. 

Action: Deep dive into your schedule and find a time that you can dedicate to decluttering.

PLAN YOUR WEEK!

On Sunday, sit at your thinking space and start planning for the week ahead. Make your decluttering times clear appointments in your calendar that week. Don’t go overboard and set 10 hours of decluttering on the weekend. It’s not realistic and to be honest, who wants to clean and throw out for more than a few hours at a time. 

Action: Plan your week on paper and add those times to your digital calendar too. 

Set Monthly Goals.

All the work above allows you set realistic goals! Knowing what area(s) you are going to tackle, the time it will take, the time you have to do it, allows you to set your goal! 

Writing down your goal keeps you accountable. Accountable to who you ask? YOU! But if you need more than yourself, share your weekly goals with friends, or even post it on social media. Let your social world know that you are cleaning house and are gonna kick some clutter ass! 

Don’t forget to create a reward for yourself, like a massage or getting your nails did. Or if you have a sweet tooth like me, get you some cookies! Give yourself rewards when you have cleared an area. 

Action: Set Your monthly goals, and make it SMART! Use the Create Goals + Achieve Goals worksheet.

Bonus: Track Your Goals.

Once you start, don’t forget to track your progress. Regardless of the time spent or how much you let go, you have done something! You need to recognize every step, big or small because it’s essential. 

Decluttering is your journey! It’s about simplifying your life so you can concentrate on doing the things you love! Mental clarity and sanity are vital to living a happier life. I hope this plan can provide you with a breath of fresh air as you tackle a home that works for you!

What do you think of the decluttering plan? Do you think it will help you on your journey to let go? Have you used these tips? Let me know in the comments below!

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