Declutter briefly and Often

A 15-minute stint, performed regularly, delivers surprising results sooner than you might expect. Set a timer and get to work. You’ll be thrilled by how much you get done in such a short amount of time!

Add Decluttering to Your Calendar

Make it easier to remember to declutter briefly and often by adding it to your calendar. Daily, weekly, three times a week, or whatever works best for you.

The No-More-Stuff-Rule

It’s simple: Just don’t allow any more things in the house in the first place. Not only will this declutter your space, but it will also help your finances, too

The One-In-Two-Out-Rule

If you can’t follow the No-More-Stuff Rule, try this one: Whenever you bring a new thing in, get rid of two others. Start by throwing away two pieces of paper for one piece of mail you read.

Repurpose Stuff for Charity

Show your generosity as you give away what you don’t need to family and friends — or donate it to charity. Check your local listings for charities in your area.

The Clothing Rule

If you haven’t worn an item in the past year, you’ve proven you don’t need it. If parting with your precious garments proves too difficult to bear, start small with cheap, easy-to-replace clothing like socks. Many charities accept lightly worn clothing, and you can even use the donation as a write-off on your taxes.

The One-Year-and-Gone Rule

It’s like the Clothing Rule, except it applies to other belongings. If you haven’t put a thing to use during the past year– a kitchen appliance, a craft project, sets of linens, etc.– that thing is subject to extra scrutiny. Because chances are, you don’t really need it.

The One-Room-at-a-Time Rule

When you focus on one room and finish it completely, you’ll get that marvelous feeling of success, which is a terrific motivator for moving on to declutter the next room. Put on some music and have fun! 

Get Help

Call on a trusted friend or relative to help you sort. He or she won’t have the same emotional attachment you have to those weirdly large spoons in the back of your silverware drawer and they can render an unbiased opinion about whether you should keep or toss them.

Take Advice from the Pros

There are several well-written books on the subject of organizing and decluttering. Here are a few of my recommendations: The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything by Clea Shearer, Joanna Teplin; The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, and Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-Waste Home by Julia Watkins. These Books can all be found on Amazon.