How to make decluttering fun (or at least less overwhelming)

I have way too much stuff, and I can imagine ways to use almost any of it. My closet, drawers, pantry, bookshelves, vanity, attic, (any other area you can name) are filled to overflowing. And yet I’ve gotten stuck. I don’t know where to begin because it’s all kind of overwhelming.

What do I do to break through the logjam? 1. I start small and 2. I gamify it.

It all started with the bookshelf in my living room where I keep many of my Bible study guides and books on Christian living. I wanted to shelve a new book, and there wasn’t space. I knew I needed to donate a stack of books, but I felt the familiar resistance to parting with these items. What if I want to look back at them someday or use them as reference or ideas for a new study? But I’d already filled the shelf and crammed extras on top, where they’d fit. I decided to get rid of enough to make the shelf manageable (dare I say more attractive?). It turned out that I needed to bid “goodbye” to ten books to make the shelf work.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item after clicking one of my links, the item doesn’t cost you more, but I get a small commission. Read more about my disclosures here.

I’ve always struggled with getting rid of belongings, so I looked for help along the way. Dana K. White of the blog and podcast “A Slob Comes Clean” became the friendly counselor I needed. In her new book, “Organizing for the Rest of Us,” she writes, “You have a Clutter Threshold, and if your home is usually out of control, you’re living above it.”

I often feel like my home is out of control, and I don’t like that feeling. That’s why I need to focus on letting go of my stuff. Maybe it’s like a muscle. The more I declutter, the easier it will get. Even if it’s always hard for me, my house will function better when my spaces aren’t overflowing.

In her book, Dana says, “Organizing isn’t possible when there’s more stuff than could ever fit in my home.” To take emotions out of the equation, she recommends that we focus on the container and what fits that container. Back to my bookshelf, with ten fewer books, the other books fit fine and I can easily pull one off the shelf.

Why do I get overwhelmed by clutter?

I’m pretty sure I have some level of ADHD, but I’ve never been diagnosed. My husband, the Fix-It Farmer, lovingly calls me “Random Woman.” It’s kind of like my superpower. I like to daydream and often get off track. Squirrel! But my freewheeling brain feeds my creativity. So there’s that.

But my stuff and my inability to deal with my stuff had impacted my creativity because I got discouraged about my lack of progress on ALL THE THINGS.

With my bookshelf, it felt good to give my tomes a better home. But how do I keep up the momentum? That’s when my brain hatched one of those creative ideas. I’ll make it a game.

The Ten Item Toss

Let’s play a game I like to call The Ten Item Toss. Now, I’m not really tossing everything in the trash. Most of it will be donated to a nearby thrift store. But you get the idea. I decided to take my random brain around the house and select ten items from a space to leave my home. What if I could get rid of 100 items a month for the rest of 2022? That would mean that more than 1,000 whatsits would leave my home. Wow!

This was an idea that earned the Random Woman Seal of Approval. I like a good challenge, and the possibility of ditching more than ONE THOUSAND items excited me enough to take action. I could go all over my house and find things that need to leave.

Here are just some of the spaces or categories I want to address:

•  My closet
• Chest of drawers
• The aformentioned bookshelves
• Pantry
• Kitchen cabinets
• Toiletries
• Medications/first aid
• Cleaning supplies
• Home décor (seasonal and non-specific)
• Attic
• Garage
• PAPER!!!
• Craft supplies
• Linens

Attack a spot that bugs you

After I worked on my shelf, I tackled the drifts of take-out plasticware spilling out of the cabinet over the microwave. After almost two years of a global pandemic and plenty of take-out (totally justified in supporting my local favorite restaurants), I had more than I could ever possibly use. I probably got rid of 100 or so, but I’m only counting them as 10 because it was super easy. I kept a couple of dozen sets that fit in a basket and got rid of the rest.

The dress (or tunic?) I bought years ago on clearance at Target and never wore. It’s not a good deal if I never wear it!

Then I went to my closet and found ten items: several sweaters, a few little-used tops, a purse I never carry and (gasp) a cute little denim dress with the tag still on it. I’d had it for years but it had never been worn. It was kind of on the small side, so I decided to let someone else enjoy it.

Then, I want to be real with you, I decided one of the sweaters I’d grabbed was one I like too much to give away. Okay, maybe two. I don’t wear sweaters often in Texas. But in the not-too-distant future, I’m moving to Kansas, to our Plum Prairie Ranch. Then I will want these sweaters! The struggle is real! Ugghhh!!! I had to go back to my closet and find other things to donate.

I like clothes, y’all. And I like variety. The idea that I would wear only black tops or neutrals depresses me. And sometimes I regret donating items. I’ve wished on multiple occasions for a cute little sweater set I gave away. But I need to imagine someone else enjoying that sweater set and all the other items, AND remembering how much easier it is to find what I want.

Then I decided to find ten home décor pieces to trash or send to the thrift store. A couple of used-up candles, small glass candle holders, and a dried floral arrangement I crafted more than a decade ago are leaving my home. I also found some kitchen items (plastic storage containers with no lids, anyone?) and an old crockpot without a lid are also vacating the premises.

In less than two weeks, I collected more than 50 things to give away or trash. Now I’m on the hunt for my next batch of ten. And it kind of seems like a game that doesn’t take very long to play. In less than ten minutes, I can tackle a space and make it just a little bit better.

I think I’ll give myself different rewards as incentives as I go along, with a focus on experiences over more “stuff.” And you know what? I can do it. The more space I make in my home, the more (I hope) I will be motivated to continue. How about you? Do you have a hard time clearing the clutter? Feel free to play along with your own Ten Item Toss.

If you, like me, are “Organizationally Challenged,” you might find helpful ideas in these related posts:

Practical help organizing at home when you don’t know where to start

“Decluttering at the Speed of Life” review

Hope for those overwhelmed by clutter and the never-ending to-do list