“Minimalism is the intentional promotion
Of the things we most value
And the removal of everything that distracts from it.
It is a highly personal journey that forces us
To identify and articulate our highest values.
Because of that,
It is always going to be practiced differently by each individual.”
– Joshua Becker
Joshua Becker Quotes Webpage
A wonderful web page of Joshua Becker quotes
9 Modern Decluttering Strategies To Create a Home With Less Stuff
“Written by Joshua Becker
1. Marie Kondo: What Sparks Joy
2. The Becoming Minimalist (Joshua Becker) Method: Room-By-Room Decluttering
My decluttering method focuses on room-by-room decluttering, starting with the easiest, most lived-in areas first. When you begin this way, you’ll immediately notice the benefits of your decluttered spaces, which will motivate you to work on more difficult areas.
It is the strategy that forms the basis for my book, The Minimalist Home, the Clutterfree App, and my Uncluttered Course.
I have found the Becoming Minimalist strategy to be the most effective for the most amount of people. Needless to say, I’d recommend you start here.
3. Peter Walsh Method: Declutter Any Room in 5 Easy Steps
There are just 5 easy steps you need to take to declutter any room with the Peter Walsh Method. The main difference here? Remove every single thing from the room you’re working on. When doing so, make sure to arrange similar items together so it will be easier to sort through them later.
Empty the space. Remove everything from the room! Next, declare your intention for the room and create a vision. Ask yourself, “What do I want from this room?” This will help you decide what to keep and what to get rid of. Next, take the items you’re decluttering and donate or trash them immediately. Last, return the items to your room to complete your vision. Peter Walsh uses these simple steps in every episode of his show, Enough Already! to help families get rid of overwhelming clutter.
4. Fly Lady: Do a Little Every Day
With the Fly Lady method, you declutter in short bursts and use a 15-minute timer. The goal is to avoid burning yourself out, since decluttering can be a mind-boggling task.
Sort your items into three categories: “Give Away,” “Throw Away,” and “Put Away.” When considering individual items, ask yourself if you love the item, and if you’ve used it recently. Remove duplicate items and keep the better one. Also, think about whether an item has sentimental value, or if it gives you guilt and causes sadness when you see it.
Fly Lady recommends moving fast when you’re in a decluttering sprint. By doing a little every day, your whole house will be decluttered in just a couple of months.
5. Colleen Madsen: Remove 1 Item a Day
Colleen Madsen’s site, 365 Less Things, debuted when she made the decision to remove one item from her home every single day. She committed to giving away, selling, or throwing away one thing each day for one solid year as a promise to herself via a New Year’s resolution. This journey continued for Colleen for four years!
6. The Minimalists Packing Party
If “Party” is in the name, it must be fun, right? Why not make your decluttering journey enjoyable? With this decluttering philosophy created by The Minimalists, the packing party invites you to put all of your possessions into boxes as if you were moving. Invite friends over to help and order pizza.
7. Leo Babauta: A Comprehensive Guide for a Minimalist Home
Leo Babauta, longtime writer at Zen Habits and one of my earliest inspirations into minimalism, offers a comprehensive guide to creating a minimalist home. There are 3 compelling benefits Leo mentions about having a more minimalist home: it’s less stressful and more calming, it’s more appealing, and it’s easier to clean.
A minimalist home will have only essential furniture, clear surfaces, will prioritize quality over quantity, and will still have personal touches with accent decorations. Leo invites you to change your philosophy on possessions and aim for the ideals of a minimalist home. In his guide, he provides 16 simple tips to declutter, some of which include plain visuals, having a place for everything, and focusing on displaying only the essentials.
8. 40 Bags in 40 Days
In 2011, Ann Marie introduced a simple idea: A forty-day period (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you go through your home and declutter one area a day.
9. Hire Some Decluttering Help (NAPO or NASMM)”
Heather Aardema Interviews on YouTube
On DeClutter – Getting to the Root Cause Heather Aardema
“Here’s the thing…
None of the approaches are sustainable unless you address your MIND clutter.
If you don’t get to the root of why you are holding onto things, the clutter will never go away completely. The process will feel like you’re taking 1 step forward and 2 steps backward.
When addressing physical clutter most will either do one of the following:
1. Dedicate a weekend or a week to a few big bursts of decluttering
2. Declutter slow and steady over months and years
Regardless of the method you use, decluttering will feel uncomfortable at first.
The fast approach can be overwhelming and leave you with a bigger mess than you started with…but once out of the woods you’ll feel invigorated that it’s done.
The slow approach often gets waylayed and buried under new clutter…however it can become enjoyable and give you time to discover what you really want to keep.”
School of Living Lighter with Heather Aardema
“I founded the School of Living Lighter (SOLL) with the goal of creating an example of what’s possible in our lives when we intentionally choose to go lighter. Our SOLL promise to you: address the clutter—in your mind, body and home—and you will become your lightest self yet.”
Heathre Aardem – one example of her offerings
The online program LESS
Here’s a glimpse of the module topics in the program
Module 1
Whether you’ve attempted to declutter your home, and haven’t seen lasting change, or are too overwhelmed to begin in the first place: THIS IS YOUR STARTING POINT. This LESSon describes what clutter looks like through the Functional Medicine lens, why it’s so hard to let go and how you can begin this journey in a lighter, more meaningful and sustainable way.
Module 2
In this LESSon, get a tutorial on how to finally move forward for real, no more excuses, procrastination or overwhelm. Plus, learn how to take control of the clutter with one simple question. This question when asked in the right way and at the right time, is so powerful that it can be used for ANY life decision.
Module 3
Wish you had some life experience that had forced you to declutter so you didn’t have to face it now? Don’t want to organize for the rest of your life? In this LESSon, discover how to get to the root cause of your clutter and how to stay committed and have your back while you lighten your home so that you don’t end up in the same place a year from now.
Module 4
Look around. The job is big. But it doesn’t have to be daunting. In this LESSon, learn how to prepare – physically – for the work ahead. No one really wants to declutter, but trying to do it when your exhausted or feeling resentment won’t get you very far. You’ll give your body a functional reset so that you feel rejuvenated and ready to roll up your sleeves with enthusiasm! (Especially if you can’t get anyone to help)
Module 5
You get that less is more and more is less when it comes to creating a supportive, peaceful home. Wondering what to keep, sell, trash or donate? This LESSon addresses all the clutter in an engaging, yet realistic way. I won’t tell you to dump all your clothing on the bed, unless you want to do so and you promise you won’t be overwhelmed. Learn to let go of the heaviness, the unnecessary seriousness, and have some satisfaction lightening things up for real. And yes, we’ll address ALL the stacks of paper, pinky promise.
Module 6
You’ve crossed the decluttering finish line. High 5! You feel confident, but you’re human, and you want to make sure this new lighter life sticks. Take control of your future by learning the top 3 habits that will keep you living lighter with less. There will also be some celebrating in this LESSon, but don’t worry, I only recommend rewards that are aligned with the things that matter most to you.
How To Declutter Your Life in 15 Steps
Start with digital devices, backing up what you need and deleting the rest. Then approach your home and life in the same way.
