Try My Bite-Sized Approach to Decluttering

The world of decluttering advice is getting a bit cluttered, with so many methods, so many blogs, and new articles almost every day on TikTok, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, and even Martha Stewart.  It makes something that should be fairly straightforward much harder, because you start to wonder which decluttering method is really best.

(By the way, with all of the simplicity and minimalist blogs out there, I truly appreciate the fact that you're reading mine!  Thank you.)

Let's make this super-simple.  Here's my idea for a simplified version of the viral 30-Day Minimalism Game by The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.

The original game gets harder and harder.

Many people have benefitted from playing the original "Mins Game."  Basically, you find a friend or family member who also wants to declutter, and set a date to begin.  Each person gets rid of one thing on the first day of the game, two things on the second day, three things on the third day, and so on to the end of 30 days.  Whether you donate, sell, or trash your excess, the items need to be out of your house and life by midnight each day.

The game starts easy and gets harder.  The idea is to see who can keep going the longest.  Can you remove 22 things on the 22nd day after removing many dozens of things in the previous three weeks?  If you can make it to the end of 30 days, you'll remove 465 items all together.

The Mins Game is a brilliant, simple idea.  But the problem is that many people give up before they get to the 30th day.  It gets too hard to remove so many things all at once if you don't have a lot of time or energy to declutter that day.  You still manage to declutter quite a few items, but giving up the game feels like failure, and may discourage you from trying again.

I want you to experience success in your decluttering journey, so I've come up with a modified, simpler game to play.

It takes just 7 days.

First of all, you can play this game alone if you need to.  Having someone join you is fun, but maybe you don't have someone who wants to play.  That's no problem with my Bite-Sized 7-Day Minimalism Game.

This game empowers you to start tackling clutter today without a lot of planning and without overthinking every decision.

• Start in one room or clutter hotspot, such as a bursting closet or crammed-full bureau.  This will be your focus for one week.

• On day one, remove one item.  Just one!  On day two, remove two things.  On day three, get rid of three things.  By day four... you get the idea.

• By the end of day seven, you've removed 28 excess items.

• You're done!... or you can choose to reset in the same or another area, and play again by removing one thing, then two, then three, and so on for seven more days.

This might sound too easy to make much impact, or like you're not doing enough.  But removing 28 things from one room or area will make a noticeable dent, and may inspire you to do even more.  After the week is over, you can continue to work in the same room if needed, or move on to somewhere else.

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101 Items to Declutter for a Simpler Home

Why it works

The main reason this deceptively simple game works is that decluttering a designated number of items allows you to feel an ongoing sense of accomplishment.  Instead of spending hours going through piles, getting bogged down and worn out by decision fatigue, and possibly still having a huge mess after a lot of effort, you get to make real, measurable progress.

By making decluttering a low-effort daily practice, you gain confidence and maintain momentum.  And you don't need huge amounts of time – this method is realistic about your schedule.  There's always enough time and energy to make decisions about a handful of items, whereas a top-to-bottom clearout can take an entire weekend – which you may never have!

Here are a few more tips to help you succeed.

Start with "easy" spaces.

Chose a manageable spot to begin.  How about the bathroom?  It's usually a small space with plenty of things to purge, such as potions that didn't live up to the hype, wrong-color makeup, or expired medications.

Other easy, yet satisfying, areas to declutter include a linen or coat closet or the living room.  Or you could declutter a certain category of items, such as books (especially if you still have every book you've bought since college), kitchen gadgets, or old tech and hobby supplies.

Move on to more challenging spots.

When it comes to your bedroom or the kitchen, it's helpful to focus on smaller zones.  Start in your underwear drawer, or sort through your tee shirts.  In the kitchen, you could start with mugs, storage containers, or one shelf of the pantry.  After you've successfully streamlined these areas, you can reset the clock for another week and start to conquer the rest of the room with renewed energy and confidence.

When it comes to memorabilia, work with one shelf or box at a time.  Or choose one collection, get all the pieces together, and start paring down.  Ask yourself:

• What do you still love?  
• What would you buy today if you didn't already own it?  
• What evokes the happiest memories?  

Remove the also-rans.

Related article:  How to Uncover Your Treasures by Decluttering Your Keepsakes

What to do with all of the stuff

You definitely want to clear unwanted items out of your house as soon as possible.  You don't want to create new semi-permanent piles of things that you "plan" to donate or sell "soon."  You don't want to give yourself a chance to second-guess your decisions.  And you want to be able to enjoy your newfound space and calmer, cleaner home!

But you also don't want to just toss everything into the trash.  So designate boxes for items you plan to donate, and set a reminder on your calendar to get them to the car and actually do it, either at the end of the week or (at latest) the end of the month.  You can take them to a thrift store, or give them away via your local Buy Nothing Facebook page.

Clothing that's not suitable for donation (such as tired underwear and holey socks) can be put in a recycling bin at your nearest H&M store (check first to see if your local sanitation department offers textile recycling).

For a big list of options for other types of items, check out my post here.

The end result

If you play my Bite-Sized 7-Day Minimalism Game four times (four weeks), you'll remove 112 items.  I realize that's only one-fourth of what you'll purge if you manage to finish the original 30-Day Minimalism Game, but my game is so much more doable.  You may find yourself continuing to play it every month for the rest of this year, and get rid of well over 800 things you don't need by December 31 – all without much time or stress.

Enjoy simpler decluttering!

Subscribe and receive my free printable

101 Items to Declutter for a Simpler Home

Coming in June, and on sale now!

It's my newest book, The Minimalist Diet: Simple Steps to Healthy Weight Loss.*  

Now, I don't outline a specific program for you to follow, with calorie and/or carb charts and a month of menus (though I do share dozens of tips and even a couple of recipes).  Instead, I write about how to develop a healthier relationship with food, your body, and your habits.  I talk about addiction.  I explore motivation and maintenance.  And I do all of it as a fellow traveler, not as someone who is perfect in any way.

Despite what you might have been led to believe, happiness (and your value as a person) has nothing to do with a number on a scale.  What matters is your level of energy and your clarity of thought, your stamina and flexibility, and the confidence you gain as you meet your goals.

The Kindle (e-book) edition of The Minimalist Diet is available for pre-order now at a special price.  It will be delivered on June 3, which is when the paperback and hardcover editions go on sale.

* This blog is reader-supported (Yay for NO ADS!).  If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission.