The 3-Thing Decluttering Project

Decluttering an entire home takes time and effort.  That can make it hard to get started, because you think "I don't really have time right now" or "I don't have the energy to declutter." 

I get it.  Especially if you have a lot of clutter, you may be so daunted by the task that you avoid it.  That's okay, because I'm going to help you trick yourself into decluttering a lot more with a lot less time and effort than you might think possible.

If I told you to declutter 150 items over the next week, could you do it?  You might think it's impossible, but what if I asked you to get rid of just three things right now?  Does that seem more doable?

I bet you can easily remove three things from your home, so why not remove three things from 50 different places?  It's a way to trick yourself into doing a lot more than you think you can.

This really works, and it's going to give you a lot of confidence in your ability to make choices and get things done.

50 ways to cut the clutter

Simply declutter three things from each place or category below.  Don't overthink it.  Just remove three things and put them in a donation box or the recycling bin (or garbage).

If you don't own something in one of the places or categories, add an area that's not on the list or remove an extra three things from another space.

Get ready to declutter 150 things!

1.  Mugs – You know you always use your favorite one anyway!

2.  Water bottles

3.  Cooking spoons, whisks, spatulas, knives

4.  Measuring utensils

5.  Pots, pans, and baking dishes

6.  Small appliances and kitchen gadgets

7.  Food storage containers

8.  Food in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer that you'll never eat

9.  Spices, sauces, and condiments that have expired or that you never use

10.  The "good" dishes – or start using them and get rid of the not-so-good ones.

11.  Refrigerator magnets

12.  Cleaning supplies and tools

13.  Hair and skincare products that don't work or that you never use

14.  Medicines and other items in the medicine cabinet

15.  Makeup and grooming tools

16.  Hair tools (brushes, dryers, etc.) and accessories (headbands, hair ties, etc.)

17.  Underwear

18.  Sleepwear and workout wear

19.  Clothes that don't fit or that are uncomfortable in some way

20.  Clothes you haven't worn in more than two years, including formal attire

21.  Shoes that hurt your feet

22.  Duplicate and extra clothes, including outerwear

23.  Jewelry, scarves, ties, hats

24.  Extra glasses and sunglasses

25.  Belts and purses

26.  Emails – To keep email clutter under control, first delete anything more than a month old.  Next, open your inbox two or three times a day, click "select all," and then, at a glance, unselect anything you need to keep.  Delete the rest.  This will save you so much time and effort.

27.  Phone apps

28.  Digital photos – If you spend way too much time trying to organize these, simply sort them into folders by year, by person (such as "Mom and Dad" or "The Kids"), or by event (such as "DC trip" or "Birthday Parties") and leave it at that.

29.  People you follow on social media; podcasts you don't listen to

30.  Downloaded music you don't enjoy any more – and consider not downloading any more for a while.

31.  Children's artwork, homework, report cards, certificates, etc. – Keep a few, but not all.

32.  Files and folders – Think of all that stuff in your filing cabinet you never, ever look at.

33.  Office supplies and tools

34.  Old magazines and newspapers; anything you've ever ripped out of a magazine

35.  Photos – Let go of blurry photos, duplicate photos, and photos of things you don't remember or don't want to remember.  Saving photos and paper has become a hoarding problem for many of us.

36.  Journals – If you use journals for anything other than memory-keeping (such as venting or processing), shred them regularly.  Don't keep anything you don't want anyone else to read.

37.  Candles, picture frames, plant pots, vases

38.  Wall décor and knickknacks

39.  Throw pillows and blankets

40.  Towels and sheets

41.  Anything from a junk drawer

42.  Tote bags, paper bags, plastic bags

43.  Books you've read or will never read

44.  CDs and vinyl you don't listen to

45.  DVDs and Blu-ray discs you don't watch

46.  Games you no longer play

47.  Kid's toys that are broken or that they no longer play with

48.  Hobby gear

49.  Sports gear and exercise equipment

50.  Tools and lawn care/garden items

And finally, here's a bonus area:

51.  Sentimental items – After removing all of the above items, you'll be ready to deal with some of the things you feel emotional attachment to.  Unless you're enjoying them regularly, release them.  If that feels too hard, take a picture first and then let go.  Keep what you display or actually use.

What's next

After removing your first 150+ items, do another pass, or focus on areas that need more attention.  Remove your clutter-filled bags or boxes quickly so nothing finds it way back into your space.

You can use this decluttering checklist any time you feel the need.  You'll never have to spend time and energy figuring out where to start.

Be sure to worry less about what you're giving up and focus more on the space and freedom you're creating.  Owning less means less cleaning, organizing, and searching for what you need, and more time, space, and stress-free focus.  Good luck!