Home Organization Services & Homeschool Coaching
What’s your biggest frustration with decluttering? Do you get overwhelmed by piles of things that seem to grow as you try to sort things out? Do you get stumped about what to do first? You may not have found a decluttering method that works for you yet!
Because everyone is different, it’s no surprise that there are lots of ways to tackle clutter. The trick is finding the method that works for you.
If you boiled the tried-and-true approaches down to their most basic form, you’d find that there are two main ways of tackling cluttered spaces. I’ll use two popular decluttering experts to explain these strategies: Markie Kondo (of the KonMari Method), and Dana K. White (author of ‘Decluttering at the Speed of Life’). Although they are both exceptional teachers, they have very different methods of decluttering.
Marie Kondo became famous for her phrase “spark joy” when she released her book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” in 2010. Since then, her method has been widely criticized and used in jokes. But what is her method really about?
Marie says that instead of trying to tackle a space all at once, it’s better to organize by category. In her method, you go around your house and find everything from a specific category (like books or clothes) and put them all in a pile. The size of your pile might surprise you, hopefully leading you to be inspired to let go of more than you would have if everything was left in its place. To make the decluttering decisions, you keep only what “sparks joy” as you hold each item in your hands (as in things that are a joy to use in your daily life, or things that hold important sentimental value).
If you don’t know where to begin decluttering, try working category by category. It can be a really simple way to gain some momentum without getting overwhelmed by all the things you have around you that are left to do.
In her book, ‘Organizing at the Speed of Life,’ Dana K White takes a different approach to getting tidy. Rather than creating piles of things, she recommends decluttering one item at a time so you never feel like you have more of a mess than when you started. You can still organize by category if you wish, but you’ll just pick up one thing at a time, so you’re never overwhelmed.
This strategy may help you if you are easily tired, overwhelmed by piles, or are likely to be constantly interrupted (moms with small children, I’m thinking of you). The benefit to this style of organization is that you can resume at any time! The downside is that you might not see as much progress as quickly as with the pile method.
There’s a lot of trial and error required in learning to keep a house tidy and decluttered. The best way to find out what works for you is to just get started! You’ll figure out what you do and don’t like pretty quickly as you tackle projects. If you haven’t done a lot of decluttering in the past, I recommend starting with small projects so you don’t get overwhelmed and can gain momentum with each conquered task.
There is actually a surprising amount of things that go into decluttering and getting organized. If you find yourself in need of a guide who understands your struggle and can help you make a plan and get things done, feel free to send me an email! Consultations are free and fun!
Hannah is the founder and consultant of Tidy Home and School Room. She specializes in helping families organize their homes and educational materials in ways that create natural flow and reflect their goals. Her unique method blends traditional organization services with personal coaching so clients are empowered to live organized long after their projects are completed.
Hannah is the founder and consultant of Tidy Home and School Room. She specializes in helping families organize their homes and educational materials in ways that create natural flow and reflect their goals. Her unique method blends traditional organization services with personal coaching so clients are empowered to live organized long after their projects are completed.