How to Start Getting Rid of Stuff & Start Getting Organized

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Last updated on March 28th, 2023 at 10:59 pm

How do you start getting rid of stuff? There’s so much of it! In fact, at some point “stuff” becomes clutter. Clutter is defined as:

a disorderly heap or assemblage, or
a state or condition of confusion.

In other words, clutter is the stuff that leaves us powerless, unhinged, and paralyzed.

I’ve read too many blog posts of women —moms —breaking down because of clutter. They describe these moments of despair and defeat.

God did not create us so that we could feel defeated by all this man-made stuff. We are meant to be happy.

Here’s what you need to know:

You are in control. Not your clutter.

We have to tell our stuff what to do for us. And if it doesn’t serve a purpose, it needs to go.

Believe me, I know getting rid of stuff is much harder in practice. I work with plenty of people who are stuck.

Then there are always a thousand questions when it comes to decluttering …

Where do you start?
What should you get rid of?
What do you do with the stuff you are getting rid of?
How about the stuff you don’t know what to do with?
Where do you put your stuff so your home isn’t cluttered anymore?

The best place to start is to start small. Go for small victories for now to build your confidence. Baby steps will get you to where you want to go.

Here are three steps you need to start getting rid of stuff.

Step 1: Pick a starting point

First, pick an area to start decluttering and stick with that spot until it’s done. Pick one pile or one drawer, and choose something that doesn’t involve a personal connection or a ton of emotions. Pick something like a junk drawer or a pile of catalogs.

If you’re really itching to declutter your closet, or something like that, pick a category or a certain type of “stuff” to get rid of first, such as tops, bottoms, dresses…

Once you see your kitchen counter is clear of stuff or that things in your closet are actually things you’ll wear, you will feel so accomplished and happy.

Step 2: Sort

Now that you’ve chosen your starting point, you can start sorting. Get a trash can/bag and/or recycle bin and a basket/bag for donations.

Toss anything useless (i.e. expired coupons or random pieces of post-it notes).
Donate things that are still usable but not useful to you (i.e. books you’ve never read).
Sort the items you’re keeping into similar piles. (i.e. mail, kids’ school work, receipts, important documents, etc).

It’s tempting to start organizing other places as you find things that need to be moved to other parts of your home but trust me …Stick with ONE spot. Don’t move that stuff until you’re done sorting.

Also, don’t worry about color-coordinating pens or organizing the kids’ schoolwork by grade. Just sort everything similar into separate piles. Narrow down the clutter and worry about getting specific later.

Sometimes you just don’t know what to do with some of the stuff you come across. These are times when it’s nice to have someone helping you, but that’s not always possible. So, here are some questions I ask my clients and myself when this happens:

Is it something you often use?
Do you even like it?
Do you have more than one of these?
Can you borrow this from someone instead?
Are you keeping it because you feel guilty?
Are you keeping it just in case?
Is it broken? Will you actually fix it?
Is it worth it? You know, the upkeep, the time…
How much is it costing you to keep? (think maintenance, cost of the real estate it takes up)

Step 3: Remove discards

This is probably the hardest part of all —actually moving discards out of the house! Some items take a bit more research to know what to do with. Fortunately, there are a couple of posts on this blog to help you:

Remove discards as soon as possible …the freedom you’ll feel from removing those items is difficult to explain, but it feels good!

If you’re worried about needing those items again “someday,” ask yourself what you’re so afraid of and what’s the worst that could happen by letting go of that item. Think about your present needs, as the future is unpredictable.

How to start getting rid of stuff

Starting to get rid of stuff doesn’t have to be hard if you follow these 3 steps:

Pick a starting point (start small)
Sort items
Remove discards

How to Start Getting Rid of Stuff & Clutter