Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your use of these links is greatly appreciated!
Last updated on April 10th, 2022 at 03:55 pm
It’s December as I’m writing this, which means a lot of people have January decluttering projects brewing in the back of their minds. But so often people stop before they even pick up one item to throw in the donation box. Why? Because they’re paralyzed with indecisiveness. They don’t know where to start organizing their home.
I get it. Taking on a huge project like decluttering your home can cause your stomach to clench up in a tight ball …especially when you don’t know where you’re supposed to start.
Use these 3 tricks to help you choose where to start organizing your home.
Watch the Facebook Live replay or read the post below.
Before we dive in though, deciding where to start has a couple of nuances to it:
First, you might know your entire house needs to be organized and you don’t know which room to start with.
Second, you know which room to start in but you freeze and don’t know what to do once you see the room.
Let’s talk first about not knowing which room or project to start with.
Trick 01
Many of my clients will have a list of rooms they want organized. But they don’t know which room to start with. Each room is a priority.
When this happens, I ask them, “Which room bothers you the most?” or “Which room does your family use the most?”
Starting in that room will immediately improve your life. You’ll no longer feel constantly stressed and worried because that one room is decluttered.
One of my clients showed me several spaces in her home that needed help. When I asked her the questions above, without hesitation, she answered, “Laundry.”
We started with paring down each family members’ wardrobe and set up a system to keep it from becoming a problem again. Doing this brought immediate relief to her.
Trick 02
If you know which room to start with (or you do now), the problem may be that you freeze up because the room is SO big.
Break the room into smaller areas, or bite-sized pieces. Focusing on one small area makes the goal more attainable.
Break it down as small as drawers, shelves, or surfaces.
Once you’ve done that, make a decision on which drawer/shelf/surface you’re going to declutter and go for it! Use this last trick to get past the paralysis of starting …
Trick 03
Start with what’s easiest. If you know which room bothers you the most but you’re intimidated by it, start with a room that’s easier.
One client knew her closet was the number 1 priority space. However, she wasn’t emotionally ready to tackle it. Instead, we got her feet wet by working on another area of her home. Doing this helped her get into the flow of decluttering and feel more confident in the process.
If there’s no avoiding a particular room, use trick number 2 but start by cleaning up the trash. Trash is easy to spot, and it will cut down on the amount you have to sort.
As you take everything out, instead of trying to categorize everything, separate the trash first. It quickly eliminates a lot of work and makes the space look less intimidating.
Here are the 3 tricks to help you choose where to start organizing your home:
✅ Choose the room that gets the most use or that bothers you the most.
✅ Break the room into smaller sections.
✅ Do the quickest and easiest thing first.
Ready to get moving now that you know where to start? Download the Where to Start Decluttering Guide to do the next steps.
Leave a Reply