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Last updated on April 10th, 2022 at 08:49 pm
Guilty: I had two bags of donations crammed in my office closet during all of 2020 and most of 2021. True, knowing where those bags would go before is something to answer before decluttering, but that plan fell through. (I’m pretty sure we can all guess why.) But after 2020 ended, I had no excuse.
This is something I see a lot with clients —they declutter but they have no real plan for kicking the clutter out of their house.
Coming up with a clutter removal plan is just one of five questions you must answer before starting a decluttering project. (I work with my clients to flesh out these questions.)
Today you’ll learn the 5 questions you must answer before you start decluttering.
Why am I doing this?
If you don’t know why you’re doing it, why bother? Decluttering is hard, so being able to pinpoint exactly why you’re doing it will help you on the days when it gets tough.
This is the first question I ask potential clients on the application. It’s more for them than for me!
What is the purpose of the space?
Sometimes a space serves many purposes, which is fine, except it can quickly get out of hand. A room that was meant to be a guest room “temporarily” turns into a storage room. Or a living room becomes the place for random storage because no one knows where anything goes.
Give the space you’re organizing a clear purpose so things don’t haphazardly end up there.
What items make sense to store in the space?
Once you know the purpose of your space it’s easier to answer this question. If your living room’s purpose is for your family to come together, then storing your tax papers there doesn’t make sense.
(Unless your space is small. And in that case, I’d recommend getting a personalized solution.)
What’s my clutter removal plan?
As noted at the beginning, one problem with decluttering is removing your unwanted items. I ask my clients to state if they will drop off donations or have them picked up. If they plan on selling items, we put a deadline on when they need to be sold or they get donated.
If you can anticipate what you’re going to have to do in the future, you’re more prepared and ready to take action.
How do I want the space to look once it’s done?
If you use a maps app, you want to know where you’re going so you can get the steps to getting there. It’s the same thing with organizing —in order to figure out what to do, you need to know how you want your space to look.
If you say, “I just want it to be organized,” that won’t help you. But you don’t also have to buy all new furniture and spend $1000 at The Container Store.
Your goal could simply be to arrange the furniture better or to have less visual clutter in the space.
Answer these 5 questions before you begin decluttering so your project will be successful:
- Why am I doing this?
- What is the purpose of the space?
- What items make sense to store in the space?
- What’s my clutter removal plan?
- How do I want the space to look once it’s done?
You can start answering some of these questions by downloading the Where To Start Decluttering Guide below.
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