Clear Your Clutter: 10 Tiny Tasks to Get Big Results

Need to clear your clutter, but you just can’t seem to get around to it? If you’ve been procrastinating about getting your space in order, chances are it’s because you’re overwhelmed or don’t know where to begin.

I get it! Those feelings can be major roadblocks on the path to organization. This post is all about changing that pattern of avoidance by doing tiny tasks. Decluttering and getting organized doesn’t have to be an all-at-once project… even doing ONE thing every day is progress. 

To help you clear your clutter, I’ve put together a list of 10 tiny decluttering tasks you can work on today. These tasks — along with my other declutter tips — will have you enjoying a clutter-free space sooner than you think!

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How to Use These Small Tasks for Clearing Clutter

Are you feeling motivated? Try to do this entire list in a day. Then, take stock and see how everything looks. It may be that your clutter really wasn’t as bad as you thought, and now your home looks super-spiffy!

However, most of us need to repeat these tasks a few times before our homes start to look the way we want. If you have a massive clutter problem, you’ll want to incorporate as many of these tasks as you can handle into your daily routine.

Just always remember you don’t HAVE to do everything at once! My favorite way to clear out clutter is with the slow declutter method. You could easily make these tasks your first steps of slow decluttering.

Before you begin, grab a box to hold donations. You will want to fill this as you make your way through the tasks. Keeping a trash bag handy is also a good idea for getting rid of clutter that isn’t suitable to donate or recycle.  

10 Clutter-Busting Tiny Tasks

1. Clear one horizontal surface

Want to start big? Clear your kitchen table or dining room table. 

If that’s too overwhelming, choose a smaller segment of your countertop… and read this post about WHY it’s important to start decluttering there. 

Whatever flat surface you decide to declutter, make it something you see daily. Then, be sure to maintain that visually calming lack of clutter.

2. Empty one shelf

Now that you’re motivated, it’s time to move on to another small task. 

Empty one shelf. It can be a kitchen shelf, a pantry shelf, a video shelf, a bookshelf… whatever you can do quickly and easily. 

Remember to continue to keep it neat with daily or weekly maintenance. Set a reminder on your phone or write it in your planner so you don’t forget.

3. Designate a place for incoming paper

Nothing accumulates and gets out of control like paperwork. Mail, school papers, receipts, notes… it can get crazy FAST.

Choose one area as a drop zone for ALL incoming paperwork, and always place new papers there. You will want to choose some appropriate paper organizing tools to keep everything neat and sorted. 

4. Find homes for 5 things

We all have those few random items that never seem to get put away. Choose your five most commonly left-out items, and find special places to store them. Make sure it’s a place that’s easy to remember and access for anyone who uses those items. 

Then, practice putting them away every time they are used. You could also make putting them away part of an evening 10-minute tidy.

5. Donate 3 items of clothing

It often feels like decluttering your wardrobe is the most difficult project of all. But you can make it so easy! Choose just three pieces to give away while you’re getting dressed each day. Soon you’ll have a bag full.

Can’t make good decisions about what to let go? Here are 9 reasons you fear decluttering clothes and 14 excuses you’re making to avoid decluttering your clothes… and how you can still develop the right mindset to be successful. 

6. Dump one drawer

Pick ONE drawer to declutter. Choose a small drawer, or one that you know is mostly junk that should be tossed… or maybe outgrown clothes that should be donated. 😉  

Then, dump the contents out. This lets you see everything at a glance and makes the sorting process easier. Work quickly, and don’t think too much about every little item.

If you accidentally choose a big drawer, this might be the only project you’ll want to take on in a single day. 

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7. Take your donation box to the car

After you’ve completed a few of these tiny tasks, you’ll probably end up with a good-sized pile of stuff to donate. Take the box out to your car to deliver to the thrift shop the next time you leave the house. 

The reason you need to get these things OUT of the house is because the longer they stay, the more likely they are to be reabsorbed into the general mess or ‘rediscovered’ as forgotten treasures that would otherwise NEVER be missed.

Get it out and drop it off. It really is that easy to get rid of clutter!

8. Organize medicines

Medicines and other health supplies should be kept together. Collect and consolidate them in a designated area, creating a neat and tidy place to keep the up-to-date items you use most regularly. I use these clear bins for sorting and organizing each family member’s items in our upper kitchen cabinets.

Just a note: Vitamins and medicines should be kept in the kitchen or your bedroom if you need to keep them out of the reach of children. Don’t store these items in the bathroom… the humidity will destroy their effectiveness.

9. Create a simple file system

Remember that incoming paper zone? It will quickly overflow if you just keep throwing everything into a pile. 

Designate a few file folders to hold your most common categories of paperwork. Then, sort through the existing paper pile and file everything into the most appropriate folder.

Now, as papers come in every day, you can sort and file them.

This is one of the most important organizational habits to cultivate, since paper piles so easily get out of hand. 

10. Envision your finished space

This is my favorite tiny task for organizing! I usually like to do this first. However, I also know that when the clutter is overwhelming, you can’t imagine anything beyond the mess. But now that you’ve made it through this list, you should be able to do some visualization!

It’s time to pay attention to how these small decluttering tasks are beginning to make a real difference. Take a look around, see the progress you’ve made, and picture how your space will look after it’s completely pared down and organized. 

Visualization is a powerful motivator, and I know you’ll want to keep going when you see the positive changes you’ve made.

Next Steps

Now that you know how easy it is to do at least a few tiny decluttering tasks to clear your clutter every day, throw yourself into the process. Keep your motivation up, get the family on board, track your progress, pick up tips about how to be more organized, and enjoy every victory along the way. 

Soon you’ll be on racking up one organizing success after another as you Build Your Best Life.

You’ve got this!

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