Today we’re going to talk about a simple declutter plan of action that can completely change how your home feels every day.
This easy start decluttering plan for busy people shows you how to clear space using just 10 minutes or 10 items a day (and yes, there’s a printable to help track your progress). This simple house declutter plan is written from my own experience. If I can do this without stressing, I know you can too!
Pair this declutter action plan with some of my other declutter tips, and you’ll be living in a clutter free home sooner than you think.
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Right now, imagine how your home would function without all the clutter. REALLY picture it in your mind. Then, imagine how your mind would function if you didn’t have to deal with all the clutter.
When things function well – in this case, our homes and our minds – everything is better. No piles, no moving three things to get to the one thing you really need. No nagging feelings of guilt about ‘that stuff I really should sort through.’ Because it’s GONE. And life is SO MUCH EASIER.
But how do we get there? Heck, how do we even start when there is just so much STUFF?
Set a Realistic Goal With This Easy Decluttering Plan
Let’s talk about what’s possible.
No time to read the entire post? Just need the printable because you want to get started RIGHT NOW? CLICK HERE to have the printable sent right to you. OR – keep reading to see how I used this plan to declutter more than 1000 things from my home…
Back in 2018, I started what I thought would be a quick impromptu one-week declutter challenge. I decided to try clearing clutter for just 10 minutes a day. Before I knew it, 80 days had gone by… and over 1000 items were gone from my home.
The garage, closets, drawers – the spaces that used to frustrate me? They felt lighter. More manageable. I could finally breathe. Over time, those little wins added up to real change.
So, when I say slow decluttering WORKS, I’m speaking from experience. If you’re overwhelmed by the clutter you see every day, keep reading… I’m going to tell you how to get REAL results.
Of course, the END goal is to have a completely decluttered home and life. But let’s begin with something tangible: 1000 items.
Why 1000? Because that’s a LOT of stuff, but it takes a LOT LESS time to get there than you think!
If you declutter 10 items a day, you can be there in just over three months. If you declutter HARD for 10 minutes a day, you’ll probably be there much sooner. Break it down into 100-item mini-goals, and it’s even easier!
So now there’s a solid goal — 1000 items. How are you going to get there?
Okay, this example doesn’t mean you NEED to aim to declutter 1000 things. Not even close (but honestly, it’s not as hard as you think). Overall, what matters is that you start. And that you keep going in small, consistent steps… with a goal as simple as decluttering 10 items today.
Whether your goal is clearing out 1000 things – or 100 things – here are the simple details…
Quick Start Declutter Plan of Action
Overthinking how to start? You’re not the only one staring at piles of stuff and wondering where to begin. The decluttering plan we’re talking about today isn’t a complicated method or a big lifestyle shift. It’s a decluttering roadmap for overwhelmed people who want a quick action plan to declutter your house without stressing over every decision.
This is how you put your declutter plan into motion. No overwhelm. Just clear action steps.
Start Today: Make the time. Start to build the momentum.
Choose Your First Area: Start with a space that gets under your skin – maybe the bedroom, kitchen, or entryway. Whichever space feels the heaviest to live with is a great place to begin your declutter plan for home.
Take Pictures: Always take ‘before’ pictures of the space, and then photos of everything you declutter. Make sure to take an ‘after’ picture when you finish an area.
10 Items or 10 Minutes Per Day: That’s it. Every day. This is how you start to build momentum without getting burned out. I decluttered for about 10 minutes a day and got rid of 1000 items in 80 days without stress or a mess. It’s totally possible!
Count Every Item: A dried-out marker? That’s one. An expired bottle of salad dressing? That counts too. Tiny progress is still progress.
Use the Printable: The Declutter Plan of Action PDF Free Download makes it easy to keep a running total of your decluttering. One sheet is enough to track 50 days. You’ll be surprised how fast your total grows!
Have a Trash Bag Handy: Black bags are ideal – quick and guilt-free. Using black trash bags makes it less likely anyone in the house – including you – will notice what’s leaving.
Set Up a Donations Box: In the garage or even in your car trunk. That way it’s out of the way and out of sight. You want to make sure other family members don’t start going through the box and ‘reclaiming’ things you’re trying to get rid of! This also means you should deliver your donations as often as possible to make sure they’re GONE.
Don’t Give Up! It’s only 10 minutes or 10 items at a time. You can do this!
>> CLICK HERE to get the printable declutter plan of action pdf file delivered to your inbox <<
What Stuff to Declutter First (Without Regret)
Not quite sure what to get rid of first? Or maybe you’re afraid of tossing something you’ll wish you hadn’t? Here’s a quick list of 25 types of things to declutter and never miss:
- clothes that don’t fit
- damaged clothing and linens
- uncomfortable shoes
- clothing you haven’t worn in over a year
- CDs (do I even need to mention cassette tapes?)
- DVDs (EVERYONE has movies they’ll never watch again)
- VHS tapes (for goodness’ sake, they don’t even manufacture VCRs now)
- storage cabinets that used to hold the above-mentioned items
- books you no longer love or never intend to read again (books are meant to be read and enjoyed, pass them on)
- magazines (NEVER save an entire magazine for one article, either find it online or rip out the pages and place them in a swipe file folder, but ONLY if it’s something you will pursue this year)
- expired food
- pantry items that you don’t know why you have
- chipped glasses and mugs (unless it’s your lucky writing mug — just sayin’ — that stuff is different)
- plastic dishes from when your children were little
- cooking tools, appliances, utensils you haven’t used in over a year (and if it’s something you only use 1-2 times per year, evaluate whether you can make something else work)
- phone books
- take-out menus
- non-working pens, dried markers, broken pencils
- old make-up
- plastic containers without lids
- plastic lids without containers
- excess plastic containers (especially if they don’t stack easily)
- expired insurance paperwork (homeowner’s, automobile, etc.)
- unnecessary tax paperwork (read more here: Here’s How Long You Should Keep Your Tax Returns )
- anything you’re tired of dusting
Every item you let go of gives you more space – physically and mentally. You don’t need to clear out a whole room to feel like you’ve accomplished something. Letting go of even a few things every day leads to big changes over time. Let this list give you that decluttering inspiration you need to get started.
To help you make decluttering decisions, there’s a list in the printable quick-start declutter plan of 5 declutter questions you can ask yourself.
Here’s What to Do With Your Old Stuff
No judgements here. If you need to chuck your decluttered items into the trash just to have it GONE, then you need to do what’s right for YOU. Use a heavy-duty black trashbag and lose the guilt.
There are other options besides the trash, if you’re up to it. Choose the option that removes it from your space quickly, so you don’t keep circling back to old decisions.
Donate immediately: You don’t want boxed clutter sitting around to be re-absorbed
Related post: How to Declutter and Donate Your Stuff Without Regret
Yard sale: Don’t try to sell adult clothing (it rarely sells well) and weigh the time investment vs. monetary return before doing a yard sale.
Sell online or in-person: I rarely recommend selling because it takes time, effort, and brain bandwidth – but if you’re in a good location and it’s easy for you to make the transactions safely, then give it a try.
Give it to someone who will sell it: Either work out a deal for part of the profits, or wish them well with their sales and don’t think about it again.
Re-gift: (haha) Had to see if you were paying attention – please don’t actually do that.
Okay, now it’s time for YOU to actually DO THIS!
Your Next Immediate Action Steps
1. Read these two posts:
- 4 Mindset Shifts to Help Clear Your Cluttered House
- How To Fix 7 Bad Habits That Keep Your Home A Cluttered Mess
2. Click here or sign up below to get your Declutter Plan of Action PDF. Download it and print it out to use TODAY.
3. Choose your first space and declutter 10 items TODAY.
4. Follow the Declutter Plan of Action and celebrate every milestone (100… 200… 300…) with a happy dance!
The best way to reach your goal of a decluttered home is to get a quick start with an action-taking win today – and then keep going with slow and steady simple decluttering that fits into your real life. Every item you let go of moves you closer to better life organization and calmer days.
You’ve got this!
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Great Tips! I have a huge shed full of STUFF that is so totally overwhelming. I will try our your 10 things/10 minutes strategy.
That should say, I will try out your 10 things/10 minutes strategy. 😉
There is no doubt that removing unnecessary ‘stuff’ out somehow results in a lot less stress. We will feature your post on the next Blogger’s Pit Stop.
Kathleen
This is a very motivating post, Julie! I so need to do some decluttering, but it is really overwhelming. And experts like Marie Kondo who advise marathon declutters where you remove every item of clothing and put it in a pile just don’t work for me – my chronic illness greatly limits my stamina. But 10 minutes a day? I could do that! In fact, I actually have a written goal to spend 10 minutes a day decluttering – but I rarely do it. You’ve motivated me to actually try to meet my goal.
Thanks!
Sue
Book By Book
P.S. My son just pulled out an old audiobook on cassette tapes last week when he had his concussion, and we do still have a VCR! lol But I know we are in the minority 🙂
This is the best decluttering post I have ever seen. I pinned it so I can read through it again. The 10 items or 10 minutes really is a motivator. Thank you for this great post!
I love this post! This is exactly the kind of action plan I need. I’ve pinned it to my “Organizing” board.
Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!