Decluttering 101: How to know whether to keep it or toss it

In order to have an organized home, decluttering is an essential step. But it can be a difficult process because there are many reasons why we feel we need to hold on to stuff. We might feel guilty because of the money that we spent on the item. Or perhaps it was given to us as a gift and therefore we feel like we have to keep it. We'll tell ourselves that we may be able to use it one day or that we'll eventually sell it. Unfortunately, this is why most attempts to get organized end up failing, you simply cannot organize clutter. Here's what you can do to help you with the decluttering process.

Remove everything

When decluttering, it's important to remove everything from the closets, drawers and cupboards so that you can see everything that you have. You also want to be able to hold every piece when deciding what to do with it.  If you're planning to declutter your clothing, then make a big pile of all of your clothes on your bed or on the floor. If you're decluttering books, then get all of the books from the entire home and make one big pile before starting the decluttering process.

Does it spark joy?

Marie Kondo, an expert organizer, came up with the term, "spark joy." What she means by that is, do you experience a sense of joy when you hold the item? So what you need to do next is hold every item and see how it makes you feel. Does the item add value to your life?

Questions to ask yourself

- Does it make you happy?

- Do you use it often?

- Are you keeping it out of guilt?

- Would you buy it again?

- Does it make your life easier/better?

The point is simply to figure out whether or not the item deserves a space in your home. Ultimately, you want to be surrounded by items that you value, so make sure you're not keeping everything. The more you purge, the easier the organizing process will be.

I've created a series of videos where I share must-have items. This is the first video that I created for this series and the items are still sparking joy in my life:

Once you've decluttered, you can then start to organize. Another thing to note is that decluttering is an ongoing process. You can't just declutter once and be done with it. The first purge will be a major one, then after that, you'll have to do it regularly in order to keep things under control. I evaluate the items in my home on a daily basis and I'm constantly getting rid of items that no longer add value to our lives.

Hopefully, I've helped you get started on your organization journey. If you want help getting organized step-by-step and learn how to implement systems in your home that actually work and make things easier to maintain, then sign up on the waitlist for my Clear the Clutter program. Once the program launches, I'll send you more details and then you can decide if it's right for you.