Decluttering has become more and more popular as people discover the benefits of having less and enjoying an organized home.
However, decluttering is not an easy feat if you don’t know where to start and you’re trying to figure it out all on your own. Decluttering involves more than just asking yourself “keep or donate?”. Emotions and memories are tied into almost every item we own.
Decluttering is more of a journey rather than a one-time chore and so, to do it right, you really need to have a plan in place before getting started. If you don’t have some sort of plan, you are likely to get frustrated and give up.
This frustration is completely avoidable and decluttering can actually be an enjoyable and intensely satisfying experience if done right.
In this blog post, we will cover 14 of the biggest decluttering mistakes that people often make when they are learning how to declutter their homes or lives and how to avoid them so you can declutter without frustration!
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Mistake #01: You Don’t Know Why
Most people feel the need to declutter because it’s a thing now-a-days or they know they have too much. They can see the benefits of decluttering, but they don’t actually know why they NEED to declutter. People don’t always take much time to uncover the deep-rooted reason why they NEED to start their decluttering journey to begin with.
This is by far the most common decluttering mistake that happens and is the best place to start! This is even more common than Mistake #2 and yet no one talks about it…
The Solution: Find Your Why FIRST
I always start with your “why”. If you’ve followed me long enough, you know that I always start here. If you don’t know why you are doing something in the first place, you are more likely to give up.
Always consider that ‘your why’ must be so strong that it pulls you back when you’re off track. Your why should guide you and keep you on the right path throughout your entire journey.
When it comes to decluttering you may be so sick and tired of feeling like your home and life is consumed by too much stuff. You may be so embarrassed by how your home may look to others that you have isolated yourself from friends and family. Rebuilding those meaningful relationships may be your why.
To find your why, ask “Why” 5 times until you’ve identified the root cause. Check out this article on SMART goals to guide you on finding your why and identifying what will drive you on days you are too tired or emotionally drained. Write that why down and put it somewhere you can see on a daily basis.
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Mistake #02: Not Having a Plan
Ok, now that you know WHY you are on this decluttering journey, let’s talk about the next most common decluttering mistake…
We all know the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”…
You need a decluttering plan. It’s plain and simple. If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know what steps you need to take to get there?
The Solution: Build a Plan and Write it Down!
Everyone’s decluttering journey is going to look different so you need to consider what your individualized plan will be prior to getting started.
You know yourself best so if you are going to have a harder time emotionally with some items, have a plan for that. If you can separate your emotions and memories from the physical items, then your plan will look different.
Write down the steps you need to take in order for you to reach your decluttering goal and the resources you need to make these steps happen. A plan will streamline your journey.
Again, keep your decluttering roadmap in clear view so you can refer to it often and you can become very clear on the steps you need to take to feel successful and organize your life.
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Mistake #03: You Don’t Have an End Goal
Another very big mistake when it comes to decluttering is not having an end goal in mind.
Although decluttering really is a mindset and habit that you’ll build into a lifestyle, you still need to be working towards something.
The Solution: Build out SMART Goals to Motivate You!
Build a SMART goal with small steps that allows you to feel accomplished once you’ve hit your goal.
You can build milestones along the way and celebrate your wins often; even if they are small wins!
It’s ok to celebrate when you’ve made progress in your decluttering journey. Treat yourself to a mani/pedi, a date night, girls night, etc. Try not to build rewards that encourage bringing more items into your home like a new wardrobe. Instead, focus on adventures and experiences!
Mistake #04: Picking the Wrong Place to Start
Often times we think that starting with a small area is the best idea, but this is a decluttering mistake that is a bit deceiving.
Sure, it makes sense to tackle the smallest area of your home first so it’s not overwhelming. However, tackling the room that annoys you the most will really get your motivation going and will give you some great stamina once you see the benefits.
The Solution: Tackle The Greatest Annoyance First
If you look at your giant living room and just get physically ill every time you look at it because it is cluttered with so much crap you want to pull your eyes out just so you don’t have to look at it; that’s the room to start with!
It may take a little longer to get through, but the reward of tackling the one room you hate first will outweigh the time it took to conquer it once and for all!
Once you’ve tackled this room, you can work room-by-room from the most annoying to the least. Getting rid of clutter systematically like this will help you see the benefits quickly and will make you happier, faster!
Mistake #05: Having Unrealistic Expectations
Decluttering takes time and it’s not a one-and-done type of project. Sometimes people think they’ll declutter once and magically their home will stay that way forever!
I hate to break it to you, but decluttering is more of a habit and mindset rather than a one-time project.
The Solution: Accept The Lifestyle Now!
Look, I am not the type to preach perfection by any means. Progress over perfection is a win in my eyes any day.
We don’t need perfect, but we need progress so you can maintain your new, clutter-free home!
If you’re expecting perfection, you’ll most likely feel deflated at some point and you may give up. If you accept that decluttering is a routine process that becomes a habit in your lifestyle, it can be manageable.
Set your expectations up front and don’t be surprised if you have a few setbacks. We are human, we are meant to learn from mistakes and grow. It’s ok to f*ck up once in awhile.
But no matter what, just keep swimming…#yougotthis
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Mistake #06: Holding on to Items for Too Long
The worst thing you can do is hold on to unwanted items you plan to donate or toss in piles or bins around your house. Your clutter problem won’t be going away, it will just be moving from one room to another. A great way to combat this common decluttering mistake is to get rid of clutter immediately.
Old cords, items in the junk drawer, hooks, junk-mail, etc. are all examples of items we tend to hold on to for no reason at all. Toss anything that can be replaced easily!
The Solution: Make a Weekly Donation Run!
Add all items to a donation box that immediately goes into the trunk of your car so you can make a weekly or monthly donation run. For a big project, you’ll want to get into the habit of a weekly run until you’re decluttering slows down.
For items going in the trash, take it outside immediately, don’t store it anywhere but the garbage!
Mistake #07: Trying to Organize BEFORE Decluttering
This is one of the most common mistakes by far. You think that organizing or tidying your space will bring about the joy and calmness you have been searching for.
In reality, you are just shuffling around your belongings and eventually, it will start to feel cluttered again. The decluttering process is all about removing excess from your space and life, not just moving things around to make it seem organized. Get organized after decluttering!
The Solution: Always Start with Decluttering Your Entire House
Before you even begin to think about organization, get through every single room in your home and declutter it.
You can tie goals around each room. For example, you want to reduce the number of items in a particular room by 50% before you move on to the next room and consider it “decluttered”.
Sure, decluttering your entire home and life can seem to take a long time, but in the long run, you will save yourself a massive amount of time and energy by not having to continuously organize your items because they keep getting out of control.
Naturally, when you have less, you spend less time cleaning, organizing, feeling disorganized, etc.
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Mistake #08: Buying Organization Tools Too Soon
We just talked about not trying to organize before going through and decluttering your whole house first.
If you are not yet at the organizing phase, don’t even look into storage containers. Organization tools and storage units are a whole other topic and it too can make you feel overwhelmed.
I know it sounds enticing to tidy up your pantry, closet, attic, etc., but you won’t be as successful if you focus on your cluttered house first. Get rid of the stuff first, then learn how to organize.
The Solution: Don’t Even Look at Storage Containers!
Don’t even browse the organizational storage options online until you’re at a point that you can truly benefit from them. Yes, they are beautiful and they are so fun to browse, but they will not benefit you until your home is free of clutter first.
Trust me, it will be a waste of money, time, and effort if you do this before you’re ready. You will eventually need to measure the spaces you have for storage containers in each room and then go out to purchase what you need. You’ll also want to have a method for organizing before you start as well.
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Mistake #09: Storing Items “Just in Case” You Need Them
Oh boy, this is a big decluttering mistake that so many of us make. We think we are doing ourselves a favor because we don’t want to have to replace something later or we are afraid we won’t have access to something later.
However, all we are doing is moving the problem into a bin in the garage or a trash bag on the porch. It’s always better to learn how to get rid of things that are unused and clear the clutter as soon as you recognize the items are unnecessary.
The Solution: Use the $10 or Less Rule
Weigh the cost of storing the item and the mental clutter it will cause to hold on to it with the actual cost of the item. As a general rule, if the item costs less than $10 to replace then recycle, donate, or sell it! But learn to let go of these cheaper items and clear the clutter faster!
There’s no issue with trying to sell the items you want to get rid of to recoup some money, just don’t hold on to them for too long.
Mistake #10: Not Knowing How to Separate Emotions/Memories from Things
Sentimental items…they are the toughest thing to declutter by far. This is why the Konmari method suggests waiting to go through these items towards the end of a decluttering project.
Items passed down by family members, items with memories attached to them–these are the types of things that need some time and care when decluttering so they can be difficult to get rid of at all.
The Solution: Get Good Decluttering Things You Don’t Care About First
Set aside time for sorting these items out so you can appreciate the memories that these items evoke. Focus on the memories and how you feel over the actual item itself. If the item doesn’t spark joy, it’s time to consider letting go.
Try not to go down a rabbit hole or down memory lane as you look at each item, but instead try to come up with a set of rules that you can follow for keep and discarding sentimental items.
A good idea is to keep items that evoke only happy memories and discard those that evoke sad or mad emotions.
Again, if you are really struggling in this area, consider therapy to uncover the real trauma that may exist at a deeper level. Therapy is always a great option to uncover the true meaning of your emotions.
Mistake #11: Not Focusing on Decluttering Your Own Items First
We tend to have no problem decluttering other’s items over our own because we don’t tie emotions to things that aren’t ours.
A common decluttering mistake is that people will tend to focus first on decluttering other people’s stuff over their own. You may have the best intentions, but the problem with that is that 1). Those items aren’t yours to discard and 2). You aren’t building stamina to declutter your own items which will make things harder once you get around to it.
The Solution: Declutter Together
Ask your children, partner, etc. to work on tidying up their own items while you purge your own items! You can get through things twice as fast, hold one another accountable, and encourage one another during difficult decisions.
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Mistake #12: Not Putting Systems in Place for Maintenance
If you don’t have systems in place to maintain all of your hard work, clutter will creep back in; it’s inevitable. Just think about how fast we accumulate paperwork and magazines! If we don’t have systems in place, one pile turns into fifty pretty quick!
The Solution: Find Good Systems!
Systems can ensure that all your hard work decluttering doesn’t go to waste!
You’ll definitely want to find a good cleaning, morning, and evening routine once you’ve gotten through decluttering. Systems like these are the best way to help you maintain good habits on a daily and weekly basis.
One major system that works to keep the clutter away is the one in, one out rule. Don’t buy something unless you remove one item of equal value from your home.
This is a super easy system to ensure that clutter stays away!
Another good rule is to ask for experiences over gifts for special occasions. Take family trips instead of buying one another things during the holidays. Time a decluttering session right before a birthday or major holiday where you anticipate gift exchanges.
Mistake #13: Not Asking for Help
Depending on how much is in your home, you may be feeling embarrassed by the state of your home.
This can be very difficult to involve other people when you feel this way, but sometimes the overwhelm can be too much to handle alone.
I know it can be scary to allow others into your space, but if you want to change that bad (remember your why), you need to ask for outside help.
The Solution: Just Ask!
If decluttering is proving to be more difficult than expected, ask for help. Friends and family members may not feel like decluttering your items for you, but they will likely be willing to lend a hand with some of the tougher or heavier tasks.
If all you need is emotional support, let them know that too. You’d be surprised at the generosity of those around you.
If all else fails, you can always hire a professional organizer to come in and offer that same support to you, judgment-free.
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Mistake #14: Trying to Declutter with a Partner Who Isn’t on the Same Page
One of the most common decluttering mistakes is trying to declutter with a partner who isn’t on the same page. If you try to declutter your house, but one person in the relationship doesn’t want to declutter their space or address any personal issues they may have, it can create tension and animosity between you.
If you aren’t rowing in the same direction, it will feel as if you are fighting a losing battle; like you are rowing upstream on your own.
The Solution: Discuss What You Both Want Ahead of Time
If the clutter in your home is affecting your mental and is impacting your physical health, be honest and open about that with your partner. Hopefully, they can see what an impact it’s having on you and they are on board with helping and being involved in the plan.
If they are not open to this decluttering journey from the get-go or they seem to derail your plans throughout your journey, consider therapy both individually and together as there may be underlying issues that you need to tackle before you can truly be successful with decluttering your home.
We’ve Tackled the Most Common Decluttering Mistakes!
If you learn how to avoid these decluttering mistakes like the plague, your decluttering efforts will not go unnoticed. You will see the benefits of decluttering sooner and you will start to notice a mental shift to a more positive mindset. The chaos will soon calm down and you will begin to simplify your life.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to navigate around these common mistakes with these decluttering tips so your journey is successful right from the start!
If you’re still feeling disorganized, I’d love to know if you are struggling with any of these areas so I can offer suggestions!
