Decluttering used to be considered a chore, the sort of thing everyone had to do occasionally, but with the English language launch of Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” in 2014, it became a cultural obsession. People across the world began sifting through their possessions in search of those items that “sparked joy,” as they searched for a more minimalist existence. Now, seven years later, some of the excitement has worn off, but decluttering remains a common concern and, for those planning a move, a critical part of the process.
If you’re embarking on a decluttering process, don’t let your stuff overwhelm you. Take control of the process by focusing on these key areas and approaches.
Clarify Your Categories
The first step to decluttering your home is to select categories for your possessions.. Many people use a system in which items are either kept or tossed, but this can lead to unnecessary waste and hesitancy to get rid of items that are still good, even if they aren’t useful to you.
Consider breaking things down into items to keep, donate, sell, give away, or toss. You can even research local thrift stores, used bookstores, shelters, and other organizations that might be interested in your used goods.
Time It Right
The right time to declutter isn’t the weekend before your family is coming over for a big event. It’s when you have time to make a mess and even create some chaos because, as with many other big projects, decluttering often means making things worse before making them better. That’s why it makes so much sense to declutter before moving – you’re already taking everything off the shelves and out of closets, so you have an opportunity to evaluate what you own.
Another advantage to decluttering before a move is that you can then use a professional packing service without worrying that the movers will transfer a bunch of items you don’t need.. After all, there’s no point in paying movers to transport items that will clutter up your new home. There’s no better time to tackle this project than before a move, but ultimately you need to make it fit into your life.
Ask The Right Questions
Marie Kondo’s decluttering process is based on this idea that what you keep either needs to play a key function in your life or should spark joy, but those metrics won’t work for everyone, so feel free to create your own guidelines. For example, many people use the one-year mark as the deciding factor for whether they need something – if you haven’t used it in a year, let it go. Right now, you may want to extend that to two years because of the pandemic, since most of us abandoned our more typical activities, but the overall principle is still useful.
Other questions you might want to ask when moving include whether you have duplicates of the item or, with broken items, whether it’s something you’re actually going to fix. A lot of people are aspirational about our possessions, believing that we’ll learn a new skill or get around to fixing an item when that’s not likely to happen.
Priority Of Place
Certain areas of your home are likely to be more important to you, whether that’s your kitchen or a home office area, so identify which areas those are and focus on tidying those up. Making order out of areas you use a lot or feel strongly about will be more motivating than trying to clean up the guest bedroom that you never use.
Everyone has their own approach to decluttering, so try some different methods and see what works for you. At the end of the day, it’s better to clear out a little clutter than get stuck on the details and not get rid of anything.