[0:03]Many of you seem to enjoy my recent video on organization mistakes, but that got me thinking, if your house currently feels like chaos, where on earth do you even start? For this video, I've purposely let my home get a bit messy over the past month. Sure, for some of you out there, your version of chaos might be different, especially if you've got kids or pets. But we'll tackle this together. We'll go through some highly actionable steps that will make declaring a breeze, and break some limiting beliefs you may have that is stopping you from taking action. Now, before we get into declaring itself, there's two questions you have to ask yourself. How do you want to feel in your house and what matters to you in your life? These might seem like very obvious questions, but if your house is completely cluttered, this is probably something that you haven't given a thought to for a long time. Personally, I like calm, system, and order. I want things to be well thought out, that there's a place for everything and that things can still run somewhat smoothly, no matter how busy life gets. So, this is what we'll try to achieve by the end of this video.
[1:08]I've said this one before in a previous video, but here's the gist, a cluttered room can easily be broken down into five categories. Trash, dishes, laundry, things out of place, and things that don't have a place yet. This simple concept alone can make the process of declaring feel way less stressful and much more doable. Now, the things out of place and things that don't have a place can cover such a wide spectrum from clothing and books to random papers. But we'll get into how to deal with that later on. First up, trash. When I say trash, I'm talking about the obvious stuff, like actual trash, not the things you don't need anymore or want to donate. We'll get to that later. To get started, I'm going to grab a trash bag and go room by room and look around to see if there's any trash lying around. You can also do this without, but I find having a bag is much easier than going back and forth to the bin. This step is a quick and easy win that will get you started and feel motivated. Now, I personally don't have much trash lying around because I have bins everywhere around my house. One by the dining along with a recycling bin, one in every bathroom and also one in every bedroom. But hey, if you don't have bins everywhere and have way more trash around, don't worry. There's no judgment here as we've all let life slip by from time to time. Once you've gathered all the trash, we'll put the bag aside for now. Don't take out the rubbish yet, otherwise you'll end up getting distracted. Next, let's handle the dishes. Gather all of them and put them in the sink or on the counter. No need to wash them yet, you don't want to get distracted. After the dishes, let's move on to the laundry. Go from room to room, pick up any dirty clothes along the way and toss them in a hamper or basket. Again, no washing yet. We want to keep the momentum going and not get distracted. With these three tasks done, your space should already feel a lot better. Now we can focus on the real clutter. You know, the stuff we've accumulated or bought and just piled up. Some of it is probably useful, but let's be honest, most of it probably is not.
[3:11]It may seem logical to declutter by room, but I've found that declaring by category is much easier. Let me explain why. Say I'm clearing my office. First, I'm putting away a stack of paper. Then a few books and then back to more papers, and suddenly, there's a bunch of misplaced stationery. Every time this happens, switching between different things, it requires a lot of brain power to switch context. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but after jumping between 10 different items, I started to feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and then that's when the feet comes up and I end up stuck in the same cycle again. If you're productivity junkie like I am, you've probably heard of a similar concept before from Cal Newport, where switching attention, even if only for a minute or two, can significantly impede your cognitive function for a long time to follow. This theory has also been validated from many angles in academic psychology and related fields. If you're still skeptical, let's try this little exercise. Think or speak aloud A to Z and then 1 to 26. Pretty easy, right? Now, try the same thing again, but this time, we alternate between the alphabet and number. So, A1, B2, C3 all the way to Z26. How much more mental effort does it take? The same thing applies here when declaring. Every time I switch between books and then stationery and then papers, it feels like a mental workout. There's always that small period of adjustment, like, wait, where should papers go again? All right, in this drawer, but when you declare it by category, it just clicks with your brain. The brain loves to focus on one thing at a time, and it gets easier when it's focused as it recognizes patterns. This is actually a trick that I took from Mary Kondo's KonMari method. Now, let's start with clothes. We've already done laundry, so this time, it's mostly about picking up the clean stuff, like those codes and jackets that somehow always end up scattered around. Just grab them and hang them where they belong. Easy win, right? Then, from here, we can go on to the harder things. Move on to books, then papers, then those random miscellaneous things, and finally, sentimental items. Always in that order. I find that this order works for me because each one gets progressively harder, so you're building up that tolerance slowly. And remember, always finish one category before jumping to the next. Now, you don't have to finish all of them at once, because it is not realistic anyway. But commit to finishing each category before moving on to the next. Here's another useful trick. Set up three empty boxes somewhere. One for things you want to toss or give away. One for the not-so-sure items, and one for the stuff you're planning to keep, but don't have a place for yet. Trust me, this is super important because there's nothing worse than pulling out a bunch of stuff and then having no idea what to do with it. If you have to think long and hard about what to do with it, you'll get demotivated pretty quickly. Having the boxes and service set up means you can just intuitively put them there and then deal with them separately later.
[6:12]A lot of us, me included, struggle with this when declaring, but I've found a couple of simple questions that can help make the decision easier. If I didn't already own this item, would I spend money to buy it again? If this item was destroyed in a fire, would I be upset and replace it? If the answer is no to either of these, you can probably donate or get rid of that thing without much worry. Here's another helpful tip, if you can't remember the last time you use something, assuming it is something meant to be used, or if it takes some effort just thinking about when you last used it, it's probably time to get rid of it. Sometimes you may still be afraid of making the wrong choice. That is where those two boxes I mentioned earlier come in handy. Anything you're certain should go straight into the throwaway or give away box. For those items you're unsure about, pop them into the other box. Keep this box somewhere out of sight in your house, but not totally hidden. Then, forget about it. If you haven't thought about any of those items after three to six months, it is time to let them go. And if you do find yourself needing it, well, it is still there in the house. Also, when you decide to get rid of things, think about whether you can donate or even sell them. Not everything has to end up in a landfill. Things like books, clothes, dinnerware, and board games can find a new home and a new purpose.
[7:33]People often mix up declaring and organizing, thinking they're pretty much the same thing, but they're actually two very different steps. Organizing can only happen after you've done the declaring and created some breathing room in your home. Most of us feel stuck before we even start declaring, because we can't imagine how we'll ever get things organized. But trust me, even in the smallest homes, once you start clearing things out, you'll find some hidden gaps. All right, let's get back to the process. By now, most of your surfaces should be looking a bit more manageable and less overwhelming. This is the perfect time to start declaring the inside. Yep, all those drawers, cupboards, and storage spots. The game plan here is pretty much the same as before. Keep two boxes handy, one for things you're ready to toss or donate, and another one for stuff you're still unsure about. The only difference is that I like to declutter closed storage by area, as I find that easier to deal with. So, I'll go through my kitchen pantry, and once I'm done, move on to the corner kitchen cupboards, and then the office drawers, wardrobe and then drawers, and so on. The order doesn't really matter that much, but I'll apply the same rule as before, try to finish one before moving on to the next. Once you've finished clearing the closed storage, you should start to notice some new spaces opening up. Remember that pile of things we set aside earlier, the one without a designated spot. Now is the time to find a home for these things.
[9:02]All right, so now that you've got the declaring out of the way, let's talk about some organizing principles, because remember, our goal earlier is to create calm, system and order. Not just simply declutter and then repeat the same things in six months. Now, I've talked about many of these in previous videos, so I'll link them down if you want to refer back to them. First up, compartmentalizing. This is a principle I've talked about many times before, but it is key. If you've got a pile of small items and a big drawer, splitting them into smaller sections makes everything way easier to find. Personally, I'm a fan of the IKEA scoop drawer dividers for wardrobes. They fold flat and you can mix and match them however you like. If you're working with bathrooms or laundry rooms, Muji acrylic boxes are great for this as they stack nicely, making great use of that vertical space. I also have a bunch of these IKEA Nojig organizers, which I use around the office to organize samples and stationaries. There's a lot of organizing products available out there, so there's a solution for every need. You just have to figure out what your needs are first, before buying a bunch of pretty containers. Because guess what, pretty containers you don't need or use are pretty much the same as clutter. In one of my previous videos, I talked a lot about active and passive zones, which are areas that you spend a lot of time in like the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room. And areas that you don't spend as much time in, like guest bedrooms, storage rooms, and addicts. Here's the deal, don't keep stuff you hardly ever use in your active zones. Those random screw you only need once a year, it doesn't belong in your kitchen drawer or entry console. In smaller spaces where you might not have clear divisions, the same idea still works. For instance, in the kitchen, active zones are those waist-high drawers or the drawers under your bathroom vanity. This is where you should keep items you use frequently. Meanwhile, that under the sink cabinet is perfect for storing extra supplies like paper towels or cleaning supplies.
[11:01]Clutter is something that builds up slowly on a daily basis. It doesn't magically appear overnight. What I'm saying is, clutter is often the result of bad habits. The good news is that bad habits can be changed, and we have all the power over it. So, once you've gone through this whole declaring journey, it is the perfect time to start setting up a system. And trust me, having a system in place is very liberating. One thing I really recommend is creating a landing surface, a spot where you can drop all your everyday stuff, like a bowl by the door. Another great idea is to keep a nice basket somewhere in the house as a donation box. This becomes your go-to spot whenever you come across things you want to get rid of or give away. And don't forget a basket in the laundry room, so when you finish a lot, there's a place for the clean clothes to go. Next up, try doing a quick scan before you leave any room. Just grab whatever is out of place and put it back where it belongs. This little habit has been a total game changer for me, and you can embrace it to whatever degree you like. Maybe doing it once at the end of the day is more your speed. It's subtle, but your brain actually feels a bit stressed when it's constantly staring at a random mess. If you live somewhere with four distinct seasons, think about setting up some seasonal storage. I use an under bed storage unit to stash away winter jackets and heavy layers in summer, and swap them back in when it's cold. Not every system works for everyone, so find one that clicks for you. The goal here is to streamline the process and make the everyday tasks as easy as possible. Almost as instinctive as brushing your teeth. Let's be real, declaring and organizing takes time. It is not something you're likely to finish overnight. But if you're truly motivated to tackle that clutter, you'll find a way, no matter how busy life gets. There's a great quote from Tony Robbins that I love. Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. So, if you've decided it is time for a change, one of the biggest hurdles is usually time. Here are a few tricks to help you get around that. First, try doing things in bite-size chunks. Remember what I mentioned earlier about declaring by category, if that still feels like too much, break it down even further. Think underwear and socks, tops, bottoms, outerwears, and so on. By just focusing on one tiny sub category this weekend, and another one next weekend, you'll start to see progress. Remember that a tiny step forward is better than no step at all. Another idea, treat it like a hobby or a fun side project. Set aside an hour or so every Saturday or Sunday just for declaring. I'm always surprised at how much I can achieve in an hour, even if it doesn't feel like much at the beginning. Sure, it might feel overwhelming when you begin, but I've never finished a declaring session and felt anything but satisfied. If you enjoyed this video, definitely check out my kitchen organization video and also this video on organizing mistakes. Otherwise, thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next one.
