I’ve helped thousands of people all over the world declutter their homes. My own home is completely free of clutter, and I want to share the exact advice I would give someone who wants to declutter their home but has no idea where to start.
The good news? You don’t have to tackle your entire house at once. In fact, I recommend that you don’t!
Here are three simple steps to help you declutter your home without feeling overwhelmed or burning yourself out.
1. Stop Setting Decluttering Goals
You might be thinking, “I’m going to declutter the spare bedroom this weekend!”
While that sounds like a great goal, it can actually work against you.
First, it puts a lot of pressure on you to get the job done. Second, when you realize how much work is involved, you may start to feel overwhelmed. And if you don’t finish the room by the end of the weekend, you might feel discouraged or like you’ve failed.
I don’t want that for you!
Instead of setting a big goal, focus on being intentional about the time you spend decluttering.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Grab a box or trash bag.
- Set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Choose a small, 2-by-2-foot space to work on.
- When the timer goes off, you can stop or choose to keep going.
I call this micro decluttering.
Instead of looking at your entire room as one massive mountain to climb, you’re taking small, manageable steps. You can work in 10-, 15-, or 20-minute increments, making progress without exhausting yourself.
Remember, you don’t have to finish a room to make progress. Every small step counts!
2. Ask Yourself the Magic Question
As you work through your belongings, you’ll come across items you aren’t sure whether to keep or let go.
This is where my magic question comes in:
Can I live without it?
Notice that I didn’t say, “Do I need it?”
Here’s why that matters.
When we ask ourselves whether we need something, our brains tend to choose the safest option: keeping it. After all, we can usually come up with a reason why almost every item in our home might be useful someday.
But when you ask, “Can I live without it?” the decision changes.
Instead of searching for reasons to keep an item, you’re asking yourself whether it truly deserves a place in your home.
This simple question helps you look at your belongings more objectively and makes it easier to let go of things you no longer need in your life.
3. Use My S.U.M. Method
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking.
“I can live without almost everything I own! So, where does that leave me?”
That’s a great question, and it brings us to the next step: my S.U.M. method.
S.U.M. stands for three simple questions:
S — Do I have space for it?
Does this item have a designated place in my home? Am I keeping it in a space that is already overcrowded, or do I have room for it without creating more clutter?
U — Do I use it?
Do I actually use this item, or is it sitting around collecting dust? Am I keeping it because it serves a purpose in my life, or because I think I might need it someday?
M — Can I maintain it?
Can I keep this item clean, organized, and in good condition? Does owning it create extra work or make it harder to maintain my home?
Every item in your home needs to meet all three criteria. If it doesn’t, it may be time to let it go.
Let’s Look at an Example
Imagine you pick up a blender while decluttering your kitchen.
Ask yourself:
- Do I have space for it? Yes, I have room in my kitchen cabinet.
- Do I use it? I only use it a handful of times a year.
- Can I maintain it? Yes, I can keep it clean and in good condition.
The blender meets two of the three criteria, but if you rarely use it, you may decide it doesn’t deserve the space it takes up.
Now imagine you struggle to store it, rarely use it, and find it difficult to keep clean. In that case, it clearly isn’t earning its place in your home.
Think of it as being in a courtroom with the item.
You’re examining the evidence. Does it have a place? Do you use it? Can you maintain it?
If the item fails to meet all three criteria, the verdict is in: it has to go!
Remember, Decluttering Takes Time
I don’t want to discourage you, but I do want you to have realistic expectations.
You probably won’t declutter your entire house in a single day. It took years to accumulate everything you own, so it’s going to take some time to work through it all.
And that’s okay!
You don’t need to rush, push yourself to exhaustion, or feel guilty when you can’t finish everything in one sitting.
Start small. Ask the right questions. Be intentional about what you choose to keep.
By using micro decluttering, asking yourself, “Can I live without it?” and applying my S.U.M. method, you can make steady progress toward a home that feels lighter, calmer, and easier to maintain.
You don’t have to do it all today. You just have to start.
