My house feels so organizedand so much lighter.
Admittedly, Im already a pretty tidy person, and decluttering is a big part of my routine.
On New Years Eve, I spent about 30 minutes planning out what my 30 days would look like.
Photo:Timltv/Getty Images
I also did this in case I had the opposite feeling (I can be a rollercoaster of emotions!
And I did not designate anything to specific days.
I wanted as much flexibility as possible.
The pile of tote bags I donated.Courtesy of Author
And I planned to schedule a donation pick-up at the end of January to haul everything out.
you better have a firm plan in place to get everything out of your house!
Finally, I set a daily calendar reminder so I wouldnt forget to do it!
This once-stuffed cabinet finally feels spacious now.Courtesy of Author
I found this extremely helpful, especially in the beginning because it helped me establish the habit.
A 30-day challenge does not have to be complicated.
In fact, it shouldnt beyou probably wont stick to it if its too hard!
Then, cross at least one thing off the list each day.
What My 30-Day Decluttering Challenge Was Actually Like
I lovesetting goals.
Truly, Ilovebuilding timelines and establishing new habits.
And Im actually pretty good at it!
But this 30-day challenge had me itching for the month to end by mid-January.
The issue is that Id often wait until theendof the day to tackle my tasks.
And it usually wasnt a big deal because it was such a tiny chore.
Plus, I always felt better afterward!
Because yes, I literally did just do this yesterday.
And I will have to do this tomorrow, and then the day after that.
It felt pretty endless by week two.
So none of this was hard at allthe sameness of it all was just… a lot.
I did hit a turning point though by day 18.
As I was sorting through my closet, I realized I had madesomuch progress.
But the change was so gradual and subtle, it didnt sink in until over halfway through the process.
I needed day 18 to happen because it motivated me to keep going.
This happened a few times and I didnt beat myself up over it.
I ended up really stretching things out.
For example, doing just a few upper cabinets one night, then some more the following night.
On top of all this, my storage unit was at maximum capacityeverything was crammed in in Tetris-like fashion.
Also, if youre wondering how I handled this with my husband: He mostly steered clear.
But I didnotgo through his clothes drawers, desk, etc.
Hes a grown-up who can do that on his own time!
I focused on my personal zones and shared spaces.
(And I thought I was pretty good at decluttering before this…
I was pretty ruthless in my approach and asked myself thehard questions.
Like, who needs a zillion tote bags, vases, and candlesticks!?
Maybe some people, but not me.
There were things I forgot even existed in my home that I unearthed during these 30 days.
It can be as simple as sitting on your sofa and unsubscribing from a bunch of spammy emails.
Or a quick check ofexpiration dateson products in your medicine cabinet.
(However, I probablywontdo 30 consecutive days of this again.)
One final thing that stuck out to me was how much we manage to hide in places.
I found so many things, for example, tucked away beneath my kitchen sink.
Out of sight, out of mind!
This is also a good challenge if you have a big home or a ton of stuff to declutter.
Someone with a bigger home or a less consistentdecluttering schedulecould benefit even more from this method.
And set a reminder for yourself to actually do it!
