Top 10 Resources and Inspirations for Decluttering Your Home

Alex Says:

November 18th, 2007, 21:29 pm

Nice post. My Self improvement RSS gets bigger everyday with more helpful links.

Tina Su - Think Simple Now Says:

November 18th, 2007, 21:32 pm

Thanks for the recommendation on the “Simplify Your Life” books. I’ve not heard of it, but will definitely check it out. Sounds very zen. :)

Here another tip:
Stop reading resources about uncluttering and start to do it. Create a plan, list out all the separate areas of your home you would like to organize, and then make it a goal to tackle one area each week. Schedule time to do this in your calendar. Commit to your schedule to your self.

I was getting overwhelmed by all the information online and reading about it. And one day, I got fed up with the mess and that motivated me enough to take action. :)

Hope that helps,
Tina
Think Simple Now. ~ Clarity & Happiness

David Reber Says:

November 18th, 2007, 21:42 pm

Keeping in touch with best practices helps keep the goal in front of you. Good stuff!

Paul Rathey Says:

November 18th, 2007, 22:08 pm

HousekeepingChannel.com has loads of great organizing and decluttering articles, too, including articles by the aforementioned Monica Ricci and others.

Really great resource:

http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/cat_4_Organizing

J.P. Says:

November 18th, 2007, 22:49 pm

Just wanted to second the FlyLady recommendation. Admittedly, she can be a tiny bit touchy-feely, but she also takes the edge off of getting started on projects. Her focus on the emotional side of clutter (not just having it, but dealing with it) can make all the difference in whether you ever get motivated to take that first step.

BarryMorris Says:

November 18th, 2007, 22:54 pm

One of my colleagues, Vicky White, runs http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com. It’s a site mainly intended for mid-life women, but she’s the ‘Decluttering Queen’ in my book.

I’m concluding a house move (just across this sleepy beach town) and it gave me the opportunity to declutter in terms of ’stuff.’ I’m taking Leo’s advice and trying to define my 100 essential possessions. Even my 11 year-old son got into it and that in itself is a definitive reward. :)

Susan Sabo Says:

November 18th, 2007, 23:13 pm

You might want to check out The Clutter Diet Blog.. http://www.clutterdietblog.com/ Lorie Marrero packages the clutter reduction in the familiar format of a Diet — with a sense of humor and style.

David Says:

November 18th, 2007, 23:42 pm

A great list! I have to admit I flip through my wife’s copy of Real Simple magazine. Great stuff in there too.

If I may put in a plug, I also run a small site dedicated to simplifying life, becoming more efficient and enjoying the little things we often overlook. http://www.LivSimpl.com

It’s a relatively young site, so any feedback is welcome!

Gabrielle Says:

November 19th, 2007, 0:54 am

I would suggest reading picking up a copy of “Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui” by Karen Kingston. I picked it up one day in Jamba Juice, and it is a jewel!

As a natural “Messy Marvin”, I am always looking for shortcuts and tips, but this particular book tops my list because, rather than simply having all sorts of ways and means to declutter, it goes straight to the root and shows you WHY it’s so necessary to detox (so to speak) your house, how it affects you psychologically, and how people’s lives and relationships change when they make even a modest effort.

This book will show you how clutter is not just a nuisance, but an impairment.

Monica Ricci Says:

November 19th, 2007, 1:03 am

Thanks for the plug and keep up the great work… I love your blog!
~Monica

D-List Six Figure Blogger Says:

November 19th, 2007, 3:10 am

It’s amazing what a good decluttering can do to save you money. Studies show that we don’t use 80% of the things that we own each year and if you can come to terms with this, you can simply learn to buy a lot less.

Jeri Dansky Says:

November 19th, 2007, 3:39 am

I have a list of books and other resources that you might find useful.

David Tupica Says:

November 19th, 2007, 3:44 am

I have found that there is nothing better than a good pot of coffee and some great music and a large trash can ready to receive anything I haven’t used in the last 3 months and don’t think I’ll use in the very near future. I should probably save it to donate, but then I would probably have more clutter waiting to go to the donation drop off site. I have found that the dumpster is the best and most effective.

Tara Says:

November 19th, 2007, 4:06 am

Thorough yet simple post as always Leo, and timely for me.

I have started working from home three days a week and thus no longer have the option of escaping the clutter for the office on those days. And we all know how much more productive we are (well me at least) in an uncluttered space.

Thanks.

Angell Says:

November 19th, 2007, 9:20 am

on a practical note - I would suggest freecycle.org for anything you have thats under $50 and ebay.com for anything over $50…

…and get busy :-)

Adam Says:

November 19th, 2007, 9:22 am

Wow… drive by the Flylady office nearly every day as it’s right down the street from mine, but I had no idea it was this. Pretty neat!

Pril Says:

November 19th, 2007, 9:34 am

i’m glad zenhabits made the list!
it has helped me so much with inspiration and some GREAT idea’s to live by!

Stacy Says:

November 19th, 2007, 10:03 am

Peter Walsh was on Oprah last week, helping a “hoarder” clean out her house. An extreme example, but interesting to see so clearly how emotions tie into clutter. His book, “It’s All Too Much” just came out in paperback and is a great resource for decluttering.

Fiona Says:

November 19th, 2007, 11:32 am

I really like Sue Kay’s book No More Clutter, http://www.nomoreclutter.co.uk and Sandra Fenton’s The New Messies Manual. http://www.squalorsurvivors.com has a lot of resources and a very accepting, supportive community.

Etavitom Says:

November 19th, 2007, 11:35 am

Thanks for the great site suggestions… I find having an organized home and office makes my day flow more smoothly!

Jeff B Says:

November 19th, 2007, 11:51 am

With the holidays upon us this post will come in quite handy. Thanks for the great information your blog continues to be a great resource of information.

JB

Tickled Pink Says:

November 19th, 2007, 12:15 pm

I am a FlyLady “groupie,” and I’m digging the other ideas and links. Your article is very timely; it’s time to declutter before all the new things come in for the holidays!

Miss Gisele B. Says:

November 19th, 2007, 12:29 pm

Re: Oprah and Peter Walsh

Leo,

I also watched in horror the “hoarders” episode last week on Oprah. It’s incredible the emotional (and financial) weight clutter has on your life and the people around you. It was an enlightening show for me to watch.

I’ve never been a clutter bug because I cannot function in a disorganized environment. Clutter simply gives me a headache. I also believe in being able to find anything in the dark, so it’s got to be well organized and I need to know what I have and where I’ve stored it.

The saying is true: out of sight, out of mind … that’s what happens when we buy or accumulate too much stuff and we store it so far that we forget where we’ve placed the things we buy.

I’ve always had the habit to purge every 6 months.

Here’s my strategy:

1. I donate to charity anything that “needs” to go because I’ve not worn it in a long time.

2. I remove my name from mailing lists that are of no use.

3. I do the same for email lists.

4. I get rid of “paper” that I don’t need.

5. I sell or donate to the local library old books, CDs, DVDs and magazines to reseller shops.

6. I drop of clothes that can be sold to consignment shops.

7. Since I wear a fairly small size, I set aside clothing that I’ve worn a few times, but am not in love with to take with me when I visit nieces that wear my size.

8. I do the same with makeup or any cosmetics that might have looked good for a second, but one month later doesn’t work anymore.

I pretty much purge as much as I can because it gives me a sense of freedom.

A couple years ago I read a newsletter that explained that when you make room in your life for more by getting rid of things that no longer serve a purpose, you send a clear message to the Universe. You are basically saying that you “are ready for more”. I really believe in that. When you hold on to old stuff, there is little or no room in your life for anything new.

Gisele
http://www.mybeautymatch.com

SpiKe Says:

November 19th, 2007, 13:02 pm

My mini series of posts called Clutter 101 may be of interest :) Covers why we clutter, tips, guides for individual rooms etc.

Jason Lorenzo Says:

November 19th, 2007, 13:05 pm

Getting rid of stuff feels good. But I am worried that getting too much enjoyment out of throwing things away can support a materialistic, throw-away lifestyle.

Cherry Says:

November 19th, 2007, 13:16 pm

I love it when this blog focuses on decluttering! I am a paper and magazine hoarder. I haven’t reached Collyer brother chaos yet (I pray nobody ever does) but my living room is stacked full of paper junk and now my bedroom is getting in on the act with tons of clothes strewn all over the floor, half of them I don’t even wear. I hate living like this but it’s very difficult for people like me to throw stuff out. We get attached to this stuff and even I couldn’t tell you why. It’s a huge psychological burden. Whoever said that clutter was not just a nuisance, but an impairment was right on. I haven’t had anybody over to my apartment in years due to my cluttering habits. The few times I’ve flet like delcuttering I got overwhelmed by the piles then depression set in. It’s a vicious cycle.

zero255zero Says:

November 19th, 2007, 13:40 pm

awesome! will be checking these sites out over thanksgiving break..as for flickr, the group apartment therapy is a great inspirational resource.

Dawn Says:

November 19th, 2007, 14:41 pm

Every Saturday morning I watch re-runs of Clean Sweep on TLC. Watching someone else de-clutter on tv while I’m lounging around in my pj’s usually guilts me into a couple of hours of cleaning and organizing and purging my crap.

My biggest problem is that I procrastinate; I never put things back where they belong because I think “I’ll do it later”… a few days of this go by, and my bedroom or computer room become a disaster because I never did do it later.

If I could just learn not to procrastinate, I would probably get to enjoy a Saturday morning of Peter Walsh’s yummy accent rather than de-cluttering.

Greg Caputo Says:

November 19th, 2007, 14:59 pm

May even want to think about hypnosis to declutter your life.

http://betterlivingwithhypnosis.com/fengshui.html

Monica Ricci Says:

November 19th, 2007, 15:32 pm

Jason Lorenzo, I understand your trepidation, however, I tend to believe that when you begin to enjoy living more simply and in a more minimalistic way, you actually LESSEN your desire to accumulate things because you become aware of the clutter you’re adding.

Very much like when you lose weight and exercise, the positive results you experience actually motivate you to continually monitor what you eat and your activity level in a positive way so you can continue that cycle.

My two cents…
~Monica

grace Says:

November 19th, 2007, 15:54 pm

I had a two year subscription to Real Simple when it first came out. I loved the name. It was and still is a visual inspiration to organize . The magazines graphic artists and stylists do a terriffic job. However, after the first year I realized it was about organizing and maintaining things and not “simple” at all. It in fact attempts to legitimize consumption. Living to their definition of “simplicity” might even encourage debt. To really declutter you need to stop purchasing gadgets and gizmos. Another purchase is just depleteing our resources and creating more chaos in our homes, and possibly threatening our financial futures.

Monica Ricci Says:

November 19th, 2007, 16:02 pm

Grace, I understand your point. SIMPLE means different things to different people, so perhaps that one isn’t a good fit for you. Although, you might check out Organize Magazine. It’s a new national publication.
~Monica

Daly Says:

November 19th, 2007, 16:03 pm

All really great resources, thank you! I decluttered and donated gently used items to a fundraiser called Purrfect Parking Lot Sale. The proceeds go towards neutering/spaying and vet bills for the cats up for adoption. That event was a great motivator for me to weed out stuff I didn’t need to keep around and it was all for a great cause.

sandspiral Says:

November 19th, 2007, 16:13 pm

Leom, great post as always. For helping to reduce catalog clutter, a friend recently turned me on to this site:

http://www.catalogchoice.org/

From the site — “Catalog Choice is a free service that lets you decline catalogs you no longer wish to receive. Reduce the amount of unsolicited mail in your mailbox, while helping to preserve the environment.”

It’s quick to sign up, and then for each unwanted catalog you get you simply find it in the A-Z index, enter your customer number from the catalog, and add it to your “decline” list. They say it takes about 10 weeks to take effect, so I don’t know how well it works yet, but I’m assuming they do what they say. Apparently the catalog companies who participate do so voluntarily so they can cut their own costs–a good idea all around.

lulubird6 Says:

November 19th, 2007, 16:22 pm

I didn’t see anyone mention http://www.organizedhome.com, which is a great resource for decluttering and organizing your home.

teetotaled Says:

November 19th, 2007, 16:37 pm

Thanks for sharing these resources. I never thought I had a serious clutter problem (I am a neat person) until I realized that tucked deep into my closet are clothes from 10 years ago I will never wear. Why do I keep them? Who knows! I have taken several bags to Salvation Army filled with them. I am on a mission! :)

Bart Says:

November 19th, 2007, 17:11 pm

To declutter your house you have to stop cluttering it in the first place. I thought the first comment, from Alex is ironically insightful. He wrote:

“Nice post. My Self improvement RSS gets bigger everyday with more helpful links.”

I think that in the urge to simplify we often add more complexity, more stuff. You need to be ruthless about cutting out the crap now. As Bruce Lee says, it is not about daily increase but daily decrease.

Do we really need more outside resources to solve problems we created? Maybe we just need more self discipline. There probably very few of us who are psychologically past the point of self-help. It feels like we go through a lot creative avoidance before we do what we already know is right.

Anne Says:

November 19th, 2007, 17:45 pm

Wow! what a coincidence. I was just writing about my declutter method earlier today. I have four steps because I cannot hold more than that in my brain. I like the inspirational links you’ve posted. I think that will help me stay on task better. Thanks a bunch!

grace Says:

November 19th, 2007, 19:11 pm

Monica,
“SIMPLE means different things to different people…”
Because I was responding to a post on Zen Habits I was assuming simple was being defined in terms of uncomplicated, not convenient… The magazine you suggest seems very similar to many others and in my opinion another waste of trees for a commercial venture. Magazines such as this rely on a philosophy of I ‘ll be a better person when… It’s my belief Zen is about accepting who you are in the moment. Rather than looking to magazines that deplete the enviroment, people need to be able to turn to their community for advice. I enjoy coming to Zen Habits for “FREE” information from a broader community than the one offered to me in stores and in the commercial media. I wasn’t expecting a sales pitch from this blog. However, I’m a newbie and be on the alert.

Monica Ricci Says:

November 19th, 2007, 19:29 pm

Grace, you mistook my reply and I find it unfortunate that you’d condemn a publication you haven’t even seen, simply based on the fact that it’s a magazine.

All I’m saying is that your version of simple may not be the only one. If you choose to eschew all magazine subscriptions, and that makes you happy, that’s wonderful. Do more of that if that’s what moves you along YOUR path to simple. (and by the way, my suggestion of Organize Magazine was in no way a sales pitch — merely an alternative suggestion).

Perhaps where you are in *your* life is close to your ideal of ’simple’ while for others, where they are is different. Perhaps for them, the inspiration of a beautiful magazine full of ideas and stories as well as resources, is just what THEY need to help them move along *their own* path to ’simple’.

Bottom line is this… Simple living is whatever we each need it to be at this moment in our lives. And that means it’s different for everyone. I hope I’ve clarified for you. :)

~Monica

grace Says:

November 19th, 2007, 19:58 pm

Monica,
I checked out the magazines website prior to my post. So my comment was based on that.

Dream Mom Says:

November 20th, 2007, 0:27 am

Nice post Leo. I’ve never been a fan of clutter. I am a Professional Organizer and I like to keep things simple. Working with clients, I’ve noticed that in the beginning, they want to get organized and once they are organized, the hardest part for them to learn is to put things away when they are done. Putting things away and having a place for everything is important.

One thing that I noticed with a lot of my clients was that they were very hard on themselves because they are disorganized. I remind them that we lead very busy lives today and that we aren’t taught how to organize. I also find that sometimes you have to build them up a bit, not in a phoney kind of way, but just remind them of their strengths and then build organizational systems around their strengths.

spiderknit Says:

November 20th, 2007, 3:56 am

I also liked “Lighten Up!” - this book also looks at some of the emotional reason we gather stuff, and then moves onto dealing with it.

It worked for me, anyway.

Melissa Says:

November 20th, 2007, 12:57 pm

Hi
I would like to add a link to the list.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/book
This is a blog for the book Apartment Therapy. They do a home cleaning, organizing, and decoration “Cure” where you can join along with others and share photos of your before and after shots. Its fun and motivating.

Richard Rinyai Says:

November 20th, 2007, 13:15 pm

Hi,

Setting goals is definitely important. But remember, that at times, you have to let go of these goals, just so that you can reflect on how you might change your goals.

Keeping your mind clear is the best way to start getting things done.

Thanks,

Richard Rinyai
http://www.theprofessionalassistant.net

Larry Blackwell Says:

November 23rd, 2007, 15:32 pm

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