Does your home feel more chaotic than calm? Are you dreaming of walking into a clean, organized space that inspires you rather than overwhelms you? The secret to achieving the home you want isn’t just about buying more storage bins—it’s about decluttering and editing your space like a pro. And the best part? You’ll get a natural dopamine rush when you donate those unwanted items and embrace living with less! Let’s dive into 10 easy steps to turn your home into the sanctuary you deserve.
Step 1: Visualize Your Dream Space
Start with a vision. What does your ideal home look like? Is it minimal and serene or cozy and curated? Keeping this vision in mind will guide you when deciding what stays and what goes.
Create a Pinterest board for inspiration—it’s a fun and motivating way to stay focused on your goal. Looking for solutions that function for you and your family. Follow me on Pinterest for get ideas.
If you have children creating spaces for toys and games that are contained and look amazing will be a priority. If you love to bake what are the items you use all the time, find ways to make those items accessible and easy to find. What ways can you improve that space in your home that functions and looks amazing. It isn’t going to be the same for everyone.
Step 2: Start Small
The best way to avoid overwhelm is by starting small. Pick one drawer, one shelf, or even just one corner of a room. A little progress each day adds up to big results, and that quick win will keep you motivated.
The small steps bring the big results. Feeling like you have to do it all at one time is overwhelming, in fact it shuts us down. Meaning we don’t accomplish anything. When we are feeling overwhelmed we spin and don’t accomplish the things we want which leaves us feeling more overwhelmed. Choosing to start small is progress. We feel pride when we accomplish something which moves us to the next space and then the next space. Overtime you’ll have an organized and edited home.
Achieving an organized home takes time, give yourself grace and time. The small steps will overtime bring the results you imagine. Pick a room or space. Work on one drawer than another and another.
Step 3: Set a Timer
Procrastination can’t win if you set a timer. Commit to 15, 20, or 30 minutes of decluttering, and go all in. When the timer goes off, take a break or keep going if you’re on a roll. Those minutes can work wonders.
Don’t plan to do an entire room, set the goal to empty one drawer. You can accomplish a lot in 20 intentional minutes. Pull everything out, trash the trash and organized the rest.
Step 4: Sort into Categories
Grab three bins or bags. Keep, Donate, and Toss. As you work through items, sort them into one of these categories. Be honest with yourself: do you use it, love it, or even remember you own it?
Keep what you love, donate what no longer serves you and toss the trash. Easy Peasy. We live in a world where we can easily buy more, which means we don’t have to hang onto something because we fear we might need it again. If you haven’t used it, can do without it let it go and enjoy the space it leaves in your heart and home.
Step 5: Channel Your Inner Pro Organizer
Take a tip from professional organizers: work room by room, top to bottom, and left to right. This systematic approach keeps you focused and prevents random piles of clutter from popping up in other spaces.
Having a system keeps the ball rolling. If we declutter and edit willy nilly we are all over the place which is exhausting. It is also harder to see our progress. Choose a room and start the process in small steps. The first drawer, shelf, closet or dresser.
As you start working on a room you will get ideas you will figure out what you need to make the room function on a higher level. Whether it is clear bins, baskets or storage cubes.
Step 6: Ask the Right Questions
When deciding whether to keep an item, ask yourself:
- Does this serve a purpose?
- Does it spark joy or add value to my life?
- Have I used it in the last year?
If the answer is no, gift the item to someone else by adding it to the donation bin.
Stuff is just stuff. Having more stuff doesn’t bring us joy. When we place our joy in our stuff we continue to buy more and more looking for that joy that isn’t possible. When we buy something we love it might bring moments of joy but it is fleeting. Our closets and drawers are stuffed full of stuff. Trust me when I tell you you will find peace in the empty spaces. Let go of all the excess you have in your home.
Step 7: Celebrate the Dopamine Rush of Donating
Here’s where the magic happens. Donating feels amazing! Knowing that someone else can benefit from items you no longer need creates a natural dopamine rush, leaving you lighter, happier, and more inspired to keep going.
Less stuff feels lighter and opens space in your home and heart for whats next in life. Teach your kids the joy in donating and helping others. Let them see and feel the goodness that comes when we give to others. Our kiddos have so many toys, they can’t even enjoy what they have because they have so much. Keep what they love and let them gift what they no longer use or need.
Step 8: Embrace Living with Less
Clutter-free living isn’t about deprivation—it’s about freedom. The less you have to manage, the more time and energy you have for what matters most: family, hobbies, and self-care. Less truly is more.
When we embrace living with less we embrace a new way of living. We live in a time when we equate stuff to success which is a false way of living because we keep acquiring stuff so we feel like we’re successful. But that is a fleeting feeling so we keep adding to the stuff to chase that fleeting feeling. We momentarily feel better than the feeling dissipates so we chase that feeling with more things. A hamster wheel we can’t get off. Until we decide we’re done with all the things and live with less.
Step 9: Organize What You Keep
Once you’ve edited your space, give everything you’re keeping a designated home. Use bins, baskets, and drawer dividers to create a tidy, intentional look. If organizing feels overwhelming remember it is easier to organize less stuff. That is why we declutter first. When our home is only filled with things we love it is easier to find spaces for those items.
Check out this pdf, it is filled with my favorite pantry organization solutions. Containing like items makes finding what you need so much easier. I wasn’t always a bin user, I didn’t understand their purposes. But I am a bin convert. They make daily use so much easier. Items no longer getting lost at the back of the closet or cupboard.
Step 10: Build Maintenance Habits
Decluttering isn’t a one-and-done event. Make it a habit to edit your home regularly. Whether it’s a quick monthly sweep or a seasonal deep dive, maintaining your space will keep it clutter-free and stress-free.
Don’t feel bad if overtime the junk drawer goes to it’s original look but you’ve done it once you can quickly do it again. It will probably happen especially if you live with others but having places for items makes returning those items to their place quick and easy.
Decluttering isn’t just about cleaning your home; it’s about transforming your mindset, your energy, and your life. With each item you release, you’re making room for what truly matters—calm, clarity, and joy. So grab a bag, turn on your favorite playlist, and start editing your space.
Do You Want More Help and Ideas?
There are many ways to create the home of your dreams. Here are a few more ideas you can use for inspiration. For an organized and pretty laundry room check it out here.
Need help getting your closet organized, I’ve got you. Check it out here.
Want help organizing your bathroom, here’s a great place to start.
