The new rules of decluttering

The new year is a great time to declutter, to get rid of unneeded items and clear the way for a fresh start. This seems like a great idea – until, that is, you start thinking about how and where to begin. Should you start with your kitchen, your bedroom, or some other room? Or is it better to start by decluttering your desktop or your electronic devices?

There’s no need to wonder whether or not it’s a good idea to declutter. It is. Simplifying and organising your life so that you know where everything is, and so that you no longer have to wade through things you don’t use and know you don’t really need, will make you more efficient and allow you to feel more in control of your life. Therefore, it’s worth the effort to figure out how to overcome your inertia so you can make a start. Psychological techniques can help you in two ways: first when deciding how best to get started, and second when finding ways to make sure you keep going. Here’s how.

First, use motivation to energise you. That means starting with the tasks that matter most to you. Pay no attention to whether they seem the most logical, or whether others would consider them important. Make a list of all the areas in your life where you wish you were more organised. These may be rooms – your kitchen or bedroom, for example, or specific places – your kitchen cupboards, your laptop or your wardrobe. Keep going until everything you think needs sorting is on your list. Then put the list aside for a day or two.

Next, rank the items you’ve written down. If you could only do one decluttering job on your list, which would you choose? Which would help you feel most organised and in control? When that area of your life is sorted, which is second most important? Carry on until you’ve ordered your entire list. Working in this way – starting with the most rewarding job – makes it highly likely that you really will make a start.

Even then, however, you may feel overwhelmed. Therefore, the second task is to break the tasks on your list down into smaller chunks. If you tell yourself you have to sort your entire wardrobe or everything in the kitchen, you’ll probably put the job off indefinitely. If instead, you decide to order the cutlery drawer, or sort out your jeans, the task suddenly appears manageable. Break each item on your list into tasks small enough that you could complete any of them in less than two hours. Then choose two of these “mini-tasks” to complete each week.

Finally, look through your schedule for the coming week, and write in the two tasks into your diary wherever you find a free slot. This gives those tasks the status they deserve – on a par with any other appointment. It also ensures that this year, you really will declutter properly.