5 Critical Steps to Find Motivation for Decluttering

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When I first started decluttering, I recall moments when I felt so defeated by the clutter I was paralyzed.

I couldn’t figure out how to start decluttering when I was so overwhelmed. Plus, my goal of getting rid of close to 90% of my stuff seemed miles away from the current reality.

You probably found this post because you feel similar and are struggling to get motivated to get rid of things.

I learned a lot about decluttering when I downsized my entire home to travel. I continued to hone my decluttering skills over three years of living in tiny spaces.

Below are five critical steps to find motivation for decluttering and start building habits to downsize your stuff.

1. Find Your Why

The most crucial key to finding decluttering motivation is knowing your ‘why’ and feeling strongly about it.

If you aren’t passionate about your ‘why,’ then chances are you won’t have enough motivation to declutter much of your home.

Ask yourself: What change am I trying to make in my life?

• Do you want to travel full-time?
• Do you want to spend time doing things with your family?
• Do you want more freedom?

Then ask yourself: How does decluttering help me reach my goal?

• Does it allow you to spend more time doing the things you love and less time taking care of your house and your stuff?
• Does it allow you to downsize to save money for travel and early retirement, or allow your family to live on one income to spend more time with your kids?
• Does it allow you to travel full-time with a spouse who works on the road?

Ultimately, decluttering will offer everyone the same thing in one way or another – freedom.

Whether it’s freedom of location, time, or finances, you are most likely seeking one or more of these when you ask yourself why you want to declutter.

Remind Yourself of Your ‘Why’

Now that you’ve found your ‘why’ and motivation to purge clutter put it front and center in your life. Here are a few ideas.

• Your favorite family photo from your travels as a screensaver on your phone
• A ‘dream board’ in your living room of the things you’ll be able to do or places you will go with more time and money
• A dry eraser board in your bedroom where you can keep a tally of your savings for retirement or travel plans

Create one or more daily reminders for why you are working on creating a clutter-free home.

2. Set a Deadline

One of the most important decluttering tips you can follow is having a deadline. Especially for a massive decluttering project, a deadline will help you stay organized and motivated. 

Working backward from your deadline date, you’ll be able to set decluttering goals to complete smaller tasks (which we will talk more about in step four).

If you are decluttering to downsize to live in a small space, you probably have a deadline in mind. You might have a deadline to sell your home based on the market or a deadline for when your lease is up. Moving situations make sticking to a deadline easier, but you can still set or find a deadline even if you aren’t moving.

Creative Ideas for Setting a Deadline

• Are you expecting a new baby? Set your decluttering deadline for before the baby arrivals.
• Set a seasonal date so you can enjoy a fully decluttered garage for the summer months or a basement remodel for the winter months. 
• Declutter your spare room with a set deadline so you can turn it into office space for a new side hustle or an at-home gym to get in shape for a vacation.

The most important takeaway from this step is to set the deadline. Even if you have to move it out a few months later, there will never be any urgency to start the project if you don’t set a deadline.

3. Make Decluttering Appealing

Let’s face it – getting rid of stuff doesn’t sound like an exciting use of our precious free time.

To make the decluttering process more appealing, try the steps below.

1. Plan a time to work on a project or task. Ensure the task can be completed in the allotted time or split the project into multiple time blocks.
2. Treat yourself. Get your favorite takeout, a bottle of wine or beer, or another treat of your choice to enjoy as you declutter.
3. Set the scene. Put on your favorite movie or playlist while you work through the clutter. (For a movie choice, put on something you’ve seen a few times. This way, you won’t be completely distracted by the movie.)
4. Bonus Tip: Use weekend days for bigger decluttering projects that require you to organize a larger amount of stuff.

I find that a welcoming, cozy environment with a few special treats can get me started on a decluttering project. One thing of note regarding decluttering, once you get going, it isn’t as hard to KEEP going.

4. Tackle Small Projects

A problem that often occurs with decluttering is attempting to tackle a large project and getting overwhelmed. Or sometimes, you might even set a goal that is just too big. What usually happens is we never even start decluttering because the desired result is so far away it seems unobtainable.

The above issues are examples of why breaking down large projects is critical to getting rid of stuff. By tackling smaller tasks, you’ll stay on target for your big decluttering goal.

Get Started

Start by creating a list of smaller projects or goals. Then assign them to specific days and times when it is realistic for you to complete them.

See below for an example of a larger project broken down into small tasks.

LARGE GOAL: Clean Out and Declutter Garage

List of Small Tasks:

• declutter box A and organize items by sell, donate, keep
• declutter box B and organize items by sell, donate, keep
• declutter sporting goods and organize in a new, smaller bin
• list sporting good items for sale on eBay or Facebook
• clean/fix spare furniture for consignment drop-off
• schedule pick-up of furniture for consignment

Clean out a drawer or a shelf, or list a few items for sale. Try not to make it too overwhelming. Remember to aim for smaller tasks, and you’ll be much more likely to start them!

5. Reward Yourself

It’s no secret. Getting motivated to declutter is a little easier when there’s a reward involved!

Toward the peak of your decluttering journey, you’ll start to find the reward in the outcome of the projects. However, when you’re first getting started, you might need to create some rewards for motivation.

Rewards for Declutter Motivation

Here are a few ideas for rewarding yourself during the decluttering process.

If This, Than That

• Got a big decluttering project planned for Saturday? Make sure Sunday’s focus is a fun outing or relaxation time – but only if you complete Saturday’s project.
• Need some motivation to declutter clothes on Wednesday and Thursday evenings? Plan a special dinner out for Friday night to celebrate your clothing purge!

Checklists

Checking off items on a checklist gives us that dopamine rush we all crave. If you are someone who is motivated by checklists, you know what to do! Add your small decluttering tasks to your weekly list.

Consider organizing your entire decluttering project this way. Keep a master list of ongoing decluttering projects and enjoy ticking away at your goals. It’s a simple way to keep yourself on track and motivated in a way that resonates.

The Reward is in the Result

The more decluttering you do, the more the reward will become part of the result. As you get rid of more stuff, your hard work will start to pay off, and you’ll begin to reap the benefits of decluttering your home. Until you hit your stride with the project, be sure to incorporate some additional rewards above.

BONUS: Find Your People

Decluttering your stuff means changing your mindset and habits when it comes to your things. If your goal is to have fewer things, it helps to surround yourself with people who have similar goals.

Of course, you don’t need to start ghosting your family and friends but find a group of like-minded people to keep you motivated. Having somewhere you can share your experiences and struggles and hear others’ expertise is very helpful to this process.

Social media, Facebook groups specifically, can be great places to connect with like-minded people on decluttering. There are many groups you can join for free.

Tips for Motivation to Declutter Clothes

Clothes are often one of the hardest things to let go of because we usually have a personal connection with what we wear. Many of your clothing items may also hold sentimental value.

An overcrowded closet can be a significant source of stress, and it can be challenging to find the motivation to declutter. I struggled with an overflowing closet for years. It took many attempts to declutter my clothes before I finally found a system that worked.

You can apply all the steps above to decluttering your closet. However, one strategy works wonders when you need motivation for decluttering clothes – set a weekly goal to get rid of a set number of items in your closet. For example, get rid of twenty items by Friday each week.

Set a strict deadline to get rid of your clothes! When I was downsizing, I would stop by the consignment shop and donation center every Friday at lunch and drop off my items for the week. It’s an achievable goal that isn’t overwhelming and can be accomplished without a considerable time commitment.

This goal also worked because I could easily fit it into my routine. 

Here are a few reasons why short-term goal-setting works.

• The goal is realistic and easy, so you’ll be motivated to complete the weekly task and see more progress in your closet. 
• Since it’s a weekly goal, you’ll evaluate your closet each week. It will be easy to spot the items you haven’t worn (even when you told yourself the week before you would wear that item).
• Each week, you can focus on the positive effects of decluttering, such as quickly finding clothes you want to wear and having more space in your closet. 

Whether you want to drastically declutter your entire closet or just get rid of items that you no longer wear, setting a goal and deadline will go a long way to help you focus your efforts.

Final Thoughts on How to Start Decluttering

I hope these decluttering steps have provided you with a road map on how to get motivated to clean when you are overwhelmed by a mess!

Remember these five steps for decluttering motivation, and you’ll be able to stay on task during your journey.

1. Find your ‘why’
2. Set a deadline
3. Make decluttering appealing
4. Tackle small projects
5. Reward yourself

And as a bonus – find your people!

Although decluttering can be a big undertaking, I promise it is 100% worth the effort. The freedom decluttering provides is something you can’t buy. It benefits your schedule, finances, and health.

Think about it – have you ever heard anyone say they regretted decluttering?

Comment below if you are struggling to declutter anything specific or have thoughts about motivation to minimize your stuff.

Also, check out 50 Things to Declutter to Start Downsizing if you need some ideas for items you can start getting rid of.

Other Decluttering Motivation Tips & Resources

Lastly, here are some of my favorite resources that help you find motivation for decluttering and show you how to adjust your mindset for living with less.

Want more tips on decluttering to downsize?

Check out our guide with ten steps to start decluttering to downsize.

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