Sometimes when we declutter, our results are less than expected. You still have too much stuff! You may be struggling with some common decluttering mistakes that many people make. Decluttering is difficult for many reasons. Despite your best efforts, you may have unrealistic expectations of the decluttering process and its results. Many times, we are attached to our items from an emotional standpoint, and it’s difficult to let go.

Is there a wrong or right way to declutter?

Simply put, the answer is no. The way that works for you is the best way to declutter. Some people love the way Marie Kondo declutters, but she is by no means the only and best way for you. Her method is to tidy up your home by category. Others, like the Joshua Becker® Method, suggests minimalism. These are only two ways of many to get your home in order.

Defined simply, decluttering is “removing a mess or clutter from a place.” That’s it. So, whether you chose one of the methods listed here, a hybrid, or another method listed in another of our blogs, do what works for you.

A Combination of Marie Kondo and Karen Kingston

I love to clean and declutter, so the less I own, the easier this is for me. I choose Karen Kingston’s Method the most, combined with Marie Kondo’s letting go philosophy. Together, they work best for me.

So, returning to mistakes, I’ve listed many below that people often make. Do not feel guilty. Just see if any of these pertain to you. You may find that the decluttering process is easier once you’ve looked at them. 

Mistake 1: Start a decluttering project without a decluttering plan. 

Set yourself up for success and create a plan. It keeps you on track and gets you working through your entire home. Choose whether you want to declutter by category or go room-by-room. The decision is up to you. Break your decluttering into bite-sized pieces so that it’s easier to start and stop if you’re interrupted. Keep going. That’s the main take-away from this first mistake. Start with small areas and a plan in the forefront of your mind. Then, get going. The mind will catch up.

Mistake 2: Failing to put a sorting system in place while decluttering.

Don’t leave the room to put things away, and then return to the decluttering process you’re currently working. Leaving the area takes you out of the flow, and the most important thing to do is stay with your project. It’s easy to get distracted and find yourself going down a rabbit hole once you start to put things away. Instead, put things in a sorting box so that you can put things where they belong at the end of your daily session. One of the most widely used systems is the four box method. The four box method is a box for: trash, put away, donate/sell, store. Some people use the three box system, eliminating the store box. For trash, use a garbage bag. For collecting and moving things from room to room, use a basket, maybe a laundry basket. For donating, use a cardboard box. Use clear, plastic boxes for storage.

Mistake 3: Waiting too long to donate or sell your items.

The most important task while decluttering, in addition to letting go, is getting things out of your home immediately so that you can’t linger on your decisions. Storing unneeded or unwanted items in a box in the garage is just rearranging your clutter. This is a no-no.  Once you’ve decided, take your donation items to the donation center, and say good-bye. This keeps you from rethinking your decisions and having to re-declutter. A solution to this mistake is to put things that you’re donating into your trunk at the end of your decluttering session so that you can send them off. A great idea is to put a sticky note next to your odometer so that you remember to leave extra time when you’re running errands to donate your items. If you’re participating in a neighborhood garage sale (soon!), then tape the boxes closed. If you’ve not participated by the date of the garage sale (write it on the outside), take the items to donation. Better yet, just take them to donation and be finished.

Mistake 4: Organizing before decluttering – The Golden No-No Rule.

If you’ve bought storage containers before you’ve started the decluttering process, you’re just rearranging your clutter. You have no idea how many times I’ve seen people make this mistake. The reason it’s a mistake is because, most often, what you’ve purchased in advance is the wrong size and shape. Wait to purchase storage containers – live with temporary ones or none! Do not, and I repeat, do not purchase organizing baskets or storage containers until you’re finished with the decluttering process. How will you know what you need to purchase if you don’t declutter before purchasing them? Remove the clutter, place the items you’ll be keeping in the area you want them, and then live with the quantity a bit. Since purchasing organizing baskets and bins is the most fun part of decluttering, save it as a reward for yourself. You first need an organizing plan. Buy after you’ve decided what to keep.

Mistake 5: Decluttering everything at once. 

Decluttering is not a one day event; it is a process. It’s hard and a good deal of work. Doing everything at once just leads to frustration. Try to avoid this mistake by creating a decluttering plan and then working your plan. Break projects into easy to manage, bite sized work. Our Declutter Deck® is a perfect idea for breaking projects into manageable pieces. Maybe an extra weekend, with uninterrupted periods of time, works best for you. Better, a good thirty to sixty minute session will produce a lot of good results. And, this amount of time won’t leave you fatigued. Check out the Pomodoro Technique, which the Declutter Deck® uses to time yourself during tasks.

Mistake 6: Lingering over sentimental items. 

Sentimental items are the most difficult to declutter. This is the reason Marie Kondo leaves them for last. If you have difficulty with sentimental items, you’re not alone. It is one of the biggest decluttering roadblocks and keeps you from reaching your decluttering goals. By the time you get to sentimental items, you most likely will be better at making decisions than when you first started out. If not, know that others have problems with sentimental items and be patient with yourself.

Mistake 7: Assigning a monetary value to your clutter. Really, it has very little!

If you think you’re giving away expensive items, then you’ll tend not to give them away. You’ll keep them, and then you’ve just got to rearrange them again. You may never use them, but they might have been expensive and it’s hard to let go. Shift your mindset! Instead of thinking about the items in terms of their monetary value, think about how much it costs for you to store things you don’t use. Come to terms with the fact that your previous purchase cost you time and money. And, then let go. Think about it this way: To continue to store the item you think cost you a lot now costs money to store it. Bigger houses. Storage units. You name it, we’ve seen it all.

Mistake 8: The “Someday Syndrome”

Many people hang on to things “just in case” or you’ll use or wear them “someday.” You’re afraid you’ll need them in the future. Guilt tends to drive this decision. People hold onto their “skinny jeans” just in case they lose fifty pounds. Think of all the guilt associated with that thought. You feel bad that you bought the item. You feel bad that you’re not fifty pounds lighter. Meet yourself where you are. Plain and simple. The end. To combat this in clothing decluttering, you can use the hanger trick where you turn all your hangers backwards. As you wear the item, turn the hanger forward. If you haven’t turned the hanger around within six months (twelve if you live in a seasonal areas), then the item must go. Unless you’re keeping a special dress, or something like that, it’s safe to say if the hanger hasn’t turned you won’t wear the item again.

Mistake 9:   Avoiding the room that’s the most problematic.

Most people know which room is bothering them the most. Go for it! Once completed, you’ll be encouraged to tackle your next hardest room, and so on. Seeing progress keeps you motivated. Of course, using some of the previous suggestions here, try to get through the room using bite sized pieces of decluttering work. This is your low hanging fruit. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s motivating.

Mistake 10:  Decluttering things people have given to you, or that don’t belong to you.

One of Marie Kondo’s most important points is that we only declutter what belongs to us. Leave everyone else’s stuff alone. Decluttering is a personal decision and one that takes you places emotionally. People hang onto things for a reason, whether it’s because they don’t want to confront what they own, need to confront themselves, or have emotional baggage. That is theirs to confront, not yours. Of course, you can encourage others in your household to let go of things, and join in the decluttering movement you’ve started, but let them work through their own things. Support can include just sitting with them and keeping them company while they’re sorting through a pile (we do this with our virtual sessions) and talk them through their choices if they want to hear from you. But don’t offer advice unless asked, and then it should be given sparingly.

The exception to this is decluttering things from a loved one who has passed. If helping someone move through the stages of grief, remember that letting go of their loved one’s things is part of the process. Save a few sentimental items. Don’t create a shrine to them. Box their items up and put them in the garage. After a given period, and the items that you’ve boxed up are not reopened to look for something, then it is time to give them away. You always have the memories associated with a loved one. Memories cannot be donated or discarded.

Mistake 11: Letting clutter back in after you’ve said good-bye to it.  

Once you’ve learned to declutter, you’ve honed a new skill. Unless you stay on top of it, however, clutter can return to your home. You may feel empty and the need to rebuy. Just stay put and let the space surround you. Create new habits. Throw the junk mail away every day instead of letting it pile up. Keep your counters clean. Create a “command central” space in your house that you sort through every day. Put a donation box in your closets. Remember, decluttering is a lot of work and energy, and having to repeat the process again is not your goal. Your goal is to find new energy and time for yourself. Decluttering is freeing.

Time to get started! Create a plan and a sorting system and get to work. Start with the room that’s bothering you the most and get moving!