Just like creating a diet and exercise routine with a personal trainer for physical health, creating and executing a plan for a simplified space with the help of a professional organizer sets you up for success with your organizational goals. Choose a decluttering style that feels comfortable (or better yet – exciting!) to you, and you’ll get the most out of your sessions.
Choose your decluttering method.
Consider your personality and desired outcome when choosing the method you’d like to follow. There are as many different decluttering strategies as there are fad diets, so have fun deciding which one you’d like to adopt and then trust the process! Here are a few of my favorite decluttering methods when working with clients to simplify their space, each creating a very different experience.
Kon Mari. The Kon Mari organizing method was created by Japanese organizing consultant and bestselling author, Marie Kondo. Her strategy is to pare down items in specific categories, rather than area specific. Her holistic approach starts with envisioning your ideal lifestyle and using that vision as a compass to creating your version of a simplified, happy space.
Swedish Death Cleaning. Created by Margareta Magnusson, this approach is less concerned with aesthetics and more with practicality. It’s a minimalist approach that encourages the reflection on what truly matters in life and alleviating the burden that excessive items and emotional decisions can leave on family members when we’re gone. The name implies a sense of urgency, but this method can be a gradual process beginning with less emotionally charged decisions and working up to sentimental items – seeking the answer to: “Is this item necessary? Will someone else find value in this? Do I want my loved ones to deal with this after I’m gone?”
The Four Box Method. This method is the O.G. approach to systematically decluttering. The four boxes to have handy are keep, donate, trash and relocate. This simple method allows you to make progress one space at a time. If you don’t know where to start, start here! Working through your space with the four boxes and a set of rules that resonates with you is the most flexible method.
Capsule Wardrobe. Specific to clothing simplification, a capsule wardrobe strategy can give insight while allowing you to box up extra clothes out of your immediate view. What’s left is a highly curated closet, relief from decision fatigue and a halt to shopping for the season. Project 333 is a capsule wardrobe challenge that was created by Courtney Carver involving the specific parameters of choosing 33 items for a 3-month span – she expands on the how and why in her book of the same name.
These are just a few examples to get the conversation started!
Create momentum.
Your organizer will prompt you to make the necessary decisions, facilitate the movement of items, and work alongside you to create real change following the method that you choose. Enjoy the journey!
