Transcription
This video is for anyone who has ever decluttered a space in their home. Everything feels amazing. You feel lighter. You feel happier. And then before you know it, a few weeks, a few months go by, you look at the space and all of a sudden it's cluttered again. Why is the clutter like my toxic ex that won't leave you alone?
Decluttering doesn't fail because of the process that you did. It fails because we're all focusing on the wrong problem. It's not actually about discipline, willpower, systems. It's about focusing on why and how the clutter arrives in the first place. We need to stop it at its root. Otherwise, you are just in a toxic cycle of decluttering that goes nowhere. So, let's get into it.
Clutter and organization is not a storage problem. It's a decision problem. And what tends to happen is we have things in our home that we are going to get to later. We're either going to organize it later or decide if we want to keep it later. And over time, what that means is that our home becomes a sort of holding zone. And some of the key offenders of this is like deep storage bins. In 2026, deep storage bins are out. Shallow storage bins are in. Okay? Because out of sight, out of mind. You don't need to deal with that stuff. Shallow storage might not hold as much, but it's going to confront you. It's going to slap you in the face and say, "Look, you either deal with me now or you're overflowing. You can't ignore it." Instead of it just being one deep drawer of an abyss, having either smaller subdividers or I have this tiered stacking system, but each shelf is very shallow. So only things go and fit that belong there. And the key sign or symptom that this is something that you're dealing with is overflow. Overflow should trigger in your mind the alarm bells. Okay, this is not a storage problem. This is a decision problem. I need to make decisions about the items in here. What I've come to realize is that storage that hides clutter doesn't solve it. It just delays it. So, our action item here is we actually want to reduce the size of our storage. Have things shallower, more visible instead of deep and and out of sight. Because if it's overflowing, it's telling us that we have to make a decision. And it is either in or it's out.
Next reason why decluttering fails. This is a big one. And mom, I'm looking at you because I've decluttered her hoarder closet a few times now and it keeps coming back. And the reason why you're decluttering objects and not roles. And what I mean by this is some of us hold on to things, keep things around for a role, for a fantasy version of oursel. So, the version of me that is going to gallas and has these really nice black tie cocktail dresses and gowns that's taking up a lot of storage space in my closet, she doesn't exist. Okay, I need to be real. And even if she does exist, I can rent something. There's so many different services. I don't need to hold on to things for a role that either doesn't exist or it exists so infrequently that if she does pop in to say hi, I can just rent. So, the question to ask yourself is, who actually lives here dayto-day? What are the things I actually do and the clothes and objects that I actually use? Not my fantasy self. So, a framework to think about here is if you haven't used it in an entire calendar year, are you really ever going to need it? And even if you do, what is the cost to either replace it or to rent it? And that might be cheaper than the mental cost.
And that actually leads me into the next big decluttering problem. And that is the graveyard of abandoned hobbies. Especially if you are an ADHD girl like me, there's no shame in it. Okay. One thing that we tend to do is collect hobbies. We get really excited about a new hobby. I want to get into painting. I paint one time and then the dopamine actually comes from buying all of the supplies and envisioning myself as this painter and getting excited about the activity more than I actually do the activity. I don't want to get rid of this stuff because what if I decide to become a painter again next year? And this is kind of going back to the last point. That is my fantasy self. My real self knows that if I didn't pick up that hobby and make it something that is regular in my routine, I probably never will. Okay? I just have to accept that. If you get interested in a new hobby, resist the urge to go allin and buy all of the gear and supplies and accessories and keep it small until you know over a couple of months that you're continuing to do it and you're getting joy from the hobby itself and not just buying the things for the hobby. I know that one hurts a little. I went through a phase last year where I was trying all the new clever creative hobbies and there is one or two there's two that have stuck with me. So, I'm keeping that stuff. I'm regularly doing those hobbies. That's sticker painting and polymer clay.
The next reason decluttering fails is when things don't have a job. If they're not providing a function, they're living rentree in your home and they're not giving you value. Is this item providing a function in my home? A function that I do regularly enough that it is worth its space, that it pays its rent. And B, for decorative items, the challenge, your one challenge is to remove one thing. Look at your entryway table. What is one thing you can remove? Because we can become clutter blind and not even realize.
Next reason decluttering fails is that you are organizing by category instead of organizing by system. So the Pinterest version of our life, things exist in category. You know, bathroom items, closet items, etc. But in real life, we have our routines that are fluid between categories and sometimes unlike items need to go together. So, one system that you can think about is leaving the house and re-entering the house. What are the key things that you need and do they have a storage space? I have recently very much come to love the purse bowl. I've talked about it many times. If you don't have a purse bowl yet, it's the most simple concept, but reduces so much friction, especially as women who are switching our bags frequently. Okay, just get a purse bowl. Thank me later.
2026 is the year that we focus on quality of items and things we're bringing into our home and not just quantity. It is very easy to get caught up like I was saying before in a new hobby, new fashion trends and wanting to buy all the things. And that is the core issue. More things coming in than are going out. And a long time ago, one of my early videos, like 10 years ago, I had a rule which is one in one out. But over time, I realized in reality that is kind of hard to do. Every time I get a new mug, I'm just not inclined to go through my mugs and declutter. Like, it's too peacemeal of a process. And if you don't do it even one time, the whole system kind of starts to fall apart. Okay. So, instead, what I do now is I have a cap for certain types of items in my home. And this is going to be different for each home. So, for towels, I don't know how they just kept accumulating, kept coming in, never going out. I had like 28 towels for three people living here. Okay. And now I'm like, how many towels realistically? Probably I only need three per person. And make them really nice towels that you love and you're going to take care of. I still all these years later, the microfiber towels, they're so much fluffier. They're so much more absorbent. If you have not ever tried them, they will change your life. Um, but whatever you like. and then go through the major categories. Okay, so jeans, that's a tough one. I know for a lot of women, they have 10, 15, 20 pairs of jeans. For me, five. Now that I think about it, I do have a leggings problem still. How many is a reasonable amount of black leggings for someone to have? Leave your answer in the comments.
Decluttering will also fail if you do a big declutter session. Your home looks great, but you didn't change the rules. The rules of what are coming in. So, not just what's coming in and going out, but we need to be strict. We need to be stricter of what we will allow in. I would make the case that the more frequently you use an item, the more it earns its place. So, whatever your rules are, make the rules and make sure you stick to them. Remember, we are not just decluttering for aesthetics, but having a cluttered home genuinely affects our mental state. Even if we are not consciously thinking about it, having visual clutter is disruptive, especially to women. We are doing this for peace of mind. We're starting a new year. This is the perfect time to do some decluttering. So, I'm going to put all of the key points from this video down in the description box and also our action steps. And if you can just do one of these action steps today, that is your challenge. You'll feel better, you'll feel lighter, and that will give you the momentum to keep going. So, if you did enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and I will see you soon with a new video. Bye.