A 3-Step System to Instantly Streamline Decluttering

Put the whole process of decluttering on autopilot with this super simple system.

Decluttering your whole home sounds like a completely daunting task – and, well, it kind of is. However, there are clever ways to break this monumental task into achievable pieces. You can streamline decluttering in a way that makes it fit right into your everyday life without making any major changes.

You will need to make some changes – but the changes won’t have to be as drastic as cleaning out your entire house all at once. The whole process will be built of tiny changes that add up. My three-step system is one way to implement decluttering in a simple, gradual way.

Keep reading to learn how this system works so you can streamline decluttering in your home!

1.   Set Up an Inbox Basket: Screen Incoming Stuff Before It Has a Chance to Become Clutter

First of all, you’re going to need to set up a guard to make sure incoming clutter doesn’t completely derail your decluttering dreams before you even get to see any progress.

Trust me, seeing real progress is essential to keep you going until you finish the project entirely – so you want to do everything you can to make sure you get little glimpses of the final result you’re working toward along the way. 

I keep a basket for this purpose that I call my “inbox basket.” It’s the place where things go if I don’t have time to think about the perfect spot or way to store them the minute I walk in the door with them.

Sometimes, I’m worn out after shopping and don’t have the energy to place new things properly. If I do, items often get thrown somewhere haphazardly that doesn’t really work for the item. This might mean it’s a place that will cause me to forget about the item altogether or at least deter me from using it as often.

Or, the stuff might just lie around in bags waiting to be put away that make my home look cluttered.

I also use the inbox basket for mail or other pesky things I’ll need to deal with at some point but don’t have time to do anything about at the moment. This ensures I’ll remember to handle whatever it is at a later date and it keeps my home from looking cluttered in the meantime. Going through my inbox basket is a weekly task on my chore calendar.

Waiting until I have time and energy to make decisions like these thoughtfully ensures I get the most use out of the things coming into my home. The extra thought this system naturally forces me to give can also make me realize I didn’t want or need the item as much as I originally thought, and I will arrange to return it or get rid of it another way.

Putting an inbox basket in place is like creating a screening system for every item that comes into your home. It “freezes” the amount of stuff you have to declutter and ensures that piles of clutter don’t grow faster than you can get rid of them.

Implementing this step will also ensure your decluttering efforts won’t undo themselves as soon as you’re done. It makes organization sustainable by accounting for the upkeep that will be needed after your initial decluttering – because new stuff will always be coming into your home.

Becoming more mindful of this stuff as it enters your home is what will gradually make it so that you have less and less to declutter in the first place.

This means the whole process will get drastically easier as you go.

Once you’ve fully adjusted to this screening system, you’ll likely find yourself considering what you buy more carefully before it even makes it out of the store. More thoughtful buying will help reduce clutter and save money!

2.   Set Up Outbox Basket 1: Make Sure You Get Stuff That Needs to Go Somewhere Specific Out of Your Home

You know that book you borrowed from your friend and need to return or that paperwork you need to bring to your upcoming appointment – the stuff that’s really easy to lose and really hard to remember?

That stuff also contributes to clutter and needs to be addressed.

I have a knack for making sure I always return borrowed stuff and hardly ever forget stuff I need to bring to certain places. The trick? I don’t actually remember it – I have a system that reminds me.

I put everything like this into a bin by my door – also known as outbox basket 1. I try to check this bin quickly before I leave to make sure I’m not forgetting something. It’s amazing how often I completely forgot I needed to bring something with me and am so glad I looked in the bin to remind myself.

Recently, I’ve fallen out of the habit of checking this bin before I head out the door every single time, so I’ll set reminders on my phone calendar to remember to bring what I need. The bin makes it super easy to find whatever it is right away – and, again, keeps it from contributing to clutter elsewhere in the house.

3.   Set Up Outbox Basket 2: Make Sure You Get All the Other Stuff Out of Your Home

Finally, this is the step you’ve probably been waiting for. How do you put the process of getting all the random clutter out of your house on autopilot?

You keep a designated space to store it as you find it. Personally, I keep a large basket in a closet for this purpose – outbox basket 2.

This cuts out the overwhelm of having to make a million decisions about every single item you own (to keep or not to keep?) all at once. You can just collect stuff in this spot as you come to it.

That mismatched glass in the cabinet that drives you crazy but doesn’t warrant a trip to the donation center? Put it in the basket. That shirt in your closet you’ve realized you don’t like anymore but don’t have time to list on Facebook Marketplace? Into the basket it goes.

This will get the item out of sight and out of mind so it stops cluttering up your space immediately – even if you don’t have time to get it out of your house yet.

It will also allow you to mentally let go of the item, freeing up that precious mental energy you use every single time you bump into it.

You’ll likely find that this designated spot will get completely full a lot sooner than you’d think. When this happens, it’s time to start the process of getting rid of it – whether you are going to sell or donate it all.

This is an essential step for everyone. Whether you don’t have any time to declutter or have already decluttered your whole house and are at the upkeep stage, this outbox basket is key to a clutter-free space.

Streamline Decluttering with This Three-Step System!

With this simple autopilot system, you’ll be able to drastically cut down on the overwhelm of decluttering your home.

Imagine your home – only lighter and more airy. You’re no longer swimming in extra things that drag you down. It’s not perfect (because, hello, people live there), but it is a peaceful setting that just feels good to spend time in.

When you use this system, which removes a lot of the initial resistance to decluttering, this dream is much closer to becoming a reality than you think!

Will You Be Trying My Three-Step System?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments!