Get Started Decluttering: 3 Simple Shifts to Beat Procrastination

Have you ever dreaded doing something and put it off for months, only to have it take just a few minutes when you finally forced yourself to take care of it? What is going on there? Why do we all do this?  Why is it so hard to get started decluttering?!

I am not a psychologist or expert on the brain. But I know from experience and working with many, many clients over the years that anticipation can really mess with us when it comes to getting stuff done. And the reason I come upon this so often is because decluttering is something that many people dread, so they keep kicking it down the road.

Here’s the thing. Our greatest fears lurk in anticipation. While we nurse them they grow bigger and bigger, and farther away from reality. But I really want you to be able to begin peeling back the many layers of clutter that have built up in your home over the last 20-30 years. So I’m dropping 3 strategies to get you to the decluttering start line.

Strategy #1: Shorten the distance between decision and action

The first strategy to get started decluttering is to nip anticipation in the bud. Before it has time to gather strength and blossom into procrastination. How do you do that? By shortening the amount of time between decision and action.

For example, when you make the decision to clean out your closet – commit to  a time on your calendar. You know there are shoes you haven’t put on in years and jeans that don’t fit and probably some stuff you never wore that still has price tags attached. It sounds pretty bad in your head, so you think ‘I’ll get to it at some point.’ Stop right there! Actually commit to a date. Make sure the date is not too far away.

Why? Because the less time you have to ruminate on the shoes and the jeans and the money you’ve ‘wasted’, the less intimidating the act of decluttering that stuff will be. It’s always worse in your head. And the longer it’s in your thoughts the worse it grows.When you move quickly to action, you skip all that drama and it’s just another thing you can cross off your to-do list.

Strategy #2: Use a timer to negotiate with your brain

Here’s another way to get started decluttering. Have you ever heard a coach say ‘you can do anything for (insert short time commitment) minutes’? I hear it all the time, and that’s because it’s true! When you put a time limit on something you aren’t looking forward to it’s like a little negotiation with your brain. When you know that no matter what happens, this thing you don’t want to do is going to be over soon – it’s a signal to your brain that it’s safe to proceed.

I have this timer (pictured) that is like a little magic box. It works like any other timer. But for some reason my brain responds to it so I use it a lot when I ‘have to’ do something. Could be decluttering my freezer, could be practicing piano, could be swapping my closet for Spring. If the job seems too big and scary in my head – I put a time limit on it and it ceases to be scary. Because I can do anything for 15 minutes!

Back to our closet example – if anticipation has got you feeling overwhelmed, pick a single category and set a timer. When the timer goes off, you are allowed to stop – no matter how far you got. Often, you will find that you are fine to keep going after your time is up (I almost always am!) But the timer got you to the start line, which was the biggest obstacle in your path.

Strategy #3: Create a positive association

Okay you’ve put the closet declutter on your calendar and you’ve set your timer, great! But ugh it still feels hard to get started decluttering. That’s where this last strategy comes in. It’s time to add something attractive to the mix. Instead of dreading your closet declutter – why not give it some party vibes? Crank up some tunes for starters. (For my own closet, I prefer dance music – better for try-on parties!)

Another positive element to make this ‘chore’ feel more attractive to your brain is something yummy to drink. Could be a latte, some kombucha or even champagne if that’s your vibe! Sipping while working, it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it’s helping you get to the finish line.

My last suggestion for adding positive elements to create positive neural pathways is selecting a reward for yourself when you finish. And since we are hanging out in your closet right now, a perfect reward is a new purchase!

These small acts play a big role in associating the act of decluttering with positive feelings. When you plan for them ahead of time, it makes it easier to get yourself to the start line and more fun while you’re working.

Time To Get Started!

Are you feeling any of these strategies? Feel free to test any of them out, or go for all 3 and watch what happens! The point is that decluttering doesn’t have to be this horrible chore that you dread. If you can neutralize the big scary anticipation monster in your head, you will not only get yourself to the start line, you fly past it and then you can let momentum take over! (P.S. I used your closet as an example in this blog. If your closet is on your list of places to declutter you may want to check out my Bedroom & Closet Room Guide 😉)