Except for those people who have everything pretty well decluttered and just need some minor maintenance, decluttering typically needs to be systematic to some degree and in some fashion.  Since you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re one of “the rest of us,” and your decluttering needs are a bit more extensive.  The question then becomes, what kind of system is the best fit for you.  Let’s look at some of the questions you might need to ask yourself.

All at Once, or Bit by Bit?

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has been trending over the last several years.  There are a few hallmarks of the method found in the book, perhaps most notably the fact that it calls for tackling the whole house all at one go, and that it recommends you pull out everything you own in a given category all at once.

There are some distinct advantages to this approach.  For instance, the house gets really good and decluttered, with no lingering unfinished corners.  Pulling out everything of a single category enables you to really see what you have.  (Although at my house, we inevitably miss something.)

There are clear disadvantages, too, though, and for most of those really in need of decluttering, I think they probably outweigh the benefits.  The average American household has a lot more “stuff” than the traditional Japanese homes Kondo is accustomed to working with.  That means this method has the potential to be extremely overwhelming.  It requires a very large chunk of time.  It also requires having a fairly large space to work in, where you can gather all the items for the current category, without interfering with your household’s function, for the span of the project.

This approach might be good for you if:

• you can trust yourself to make quick decisions about most items.
• you are able to devote a significant chunk of time to the project all at once.
• you have a relatively low degree of clutter.
• you have a need to be done with the whole house in a very short span (if you’re about to move, for example).
• you are decluttering someone else’s belongings (as in the wake of a family member’s death).

It might not be good for you if:

• you struggle to make decisions regarding what to keep and what to get rid of.
• you have a lot of clutter, or simply a large number of belongings to go through (large household, etc.).
• you don’t have the space to work with large quantities of “stuff” at a time, while still allowing your household to function.
• you don’t have a large chunk of time available.
• you are easily overwhelmed.
• you have physical limitations that would result in this causing burnout.

If you do choose this approach, I highly recommend using an adapted category list.  The original list in Kondo’s book considers virtually everything that wouldn’t be found in a dorm room “miscellaneous” and lumps it all together as one category.  (It technically has a fancy Japanese name.)  I don’t think that’s really feasible for a full American household.  (She also recommends just throwing away pretty much all paper.  I don’t recommend that, either. Some of it is important.)  Some folks have adapted the list, though, to break that down better.  Here’s one you can use.

A Little Bit at a Time

If you’re like most of us, you like the idea of having the whole house done at once, but it isn’t practically feasible for you.  Instead (although you may be able to integrate some of the KonMari principles), you’ll need to utilize a method that chips away at the clutter, bit by bit.

The question then becomes how much do you want to spread it out, what kind of time chunks do you want to invest (15 minutes at a time? 2 hours at a time?), and what do you want to be the measuring stick by which you proceed (room by room, category by category, etc.)?

As with the all-at-once method, you need to consider your available resources.  If you have that “working space” available, you may be able to pull out everything you have in a single category, all at once.  This will be even more workable if you can devote “mini-chunks” of time to the project — a few hours at a time — rather than snippets here and there.  If you don’t have that kind of space available, you might need to stick with a room at a time, so the rest of the house stays (relatively) orderly.

Likewise, consider your time and energy.  Is a three-hour block too much to physically handle?  Are your days so packed that 15 minutes is all you can squeeze in?  Would a combination work (perhaps a couple-hour block on the weekend, and 15 minutes a day on weekdays)?

Having considered such questions, you can weed through the various decluttering calendars and challenges available, and select one that will be a good fit.  Here are a few examples:

• Home Storage Solutions 101’s 52-Week Declutter Plan
• 15-minute-a-day declutter challenge monthly calendars
• 12-month declutter calendar (These are a few dollars on Etsy, but come in fun designs.)
• Simply Stacie’s 31 Days of Decluttering
• 31-Day Declutter Checklist
• 40 Bags in 40 Days
• “Ultimate Decluttering Checklist”
• Home Declutter Checklist

Another thing to pay attention to as you look over any given calendar/checklist is how thorough it is.  For instance, the last one on that list is more of a maintenance decluttering plan than a “deep declutter” or “our house needs an overhaul” kind of plan.  So make sure whatever you choose is the right level of “depth” for your needs.

These 8 questions are helpful for making decisions as you declutter.

Do You Have Help?

One final consideration is what help you do or don’t have available.  Are you on your own?  Do you have the cooperation of your family?  Do you have a friend who’s coming alongside you to help you make those decisions more quickly?  Here are a few tools for getting the kids involved with decluttering their belongings.  (Keep in mind this is also a wonderful way to teach them this life skill!)

• Kid’s Declutter checklist
• How to Help Kids Purge Artwork
• Kid’s Room Decluttering Checklist

Still Need/Want More?

The Conquer Your Clutter Super Bundle this week has some fabulous resources!  There’s a great workbook to help you assess the current state of your house (Home Organizing DIY Assessment Workbook), several resources for going through that decluttering process, and also lots of other organizational resources for time management, routines, paperwork, planner and household notebook pages to print, etc.