AARP Smart Guide to Decluttering

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Most of us find it rewarding to tidy up. It can feel liberating and even energizing to see organized shelves, clutter-free closets and clean countertops. But as time goes by, those spaces

often get cluttered again — despite our best efforts. This constant tug-of-war between accumulating and purging can feel exhausting and overwhelming, especially for those over 50 who are

thinking about downsizing their living arrangements and are wondering what things they might want to leave to their heirs. But there is a way to break the cycle.

Making your decluttering stick once and for all requires reframing how you approach the task, organizers say. Think of decluttering like going on a diet, but with things. A diet takes time

and effort. This guide offers practical tips for paring down the clutter in your life, along with ways to reframe your thinking about the stuff you've collected through the years.

Like all big life changes, getting clutter under control starts with a mindset shift. You have to decide — on an honest and introspective level — that you’re ready to make getting organized

a priority. “The first step is to make that decision, and then all the other steps fall into place from there,” says professional organizer Barbara Brock, founder and CEO of Barbara Brock

Inc., a New York City-based organizing and staging company.

If you make a habit of decluttering at least 10 minutes a day, the results will add up. This daily commitment will help you maintain order — and avoid the temptation to refill a space after

you’ve purged and tidied it. Decide on a small, manageable space, like a junk drawer, a single kitchen cabinet or even your car glove compartment.

“I say, ‘When you hear Final Jeopardy come on, start cleaning.’ That means it’s 7:50 p.m.. And when whatever show you like comes on at 8 p.m., stop,” advises Matt Paxton, host of the

Emmy-nominated PBS series Legacy List with Matt Paxton and author of Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life. When you make decluttering a

habit, it’s easier to stay on top of things. “It’s easy to make excuses,” says Paxton, who was also a longtime featured cleaner on the A&E series Hoarders. “We say we’re busy. No one’s too

busy for 10 minutes. Everybody has time for that.”

Don’t launch into a large-scale decluttering project if you don’t have enough time to finish it. Pulling out piles only to leave them in a jumbled heap on the floor as you’re drawn away to

another task derails your momentum and makes returning to the decluttering process feel even more burdensome.

Instead, tackle clearly defined spaces that you can start and finish in the time you have. You want to feel the win of checking off a task, no matter how tiny, every time you declutter.

Break big jobs into smaller ones if needed. Shift from broad terms into specifics. Instead of saying, “I need to organize my closet,” think: “I’ll organize the shoe area of my closet today,

and I will tackle the hanging clothes, shelves and drawers other days this week.”

Even better, define when specifically you plan to do those tasks. “It’s important to pay attention to language,” says Atlanta-based professional organizer Diane Quintana, owner of DNQ

Solutions LLC. “We tell ourselves we’ll do something later. But what does 'later' mean? Give yourself a defined time frame.” For example, keep yourself accountable by committing to

declutter a single, small section of the closet each evening between getting home from work and preparing dinner, or every day after dropping grandkids at school, until the whole space is

finished.

To organize a space, you have to first know what’s currently jammed into it. So start by completely emptying the area. Pull everything out into a neutral zone — a table or countertop for

small jobs, or a hallway or the center of the room for a closet or bedroom — and group similar things into piles by category. This is the only way to get a mental inventory of what you’re

dealing with so you can assess what you may want to keep versus purge, Brock says.

As you look through the items you’ve pulled out, create Keep, Trash or Donate piles. Ask yourself questions like: Is this broken or outdated? When is the last time I used this? Am I likely

to use this again? Consider whether you could replace an item easily and inexpensively if you do need it again. Weighing these important mental calculations makes it easier to part with

items you don’t use often — and ensures that your Keep piles contain things you actually value or need.