This summer, I decided it was time to declutter my bedroom. My original plan was simple: declutter first, then reorganize. I figured I’d start in one corner and work my way around, going through each box and bag, because I had plenty. We’re talking boxes of receipts, bills, books, knick-knacks, and bags of documents to shred, not to mention clothes that had been piling up. The room was packed with stuff I wasn’t even using. Mentally, I was ready to let go, but practically… not so much.
After a couple of weeks of struggling, I realized it could take me the whole summer at this pace. But I didn’t want a clutter-free room in September, or worse, by Christmas. I wanted it now.
So, I stopped and asked myself: What’s my real vision for this room?
The answer was clear. I wanted a bedroom free of boxes and bags stacked against the walls, and no piles of paper or random knick-knacks covering my dresser. If that’s what I wanted, then that’s what I had to focus on.
Instead of spending weeks sorting through each item, I decided to move everything out of the room. No picking and choosing. No agonizing over what to keep. Just move it all out!
And let me tell you, it was so fulfilling. Within an hour, the floor along the walls was clear. I could see my baseboards again. The top of my dresser was visible for the first time in months.
Good question! No, I didn’t just throw everything away. I moved the boxes and bags to the basement, which became my temporary decluttering “holding area.”
Of course, as I moved things, I spotted items I knew I no longer needed, like old clothes that had been waiting for donation forever. Those went straight into the donate pile or the trash, not the basement.
Now that my bedroom is clear, I actually enjoy spending time there. I love reading in bed, playing with my son, and even writing more often. The space feels light and peaceful, exactly what I wanted.
The next step? Tackling those basement boxes one at a time. Maybe daily, maybe weekly, depending on my schedule. And I plan to share the progress with you.
If you want to free up a room in your home using this method, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Define your goal: What do you want the room to look and feel like when it’s done?
Choose a holding area: Do you have space (like a basement, garage, or spare room) to temporarily move the clutter?
Make a decluttering plan: If you don’t set aside time to go through the moved items, they’ll just become clutter in a different spot.
If you’re overwhelmed with clutter, consider this method. Moving everything out first gave me an instant sense of relief and motivation. Just don’t forget to finish the process by going through what you moved out, otherwise, you’ve only shifted the clutter.
Trust me, though, the feeling of walking into a clutter-free room is worth it!
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