12 Things To Declutter in January

Inside: Let’s kick off the year with 12 things to declutter in January! This declutter checklist is easy enough to build momentum and help you set the stage for a successful decluttering journey this year.

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Phew! We survived the holidays!

But if you’re anything like me, you probably feel a little overwhelmed by all the extra stuff that has made it’s way into your home.

Even after you take the tree down and put away all the holiday decor, it still seems like there is clutter everywhere!

Let’s change that!

January is a fantastic time to declutter your home and start the year fresh.

This year I will be sharing a dozen or so items to declutter in each month of the year.

By decluttering a little bit each month hopefully you’ll start to develop a habit to declutter and get to a point you’re even preventing clutter from entering your home in the first place. Imagine!

>> Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to download your free declutter checklist for January!

If you’d like even more guidance for what to declutter each day of the year, consider checking out the Decluttering Made Simple Calendar!

How to Start Decluttering in the New Year

Before you start decluttering, I first wanted to go over a simple process so that you don’t get overwhelmed and give up!

Step 1. Choose a place to start.

The awesome thing about these monthly decluttering checklists is that it chooses the task for the day for you! These tasks are bite-sized and should be doable to complete in 10 minutes.

Step 2. Clear a work surface.

You will need a little bit of space to work so it’s easier to sort what you’re working on.

Step 3. Gather 4 boxes or bags

Label with: trash, donate, undecided, and keep.

Step 4. Set a timer for 10 minutes.

The tasks in the checklist are purposely super small in order to not take over your life and most should be accomplished in 10 minutes. That being said, we all have different homes and levels of clutter, so certain areas may take longer for some people. And that is totally ok! Just take your time.

Step 5. Take everything out.

This can be super intimidating, but we are keeping this super small! This step allows you to evaluate the space, see what you have, and then start fresh in organizing the keepers.

Step 6. Going little by little, make a choice of which box or bag to put each item into.

Use the questions in this post as a guide.

Step 7. Take care of trash and donate boxes right away

Throw away trash and put donations in your car.

Step 8. Put the keep items back in the space!

Organize like with like. You may want to do a quick wipe with a rag while everything is out too!

When the timer goes off, you can either stop for the day and give yourself a high five! Or if you have the time, keep going!

12 Things To Declutter in January

Let’s start things off super simple for January! After all, we are still recovering from the holidays. This month we will focus on your own clothing plus a couple of tasks to “warm up” your decluttering muscle.

Set a timer for 10 minutes, pick an item from the list, and then hit the ground running!

• Start with low hanging fruit. This means to take a bag or box and go around your home, room by room. Grab anything that is trash, broken, or you otherwise know you don’t want, and throw it in the box. This is meant to be a super quick exercise so don’t over-think anything! If you start to hem and haw, skip the item and we will get to it when we go over that specific room or area.

• Kitchen Counters. I bet these have piles leftover from the holidays. Let’s clear those babies off and designate one space that you always try to keep clear.

• Sleepwear, including pajamas, robes, and slippers.

• Undergarments, including socks and tights.

• Tops, including t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, and dressy tops. Feel free to break these up in to separate days if you need!

• Bottoms, including shorts and long pants.

• Dresses and skirts.

• Athletic clothing, including bathing suits, shorts and t-shirts.

• Accessories, including scarves, bags, and belts.

• Shoes and boots.

• Jewelry.

• Winter weather clothes, including coats, hats, and mittens.

Keep Reading For More Decluttering Tips

Simplify Your Closet in 9 Steps

Benefits of Decluttering Your Home

5 Decluttering Challenges To Clear Out Your Clutter

Download Your Free Decluttering Checklist for January

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