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Home » Organizing » Why Decluttering Isn’t Enough

01/14/2020 · 5 Comments

Why Decluttering Isn’t Enough

Organizing

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I’ve been writing this post in my head for a few years now. It started brewing in my mind when Marie Kondo’s book was gaining popularity.

I was excited that so many people were newly embracing a higher awareness of the impact of their home on their state of mind and energy level.

Clutter IS exhausting, whether it’s out in the open or hidden behind closed doors.

Cabinet full of documents to shred

However, as a part of that movement, I noticed a trend in my own blog posts.

Anything with decluttering in the title became more popular than posts with organizing in the title.

On one hand, that was great. The first step of making your home work better for you is getting rid of things that you don’t need. It’s never a bad idea to remove clutter.

But the decluttering process alone isn’t the way to bring more order to your house long-term.

The decluttering process alone isn’t the way to bring more order to your house long-term. Melissa George, Polished Habitat

How Do You Get Rid of Clutter for Good?

There’s a vital step that seems to be missing in most decluttering processes I see online. I’ve noticed a ton of articles with titles like How to Declutter Your Whole House in 5 Days.

The problem is that once you’ve gone through a pile, drawer, closet, or whole room removing what isn’t needed, there has to be a plan for what is left. That does take a little more time.

Navy walk-in closet with white shelves and purse storage

Let’s use the simple example of a closet.

Following a decluttering process will help reduce the number of clothes, shoes and accessories. And that’s a big win!

But if you stop there, it’s fairly likely you’ll be in the same position again sooner rather than later.

Instead, it’s time to organize what you have left!

Why You Should Organize After Decluttering

When are you more likely to waste money buying a duplicate black t-shirt?

When your 50 pieces of clothing are all mixed together and spread between drawers and hangers?
or
When you have 65 things, but each piece of clothing has a space, with short sleeve shirts always together in one spot?

Which causes more stress?

Ten pairs of shoes lined up by type on a shelf ?
or
Seven pairs mixed together in the pile on the floor?

Obviously the BEST case scenario would be fewer items, stored in an organized way, but I wanted some simple examples that demonstrate purging alone isn’t enough.

This organized master closet was a complete DIY project, with a little help from IKEA dressers as starting points. I love all the built-in organization! This is just HIS side, click to see HERS!

The Risk of Skipping Home Organization

Let’s be real. It’s bizarre that I’ve lost sleep over this issue of decluttering vs organizing.

But I have.

I’m naturally messy, which meant years of piles around the house, wasted time searching for things, and wasted money buying duplicates.

HOWEVER, I’ve also seen the powerful positive impact spending time really organizing our home and processes has had on my life.

Now that I’ve experienced the difference in how I FEEL when there is a simple system in place I want EVERYONE to have that same joy around their house.

My fear is that someone would spend time decluttering, only to have their piles return within weeks if not days.

And if that happened to me, I’d stop trying and never get to experience the lightened mental load that happens when your house is under control.

And THAT is why I’m an advocate of making sure your spaces truly get organized in a sustainable way, not just decluttered and tidied.


How to organize kitchen cabinets
This photo is a great example of why all decisions are personal. When I posted it originally, people said we should have decluttered and gotten rid of more of the baking dishes. Yet every Thanksgiving & Christmas, I use them all and still borrow at least one from my neighbor. Decluttering wasn’t the answer. Finding a way to store them in an organized manner was.

That’s not to say that organizing is a do it one time then you’re fixed forever process either. As your life changes over time, your possessions change and you have to be aware and adapt.

Or sometimes we just miss the mark and the system we thought would finally work for laundry leaves us with more dirty clothes than ever.

It happens, and all we have to do is be aware and try something new. There’s no failing with home organizing, it’s just figuring out what works and what doesn’t for YOU.

QUOTE: There's no failing with home organizing, it's just figuring out what works and what doesn't for YOU. - Melissa George, Polished Habitat

On that note, let’s take a look at the essential tips for organizing any space in your home.

Or if you’re mentally protesting that organizing is expensive or things still don’t stay organized, check out the top organizing myths instead.

MORE FROM POLISHEDHABITAT

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melissa

Melissa George

In 2013, Melissa founded Polished Habitat to share her passion for intersecting style and function to make everyday life more beautiful and less stressful. She does this by sharing easy home organization tips, home decor tutorials, and creative ideas to help readers think outside the box, no matter their budget. Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more. In 2018 & 2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, Polished Habitat was shortlisted for the Amara Blog Awards Best Interior Styling Blog - International. Read more...

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Comments

  1. RW says

    01/17/2020 at 11:36 am

    I would like to add that decluttering and organizing alone are not enough… in most cases I am aware that I have to add in routines and habits to keep the organized space in that shape. Without that it will just deteriorate again. And when I create a system to keep us organized, then it takes my attention until those routines and habits have developed enough that they are internalized and understood by everyone. It can’t just be left to sit there and grow stale. Or we end up not actually using the system, however well thought out it was when we created it. And everything just deteriorates again. Wrap-up of projects is necessary and maintenance is necessary. Those are two things – project phases? actions? — that have been lacking through a lot of my life and I have learned the lesson and am still trying to put them into place.

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      01/17/2020 at 11:38 am

      That is a great point and I 100% agree!

      Reply
  2. Stephanie says

    01/17/2020 at 6:05 pm

    Ditto the points made… Thank you for the comments on habits.

    Reply
  3. AmyJ says

    01/25/2020 at 1:39 pm

    THANK YOU!!! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought, “that’s great, I’ve gotten rid of tons of stuff I don’t need. Now what do I do with the rest of it?” (And to the previous commenter, also, “how do I get my husband to follow the new systems?” *Grins*) It’s so frustrating to have people say you should get rid of stuff you don’t use regularly, but DO use. Creative storage and organization are much more critical, to me.

    Reply
  4. i says

    06/12/2020 at 11:57 pm

    This is a good reminder for me. I have been great at organizing and storing everything-but so good at it that I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time. They are all good things, but too many good things. Great toys, great art supplies, great crafts, great books, great candles, and great decorations. 😉 It’s time to get better at keeping just enough and organize those in a way they can be easily accessed to be used and enjoyed!

    Reply

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Welcome!

In 2013, Melissa started Polished Habitat to share her skill of mixing decor & organization to add style & function to everyday life at home.

Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more.

In 2018 &  2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, she was also short-listed by the Amara Blog Awards for Interior Styling, International Division.

Need to reach Melissa?
Email: Melissa @ PolishedHabitat.com

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