These concepts are often used together but they are not the same.
You can declutter without organizing…but that’s no fun
You can organize without decluttering…but most people will struggle with this
Not everyone needs to declutter. If this is true in your space, well lucky you! Most people will benefit from a good declutter.
Decluttering is the process of getting rid of unnecessary or unwanted items in a space. It involves sorting through your belongings, deciding what to keep, what to discard and what to pass on for someone else to love. Your goal is to simply reduce the amount of stuff in a space and create more room and less visual distraction.
On the other hand, Organizing is the process of arranging and putting things in order. It’s the stage where you can create systems to store and display your belongings in a way that make them easy to find, easy to store and easy to use. Your goal is to maximize your space, reduce clutter and create a functional and aesthetically pleasing environment.
For most, decluttering is the clear first step in your organizing journey. Sorting through your stuff can feel daunting. It’s making a lot of decisions. It’s taking the time to weigh an item’s usefulness and value to your life. This stage is often where people get stuck. We can get caught up on if the item is actually useful to us. Useful to who we are now. Or we can get stuck on the monetary value of the item and struggle to part ways because of how much we spent instead of if it’s bringing value to our lives.
Keeping something does not make it valuable – using something does.
The focus should be in creating a highly functional, low maintenance space. It’s simply easier to do this with less stuff.
Take the time to declutter. Be tough. Who are you today? What do you do in your space? What do you need to make that happen? Honour yourself and your space. Make sure the items that are taking up valuable real estate in your home are earning their keep. It is quite satisfying to open closets and drawers and not have them bursting.
When you’ve made the hard decisions, then the fun begins – you can organize! This is where you can use the labeled bins or pretty baskets that you’ve pinned on your Pinterest boards. You can create simple systems so that your items are easy to find and look neat as well. You will save time and money with an organized space!
Declutter and organize. Declutter or organize. Whatever works for you but make it amazing!
Life is Messy 