#29: I'm done decluttering, now what? -

I'm done decluttering, now what?

EPISODE 29

by Dianne Jimenez

This article takes 24 minutes to read

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I’M DONE DECLUTTERING, NOW WHAT?

In this episode you’ll learn about the awesome place to be AFTER you’ve decluttered, and that’s the realm of organizing. Beware! The answer isn’t always that 1 cool tool or organizing system you see on social media and Pinterest. Before adding to your cart, listen to this episode where you’ll learn:

What to do after any decluttering project, regardless how big or small
The rule and habit to have so you don’t go back to how it was before, and finally
The thought process I use when organizing any space

*****

Welcome back!

I’m very excited to be back here after a wonderful, family-filled, activity hopping, lazy day marathon and a whole-lotta-eating holiday season! Even though it was a time for rest and relaxation, part of my brain was still in content mode. Meaning my radar was ON for the next bit of valuable content I can create and share with you. Wait, who am I kidding? My brain’s always ON for this sort of stuff. Friend, I always have you in mind, thinking:

How can I make your organizing journey as a parent, easier, less overwhelming and bite-sized?
What can I provide to help inspire, motivate and even educate my audience; On how to manage the to-do lists, decluttering and teaching the kids?

All this to say is I’m SO happy you’re here because today’s episode is a good one. Being the first one of the new year, I wanted to start it off right: with a vision. Now before I go any further, if you haven’t listened to the previous episode, #28: ‘Why we struggle to declutter’, which ties into today’s episode. So if you’ve been contemplating about decluttering or you’re started but it doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere, have a listen to episode #28. For reference, I’ll link that in today’s show notes so you can grab it right after one. Or pause this one and listen to episode #28. Then come back to this one because, remember how I said earlier that I wanted to start this year off with a vision? Well, what if that vision was the OTHER side of decluttering?

Make ‘decluttering’ the word of the year

Friend, 2023 is THE YEAR to put your foot down and declutter all the excess, the stuff that’s been sitting there for years and not being used or cared for at all. It’s the items that no longer serve you and getting these out of your house once and for all. In this episode I take you to what the other side of that giant decluttering hurdle can look like. So if you’ve been meaning to start but kept pushing it to the bottom of your to-do list because you’re waiting for some kind of motivation. Or you’re deep into decluttering you but can’t see the light. Or, despite your efforts in trying to declutter, whether it’s the toys, your clothes, a collection no one’s maintaining, or half-done projects that have been sitting there for years, this episode is for you!

Reading a review!

Before we start, I want to give a shout out to 1 listener who left me a great review. Lynda M. wrote the following :

This podcast is a life saver. As a parent of 2 kids and running a business full time getting one’s house tidy is quite challenging. It is important to notice that after the whole day going up and down, getting home to a tidy environment is a must to decompress. Dianne does a really great breakdown and steps to take to address the clutter in the house. The content is comprehensive and practical. After just a few episodes it really helped me understand how to approach the clutter in the house all taking into account my very busy schedules. I could write a whole essay about everything I learned thus far, but I strongly suggest anyone going through the same issue to give Dianne’s podcast a try. You will be in for a treat and wealth of information when it comes to organizing your place.

Thank you SO much Lynda for the time you took out of your busy schedule to write your awesome review of my podcast. It means the world to me knowing I’m helping you tackle the clutter, all the while balancing it out with parenthood and everything else! So if you’re in more or less the same boat as Lynda – I’d love to know how my podcast, or an episode in particular, is helping you in your organizing and parenting journey.

Want to go from 'drowning' to peace of mind?

How to leave a review

Not sure how to leave a review? Well if you’re an Apple user, it’s simple, go to iTunes or Apple podcast and find the Parenting Guide: Organizing Habits Made Easy podcast. Once you’re there, click on Ratings and review, then click on Write a review.

And for my fellow Android peeps, you can TOTALLY write a review as well! I searched it up because I wasn’t too sure if it was at all possible, and it is! There’s just a TINY extra step to do, but it’s totally free. And that’s to download the iTunes app on Windows or on your device. From there, search my podcast, tap on Ratings and review, then click on Write a review and you’re good to go!

I can’t wait to give you a shout out, like I did for Lynda, and shower you with lots of virtual love for taking the time and telling me your thoughts about my podcast.

Episode #29: I’M DONE DECLUTTERING, NOW WHAT?

Alright, so let’s get to today’s episode because if you’re anything like me, when it comes to doing actual work, I like to know what it all entails: the good, the bad, the ugly and especially what the dreamy future can look like! Oftentimes when we can envision our goals, it gets us moving and taking action. So you’d be stepping further away from drowning in clutter, running late, not being able to find your things or feeling frazzled all the time, and so on. Imagine if tidying up the house takes minutes and can get done by ANYONE, not just by you… Ahhh! It’s like a really heavy weight being lifted from our mind. Less clutter just allows us to have clearer thoughts and room to breathe.

It’s like freedom.

Freedom in a sense that you can TAKE your time. You now have the ability to focus on what you’re doing, move at a slower pace and have less mommy brain moments throughout your day. If you can take a few seconds to just imagine that life right now, rewind the track 15 seconds if you need to. But just let that sink in for a moment. Can you feel what the other side of decluttering a space, a room or an entire house is like? It feels like freedom.

So, if you take anything away from this episode, keep that vision or that feeling of freedom in mind. Now let’s get started. You’re listening to episode #29: “I’m done decluttering, now what?”

Celebrate The Wins After Decluttering

As a former cheerleader and silver-lining kind of gal, you know I’m typically seeing in Technicolor. Did I just date myself or what? Do people still say that? Anyway, what I’m trying to illustrate here is that we all know how much time, energy, emotions, sweat and a lot of hard work decluttering demands. Put it this way, after going through a roller coaster ride, isn’t the talk and chatter with friends after you stepped off that ride, one of the best parts of the experience? I mean, not every ride is amazing but just going over it again with your friends or kissing the ground because it’s all over, marks the end of the whole experience, doesn’t it? So why not toast this massive decluttering journey with a little celebration?

Let’s start from the beginning…

First off, taking on the decision to declutter, which I hope you do this year, is often a project that evokes many emotions and feelings such as overwhelm, anxiety, and fear. No doubt, it can be daunting and intimidating at first. Then frustrating and back to overwhelm, especially when you’re in the thick of it. I know, I’m painting a lovely picture aren’t I? But in most homes, decluttering is what’s often needed and it’s not easy to go through, let alone start. However, the results are life changing. I’ll explain more in a bit.

find out how families with 3+ kids tackle the beast: laundry!

So while we’re chipping away at all the excess, the unnecessary stuff and the ‘no longer used’ type-of items, there are some areas that are a breeze to go through, right? Like anything outdated, broken, missing the other pair or set, things that are outgrown and aged out. While others can take days, weeks and even months to tackle. Whether it’s decluttering a small corner or emptying out a drawer filled with old clothes to take to Goodwill. Or calling companies like Got Junk! to haul out all the things you no longer need, use, or have space in your home, or life for. For every bag or trunk load of stuff you just let go of, you did it! Congratulations on being one step closer towards inner peace!

Decluttering decreases the mental load

I know I might sound like a broken record here or a relentless coach. But it’s important to acknowledge these accomplishments. Whether they’re big or small, taking that win will build momentum for the next decluttering sessions. Or even the next phase in the whole home organizing journey, like getting that new built-in from decluttering the piles of old books, National Geographics, the dusty decorations and half-finished projects that were taking up the length of an entire wall.

Remember: decluttering can take anywhere between a few minutes to several months, maybe even years. But after each session, the daunting and intimidating feelings you had initially seem to disappear over time. They’re then replaced with feelings of lightness and give you a sense of clarity. That alone is huge and a cause to celebrate, don’t you think?

In fact, every time you declutter, it’s actually changing your life for the better! If you’ve ever decluttered any space in your home already, you know that feeling of lightness, like I mentioned earlier.

It’s like the weight from years of indecisions that got you to living IN clutter, is now LESS heavy.

They say that with action comes more clarity. So once you’ve created space both physically in your home and mentally in your mind, that just gives you so much more room to breathe, move around, and even THINK! And these are just a few examples of the benefits of decluttering!

Friend, celebrating all the wins automatically boosts our confidence thus driving us to move forward and push through the piles of delayed decisions and see yourself on the other side: which is clarity, empowerment and peace. So pat yourself on the back, give you and yours a big high-five or even treat yourself because you deserve it!

Organizing is dynamic

Now that being said, the decluttering portion doesn’t end after that last bag is donated or tossed in the trash. To be honest, it’s just the beginning of a new way of living. Now don’t be afraid here. Trust me, this is a good thing and a great place to be. As you know, and I’ve mentioned this before in previous episodes, organizing is dynamic. As we live through this life, change is inevitable. For instance, our tastes in style or décor can change. Therefore, out goes the old clothes or sofa, like it did in our case, and in comes something that fits our taste and lifestyle today. The peaks and valleys this life offers, also causes us to change the way we move, live, go to work, and even who we spend our time with.

The pandemic was a great example here. We were required to stay home thus forcing us to look inwards, in our own home and our relationships. While I’m not going to get into the relationship part, spending more time at home resulted in a bigger possibility for change. Now I’m talking about the way we live, what we use every day and basically how our house looked and felt.

My Secret Sauce for setting the kids up for success

Decluttering is dynamic

There’s a reason the price of materials jumped since the pandemic. Everybody was renovating, updating and repairing something in and around their home. So with just the structure of our house along with regular life changes, I mentioned before, this validates the whole concept of organizing being dynamic. In the grand scheme of things, our organizing systems move with the change in our lifestyle and life stage. So, since organizing involves decluttering. Then decluttering, itself, is also ongoing.

Now based on this, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of decluttering our space on a regular basis. Whether this is a weekly thing or something you do every day. The important thing here is that it’s part of a routine.

To emphasize, decluttering at this point doesn’t always mean getting rid of stuff, no. Remember how I said earlier, this is a good place to be when we only have the stuff we use regularly, love and need? Well, it’s less likely that you’ll be donating stuff every single week at this point of the organizing journey. I mean, it COULD happen down the road when things have been outgrown, yes. But right now, at this stage of the process, after the massive decluttering you already did, this type of decluttering is mainly keeping the place tidy every day. And the beautiful part here is that tidying up can take seconds to just under 15 minutes.

“But Dianne, I have 1 kid and he’s like a tornado, every room in the house is affected. Decluttering’s impossible!”.

I get it and let’s be real too: Accessibility and the number of people using the space in a given time frame can yield a bigger mess to clean, maybe even beyond 15 minutes. True. Think of a frat house after a couple of hours…

This just tells you, first off is everyone having access to everything all the time a disaster waiting to happen? Or will having rules and setting boundaries need to be implemented? And secondly, in order to tidy up quickly, it must be a shared task; Especially if more than 1 person is contributing to the mess.

The One Rule To Maintain It All After Decluttering

So the majority of the decluttering is done and you’re basically left with the things you need, love and use. How do we maintain it all so we don’t go back to how it was before? Well before, it was as though there was a sign at the door that said “yes to all”. And that meant “yes” to all the things coming in the house; “yes” to things not being put back in their homes (do they even have one?); “yes” to all decisions being pushed to the back of our minds about what to do with everything until there’s more time to think about what to do with them!

Funny enough, this reminds me of that old movie with Jim Carey, Bruce Almighty; When he plays God for a bit. The issue was he couldn’t turn off all the prayers he’s been hearing and coming in by email by the millions. Because he just couldn’t deal with it all, he simply typed in the 3 words: “yes to all” and hit ‘enter’. You can imagine the very different world it was when EVERYONE got what they wished and prayed for. It (the world) was chaotic and unrecognizable.

Don’t go back to the way it was before decluttering

And that’s something you don’t want your home to become or go back to again, right? So what can you do at this point? It’s simple really. And this is the best part because now, you’ll feel like you’re on top of everything. You know that feeling when you see another parent and say, ‘man, she looks like she has her poop together?’ or maybe you’re that parent who others admire. But this time, you really DO have your poop together because you apply the ‘1 in 1 out’ rule when it comes to items that normally accumulate in your home. A great example of this are kids toys.

3 things to establish now before losing your s#!t later on (during the school year)

With all the birthdays, holidays, fun days, special days, ‘good job’ days and happy meal days, the amount of toys and trinkets that come into the house is enough to start a little toy boutique ourselves. It can get really overwhelming and totally out of hand. So this is what I do when my kids ask to get stuff from the store. And I say this to all the parents I talk to, that have this dilemma and they don’t know HOW to say ‘no’.

Let them make the decision

If they want, for example, a toy I’ll turn around and say: ’OK. Which toy of equal size, or little toys that equal that size and value, will you get rid of?’ If they can’t think of any, I’ll list a few of them that I think are good to let go of.

From there, you’ll see their mind race. Consider the exchange and maybe even say ‘yes’ to your plan. But the parent in me also doesn’t really want to spend more money (because, hello! – the holidays JUST past or your bday was not too long ago (or coming up), or did you see your room lately?? Do you don’t need more stuff?!!? Right) I’ll say ‘Fine but just know: this toy equals a certain amount of money. Is there something other than your regular chores or tasks that you can do extra that equals the cost of this toy?’

Now, you know your kid. This part of the conversation may be lost on most young kids. it’s possible, you might have gotten them at the exchange part, I don’t know your situation. But test it out. The important thing here and what I want to make clear, is that you’re including THEM in the decision of things coming into the house. For instance, these are things they have to make room for, not only in their space but in their life to take care of. This conversation alone can get them to see things in a whole new light..

When kids want toys they see at the store (after you’ve decluttered)

Often telling them “Hey, let’s put this decision on pause for now until you can decide what to let go of. We KNOW where this toy is and where they sell it.’ By the way, I have a notes app on my phone with a list of the kids’ toy requests on it: what they are and from where. They’ve seen me create it so they know it’s there. So far, months later, no one has brought the toys up at the store. We’ve even been there again and again, yet there has been no requests at all from their list. I’ve EVEN held up the toy for one kid and said “Hey remember this guy?” and I’ll barely get an eyebrow raised or just get a ‘meh’.

So this is why I believe just by including them, having a conversation as you would any adult you’re negotiating with – but using language they understand is SO important for their development, decision-making skills and communication. Stuff they’ll need in life. Also, I encourage you to test the note-taking app for their requests. If they remember and still want it, months down the road, you can negotiate with them then.

OK. I know I went off a little from our topic but it’s not so off because these situations WILL happen and you will need to arm yourself with what to say and do. So building boundaries is crucial for maintaining a clutter-free home. This alone, has multiple, positive ripple effects for you, your family and when the kids become adults.

Ok, let’s move on to…

My Thought Process When I Start Organizing Any Space After Decluttering

1.Observe

If it’s a room that was just decluttered, I take some time to observe the way we move in that area. And what I mean by time, is that it’s not a weekend or even a week. In essence, we have to LIVE in the space to really see how we use it. Therefore stepping back, once in a while, and evaluating if we’re being efficient with our time or not, is needed.

Free training: "How to find time in a busy schedule"

What are the kids’ tendencies in a space?

For instance, in the summer time I encourage the kids to put on sunscreen before we head to the pool and then after sun lotion at the end of the day. One year, I had all the bottles lined up along the bathroom counter for easy access. This also included the regular hand cream and body lotions too. Now, with many hands using this space and items available, putting them all back in an orderly fashioned way like I did at the beginning of the season, was highly unlikely..

So after a few weeks, or maybe even near the end of the summer, I went and got a clear plastic container from the dollar store and put all the bottles neatly inside. This way, the bottles had a little home and it was obvious to everyone where the bottles go after use. It’s right there! From that point on and every summer after that, there were no more bottles of lotion and sunscreen all over the counter.

To emphasize, when organizing your space, whether it’s a room, a corner, a shelf, etc. consider the flow. I ask ‘What’s the most natural thing to do in this space, what are the tendencies when performing the activities required in this space?’ In other, less fancy words: how do people normally move in this space when they’re performing xyz activity?

What are the kids’ typical behaviors when they come home?

Another example of observing first, is when the kids come home from school. They usually drop their bags at the entrance of the kitchen and head for the snacks. Now, if I want them to have healthy snacks, these need to be at eye level and easy to grab. So, I’ll place the Tupperware of cut veggies at their eye level. If they want to grab a drink, their cups have been in a lower cabinet since they were small (they haven’t moved yet so they’re OK where they’re located for now until they all grow out of the plastic cups). And the proteins are within reach: the natural peanut butter on the fridge door, cheese packs separated and stacked in the dairy drawer, mixed nuts (if we have) in the pantry at their hip level.

Is this a shared space?

And a final example is when my daughter’s doing her hair. The hair accessories, products and tools are all on the same side of our vanity; Which is also on the same side as the outlet. We all share the one bathroom so others can still do their stuff while she’s doing her hair because she’s just on one side of the vanity. It’s a little tight now that the kids are growing but at least while she’s doing her hair, another can be washing their face or brushing their teeth from the same counter.

2. Where can I work?

When I’m about to organize a space, I have to consider my working zone. Can I work in the same room? Or do I have to use another room that has more space? For example: the dining room table, using the bed or work from the floor. Wherever it is, as long as I have some room to move and be able to separate my categories, I’m OK. IF space is really tight, using what you have at home helps.

A great example of this is placing a scrap piece of paper and labeling my groups by category. The benefit here is that if I have a client with me, they too know where things go during the sorting phase so it makes things go faster. Or, when I come back to the project after some time, I know how to reorient myself because everything’s clearly labeled.

Another great strategy, on top of labeling, is to use whatever container or bin you have to hold these sorted items together. When you’re tight for space, take advantage of the vertical space by stacking these bins on top of one another while you work. Although this isn’t an ideal situation and may be a little slower, it (stacking) does help a lot in getting the job done.

Stay on track with laundry & tips to getting the kids involved

3. Plan of action

So before I even start, I have to make a quick mental image of my plan of action. Am I tackling 1 small section, a couple of drawers or 1 side of the room? Also, from where am I starting? There are so many other questions but these are my main ones. Next, let’s not forget about ‘time’. A common question that often comes to mind is: How long will this take?

For many, this is a big deterrent to NOT even start the project. And my answer to this is from a quote by John F. Kennedy: “If not us, who? If not now, when?”. I know not being ready to organize something is a valid reason. However, if you know something will take time but it’s WORTH doing because life will be so much better, easier and less stressful, etc. Or that by taking on this project it’ll help decrease the chaos, then why not make the time for it?

Time blocking (making time for decluttering)

If you’re thinking, ‘Dianne, how do I make time with a very busy schedule? My kids have activities, I come home late from work, then there’s homework, I gotta deal with supper and then bedtime. I’m also part of a committee and volunteer, there’s just not enough time!” I hear you my friend. I hear you.

When I launched the Parenting Guide: Organizing Habits Made Easy podcast back in February 2021, I wanted the first episode to be one that helped my audience right away. So if time is not on your side and you WANT to tackle an organizing project this year, have a listen to my podcast episode #1: 5 Steps To Finding Time In A Busy Schedule. Thus, you can grab the link in today’s show notes or head to diannejimenez.com/podcast1 after this episode. And when you DO go through this mini training, shoot me a message on Instagram with the project you have in mind. You can find me at 1TidyPlace. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Take the path with least resistance

So, once I’ve picked the area that I want to organize or reorganize, I tend to go the less-likely-to-overwhelm-me route and that is to go section by section, just like the sorting and decluttering phase. For sure, I may need to open other drawers and cabinets and maybe mess up those sections a little as I work on the 1 section I chose. But if you haven’t heard it before, I’ll say it again: Whenever you organize, it’ll always get uglier before it gets pretty.

And finally, step 4 of My Thought Process When I Start Organizing Any Space After Decluttering is,

4. Communicate

Now depending on what I’m organizing, everyone will know about it. If it’s my own personal things, I don’t always say. Unless, someone happens to ask why I’m deep under the stairs reading old high school letters and old birthday cards. (I’ve tossed all of those out, by the way). Regardless, if there’s a project happening, everyone’s in the know. Then afterward, they certainly get a tutorial of the new, re-vamped system.

Reason being is that 1) teaching them how to organize is just necessary in life. 2) When they know where things are and how they work, the less I have to do for them. As a result, the more confident and self-sufficient they become. It’s a win-win!

I hope you enjoyed this episode! As well, you got some insight and a glimpse of what life can be like AFTER the big decluttering is done. And that even inspired you to keep going or even START!

Where to connect with me

In case you were wondering, I’d love to know where you’re at in your organizing journey. Just shoot me a message on Instagram or Facebook under 1tidyplace. I can’t wait to show you some virtual love!

Just a reminder, I’ll see you back here in 2 Thursdays. That’s February 2nd! Because I’ve got stuff I’m working on behind the scenes right now. Hence the bi-weekly schedule. Alright my friend, THANK YOU for allowing me to be part of your day today. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I loved creating it for you. Have a wonderful rest of the week. Take care!

Referenced in this episode

#28: ‘Why we struggle to declutter’
GotJunk!
#1: 5 Steps To Finding Time In A Busy Schedule
Let’s connect on Facebook and/or on Instgram