Need to declutter fast? Try this.

What happens when you need to declutter fast? Like if you are having guests over next week, tomorrow, or even this afternoon!?

The traditional way of decluttering isn’t going to work for you when you need to declutter fast. It’s too time consuming.

Opening a closet and deciding what to keep, toss or donate takes a lot of mental energy.

And when life is busy we don’t always have that mental energy to spare.

But with Christmas just around the corner, you may find yourself needing to declutter fast.

So what’s the best way of doing a speed declutter?

I suggest something I call the “reverse declutter”.

The Fastest Way to Declutter – a “Reverse Declutter”

This is a more organised version of a panic clean. If you find yourself running around picking up items and shoving them anywhere they’ll fit, then this is the perfect method for you.

If you simply don’t have time for decluttering then this is also for you.

Instead of giving through your possessions one by one and deciding what to keep, sell or toss, we reverse the process and start with the space you have and how you want it to look.

What does that mean?

Fast Decluttering in Practice – Decluttering a Bookshelf

Say your bookshelf is in a mess. There may be photos in front of the books, other books laid on top of the rows or nicknacks that don’t belong.

You want to get this bookshelf sorted quickly, so you don’t have time to go through and make a decision on each item.

So here is what to do:

First of all, consider how you would ideally like this bookshelf to look. 

Do you want it to be primarily for storage, or would you like it to be decorative?

Do you prefer to have items on view, or is it more calming for you to have them hidden away?

Now grab a cardboard box big enough to fit at least half of the items from the bookshelf.

Once you have decided on your vision take everything off the shelves and stack it nearby. And while your shelves are empty, give them a good clean.

Then pick up your items one at a time, asking yourself these key questions:

• “Do I want to be looking at this item daily?”
• “Does this belong on my ideal bookshelf?”
• “Does this reflect who I am and who I want to be?”

If the answer to these 3 questions is “yes” then put the item back on the shelf.

If the answer is “no” then put it in the box. No need to evaluate right now what needs to happen to it in the long term. It just goes in the box, that’s all.

Do this quickly. Remember, this is a quick declutter and not a final decision on what to do with everything.

Keep taking a step back and taking an objective look at the shelf. Does it look the way you want it to? Do these items serve and uplift you?

Once you have put back only the items that you really want on the shelf, you will be left with a box of stuff that did not make the cut.

There are a few options for dealing with this box.

• Immediately select the items to be donated, stored elsewhere or thrown out. This takes time, so if you don’t have time now, try this instead:
• Clearly label the box with it’s contents and today’s date. Then store it wherever you have room to get it out of the way.
• Put a date in your diary to deal with the box. 

TA DA! You have done it. In just a few minutes you have moved from having a cluttered bookshelf to a neat, organised one that looks the way you want it to.

Doesn’t that feel good? You are guest ready with just a few minutes of decluttering work.

This is a great way of trying out living a more minimal lifestyle without the irreversible commitment of getting rid of things.

You can see whether you are comfortable without the things that you’ve removed or whether you miss any and want them back.

And If you’ve packed up something you need, you have a clearly labelled box to go to to get it from.

However, I am willing to bet that you’ll rarely, if at all, go to retrieve items from this box.

So what happens to the items you have boxed up?

So now you have boxed up the items that don’t fit with your ideal vision for your bookshelf and you are trying out living with your curated selection for a while.

Remember that this is just the first step in the process.

When that review date rolls around, make sure that you pull out the box and deal with it. 

At this point there are a few things you could do:

• Donate the whole box without even opening it. If you haven’t missed it’s contents chances are you never will, so just donate the whole lot.
• If you are not brave enough to donate the whole thing, open it up and edit. Remember, you haven’t needed these things though. So think carefully about choosing to keep any of them. 

Now that you have had a bit of time without these extra items it should be a lot easier to make the decision whether to donate or sell these unneeded items.

Keep going through other areas of your home and applying the same method. This may well be the quickest, easiest and most effective method of decluttering that there is.

Are you ready to try this with the rest of your house? You may enjoy this story from Ryan Nicodemus, in which he describes how he simplified his home overnight with a packing party. In it he describes his struggles before discovering minimalism, and how he used an extreme version of the reverse declutter to declutter fast.

Here are a few key points to watch out for with this reverse decluttering method:

• Only do this if you are willing to deal with the boxed up stuff later. Otherwise you are just creating more clutter.
• Make a commitment not to add anything to the area you’ve just decluttered until you’ve gone through and dealt with the box. Otherwise you may quickly be back to square one, but with an extra box of clutter.

Will you try this? I’d love to know how you get on. Comment below.

Could you do with some personalised help? Drop me a message to find out about my declutter coaching. You’ll find it an affordable way to get customised support and accountability on your decluttering journey. I look forward to hearing from you!