Decluttering for the Over Thinker: A No-Bullsh*t Method to Clear the Chaos
Raise your hand if you've ever meant to declutter but got stuck overthinking every single item.
But what if I need this one day?
Should I sell it? Donate it? Keep it just in case?
What if I regret getting rid of it?
Should I do the Marie Kondo thing? Or that other method I saw on TikTok?
Meanwhile, the clutter stays exactly where it is. And your brain? Overloaded.
The truth is, decluttering isn’t hard because you’re lazy. It’s hard because your brain is doing too much thinking and not enough doing. So let’s cut the overthinking and get sh*t done.
No more rewriting the same to-do list. No more ‘I’ll do it next weekend.’
Step 1: Set a Timer and Trick Your Brain
Your brain is convinced decluttering is a huge task, which is why it keeps pushing it to ‘later’. The fix? Give it a time limit.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and tell yourself, I’m just doing a quick sweep. No big commitment, no all-day project. The goal is to build momentum, not perfection. You’ll be shocked at how much you can do once you start.
For those waiting for the 'right time'
Later turns into never more often than we realise. Progress starts with one small step today.
Step 2: The 5-Second Rule (No, Not for Food)
Overthinkers love to analyse every item. So let’s remove that obstacle. If it takes more than 5 seconds to decide what to do with something, it goes in the donate pile. No maybes. No ‘just in case’ piles. Trust your gut.
If you haven’t used it, worn it, or even thought about it in the last year, it’s not adding value to your life, it’s just adding clutter.
Step 3: The ‘One Box’ Hack
If you’re paralysed by the fear of regret (aka, ‘What if I need this later?’), try this:
Grab one box.
Put all your ‘not sure’ items inside.
Store it out of sight for 30 days.
If you don’t go looking for anything inside it by the end of the month? Donate it.
It’s a built-in safety net and a way to prove to yourself that you don’t actually need half the stuff you think you do.
Not every item needs a deep conversation. Sometimes it just needs to go.
Take the Clutter Cost Quiz and find out what you could really have hidden in those cluttered spaces!
Step 4: The Accountability Factor (Why You’ll Actually Follow Through This Time)
The problem isn’t just knowing how to declutter, it’s actually doing it. And let’s be honest, you’ve tried the ‘I’ll do it this weekend’ thing before.
That’s why accountability works. When someone else is expecting you to follow through, you’re way more likely to get things done.
This is exactly why I created Let’s Get Shit Done, a 4-week accountability coaching program for people who are sick of overthinking and ready to actually make progress.
If you want to finally clear the clutter (without spending hours agonising over every single item), come join us. Or if you need a little extra push to start, take the free Clutter Cost Quiz and see exactly how much your ‘stuff’ is costing you.
Either way, let’s get moving.