When Decluttering Doesn’t Bring Visual Progress

If you’ve done much decluttering, you’re probably used to the classic, dramatic before and after transformations when you get rid of tons of items from a space. But what about when you don’t see that dramatic transformation? Visually you don’t see that any progress was made. It can be discouraging, but trust me that it’s not a sign of failure.

Episode Links:

Click here for the full episode transcript.

TASHA’S OFFICE SHELVES

I recently experienced this when I decluttered my office shelves. On my shelves are baskets and those baskets had gotten stuffed full of stuff, so I sat down and decluttered.

And here’s the thing, when you look at the shelves, they look almost exactly the same as they did before I decluttered the baskets. It’s not a very inspiring before and after.

In this case, it’s because of the baskets, but there are so many reasons that you may encounter this.

CHOOSE VISUAL SPACES

Make sure you start with visual spaces, spaces that are going to make a really big difference, because that is what builds momentum.

Dawn Madsen from The Minimal Mom says that momentum is better than motivation. The thing that is going to make you want to do it is having already done it. It’s going to be the momentum and seeing the progress that you’ve made.

So choose spaces that you see and interact with every single day. This doesn’t mean it can’t be behind a closed door or cabinet, but it needs to be a door or cabinet that you’re opening every day.

HIDDEN SPACES BRING STRESS, TOO

Maybe you’ve already worked on all the visual spaces, and you’ve come to the more hidden spaces. First, recognize that these hidden spaces do still bring stress and mental weight.

Decluttering these spaces will still have a positive impact. Your effort is still completely worthwhile and contributing to a lifestyle of less stress and more peace.

CELEBRATE WHAT’S BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SPACE

If you do have something like my office shelves where the space looks the same after decluttering, celebrate how much stuff you have removed from the space.

Instead of taking a picture of the shelves before and after I decluttered them, maybe I would take a picture of the empty floor and then the floor with a trash bag of stuff and a pile of donations.

WEIRD SPACES

Most of us have a weird space in our homes where we aren’t really sure how to work with the space. They may never be Pinterest perfect, and we have to get a little creative.

Look to see if there is anything you can do to the space. Is it dark and cramped? Can you paint it a lighter color? Could you put less baskets in there? Sometimes fewer things in a space will help it look less cluttered.

WHEN THERE’S NOT A LOT TO REMOVE

Another reason you may not see visual progress is because there’s not a lot to be removed from the space. You actually use everything you have there.

That’s a sign that the space was already decluttered. You might have innately already been curating that collection of items to be only things you love.

But it can come as a surprise when you’ve been doing the work of decluttering and there’s only three things to remove from the space. It’s still worth celebrating that quick win!

So, even if there are just a few things to declutter, it’s still worth doing. By being consistent you’re preventing a big clutter problem from popping up later.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

What if you’ve decluttered and what you’re left with are things you need and use everyday, but it still feels cramped. That can be frustrating. It may be time to think outside the box.

Is there anywhere else you could keep something? Is there another space you’ve decluttered where you now have extra space?

Is there another way to store items in that space? Can you put things in baskets? Is there a way to take advantage of vertical space?

RECONSIDER A MAYBE ITEM

Something else to consider when you have a space that looks more cramped than you’d like, was there anything you put back into the space that was a “maybe” item? Now might be the time to consider if you definitely want to keep it.

There’s no right or wrong. You don’t have to get rid of more things, but if you are in this situation, it probably means you want that decluttered space and the breathing room, so that might be motivation for you to declutter a few more items.

RESULTS AREN’T ALWAYS DRAMATIC

Remember that decluttering is not always going to bring a dramatic before and after of visual progress. It doesn’t mean you did it wrong. It might just be the nature of the space.

Even if you aren’t seeing visual progress, it is still absolutely worth decluttering those spaces. As I said before, you’re preventing clutter overwhelm down the road.

Decluttering is something you’ll come back to over and over again, but next time, there will be less stuff to take out of the space. But things are always coming into our home, so there will always be something to declutter!

Don’t become discouraged if you’re not seeing huge visual progress. Trust that you are now doing the work of maintaining your spaces and keeping them decluttered for the long haul. You’re protecting your peace and the peace in your home.