When I first started my decluttering journey, I needed a lot of motivation to declutter because I had so much stuff!
To make things more interesting, my husband and I were also in the process of selling our home and downsizing, so I really had to declutter my stuff!
Thanks to online resources, books, and helpful YouTubers, I was able to consistently find decluttering motivation that helped me persevere and successfully declutter enough to fit into our new home.
I know I’m not alone in needing the motivation to declutter. I know there are many women saying that they have no motivation to declutter, but they really want to.
I’ve been there, too, so I’m sharing all of my favorite resources, tips, and tricks with you in this post.
Honestly, finding the motivation to declutter and organize is easier than ever before, thanks to the abundance of ideas and resources available. You’ll find all the decluttering motivation you need to be included in this post!
I don’t believe in short-term declutter motivation, so included at the end of this post are ways to stay motivated for long-term decluttering success.
Questions you might be asking about finding to motivation to declutter that this post covers include:
1 // How do I get motivated to declutter or purge?
2 // How do I find the motivation to declutter when overwhelmed?
3 // How do I get the motivation to get rid of stuff?
4 // How do I get the motivation to declutter before moving?
5 // How can I declutter my house quickly?
6 // How do I find the motivation to keep decluttering?
Now that you know all that you’re going to find within this post, let’s dive into all the ways you can find and keep your declutter motivation!
How to find the motivation to declutter
YouTube Videos
This is the best place to find motivation when you really want to tackle any decluttering project because you get to see other people declutter their messes.
They make you feel like you’re not alone and that decluttering is achievable for even your worst clutter.
Natalie Bennett has one of the best playlists for decluttering motivation because she not only clears out a lot of clutter, she also shows you that it is a process.
You may not get to where you want to be the first time you declutter, and that is okay!
For other declutter video inspiration, check out my Free Minimalism Resources. It includes several YouTube videos!
Listen to music that makes you want to move/take action
There is nothing more empowering than listening to music that pumps up your spirits! Here is a list of songs that I personally love using when I need motivation to declutter or anything really.
[Each link takes you to a lyric video so that you aren’t only pumped when you listen to them, but you will also know all the words to sing along with them!]
Hall of Fame by The Script
Firework by Katy Perry
Fight Song by Rachel Platten
Brave by Sara Bareilles
Rise Up by Andra Day
Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
Let It Go by Idina Menzel
The Climb by Miley Cyrus
Overcomer by Mandisa
Bulletproof by Citizen Way
I’d love to know if you have any songs that get you pumped to take action that I didn’t include. Leave it for me in the comments so that I can check it out, too!
Start with a very easy decluttering win
Find a space that would give you a big win in a short amount of time, whether it be five minutes or thirty.
The faster your decluttering win occurs, the easier it is to find the motivation to declutter even more!
I suggest your entrance landing spot. You know, the spot where you drop the mail, flyers, keys, etc.
Getting this spot decluttered will help improve your mood as you enter your home and feel like you’re in control, which is always a nice feeling when it comes to the order of your home.
Clean off horizontal surfaces
There is hardly anything more satisfying than cleaning off horizontal surfaces. Having clear countertops is not only appealing to the eye, but it also makes your home feel larger.
It gives you the ability to breathe easier, and that is contagious!
You’ll definitely want to continue decluttering once you have your horizontal surfaces clear.
Determine WHY it is important to declutter
As humans, we are naturally comfortable with not taking action. [Hence why I’m sharing all the ways I find my motivation to declutter my home.]
What helps us take action is knowing WHY we need to take action. So WHY is decluttering your home important to you?
Here are several reasons WHY having a decluttered home is important to me:
1 // It helps me have a clear mind.
2 // My home feels spacious and inviting.
3 // Things are easy to find.
4 // Cleaning is easier and faster.
5 // I don’t have to rummage through things I don’t want/need/use to get to what I do want/need/use.
I could list several more reasons WHY decluttering is important to me, but I imagine just thinking of these five reasons has your mind ready to take action!
Set a timer
When you set a timer, you’re automatically increasing your decluttering speed. Seeing how much you can get done in an allotted amount of time is motivating on its own.
I recommend you set a timer for 30 minutes, but if you don’t have 30 minutes, anything is better than nothing. I promise you’ll be surprised at the amount of things you can declutter in any allotted amount of time.
Host an event and plan to declutter before it
Hosting an event is a great way to get decluttered because you not only have a set amount of time to declutter, but you’re also expecting company inside of your home, which is incredibly motivating!
I encourage you to not just stuff things into spaces because that distracts you when entertaining guests. [I know because I’ve been there.]
Check out my post about decluttering for unexpected company.
Use the Declutter Your Home Workbook to guide you
It is far easier to declutter when you have a guide to show you the way, which is why I created the Declutter Your Home Workbook!
This workbook walks you through every step and includes all of my tips and tricks to help you identify what you can get rid of easily!
Get 75% off the Declutter Your Home Workbook now and get your home decluttered!
Imagine a clutter-free home, then make a plan to bring that vision to life
Imagining your home clutter-free is powerful and motivational!
Imagine the space you create, everything having a home, things being easy to find. It is a beautiful picture to paint in your mind, wouldn’t you agree?
Take the image you create and let it motivate you to take action!
Establish a reward system
There are two reward systems I recommend that will motivate you to declutter your things.
1 // When I declutter XYZ, I’ll get ABC reward.
This is a smaller reward system that will help you not procrastinate.
For example: When I declutter my nightstand, I’ll get to read my book.
Another example: When I declutter my bedroom, I’ll get a massage.
Both examples highly motivate me to take action, and I know they will do the same for you!
2 // The end result is the reward
This reward system helps you keep the end goal in mind. You just went from imagining a decluttered home to bringing it to life, and that is extremely satisfying!
Sometimes all you need is to keep your focus on the end result, and that is motivating enough.
There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong approach to a reward system, but these two will help you stop procrastinating and motivate you to declutter your home. I use them all the time to help me keep my home decluttered, and they work really well.
Make decluttering fun by using a checklist
Checklists are so much fun and help you find creative ways to do things. They also help you try things you may not have thought of on your own.
How to keep the motivation to declutter
Now that you know how to find the motivation to declutter, it is time to share with you how to keep it!
Once you start, create a routine to keep the motivation going
Having a decluttering routine is exceptionally helpful in keeping your decluttering motivation. It keeps you in a rhythm of being motivated, taking action, seeing results, then being motivated all over again, and the cycle continues.
Whether you choose to have a daily, weekly, or monthly routine doesn’t necessarily matter. What matters is that you schedule it on the calendar so you don’t forget.
Set decluttering goals
When you have something you’re working towards, it is easier to stay motivated.
Make sure your goals are attainable but that they stretch you a bit. After all, you want your home to stay decluttered.
Goals I recommend are having so many pieces in your wardrobe or decluttering so many days/minutes per month.
For example, I want to only have 50 pieces in my wardrobe. Or. I want to declutter for 30 minutes 3 times per week for the next month.
Both options are measurable to help you know when you achieved your goal, which is important!
You don’t want to say that you just want to go through everything in your home. You want it to be more motivating and specific than that. Otherwise, you will most likely fail.
Establish rules to help you start to identify as a clutter-free person
I don’t really care for the word ‘rules’, but sometimes it is necessary to help explain my point.
Having certain rules that help you identify as a clutter-free person helps your mind adjust to becoming the person you want to be.
These rules can be anything that will keep you motivated to continue decluttering. Here are a couple of examples:
1 // I don’t go to bed until my kitchen is clean and the dishwasher is scheduled to run overnight. [Running the dishwasher at night saves on electricity, which saves you money.]
2 // I always hang up my clothes after washing and drying. I never leave them in the hamper to get wrinkled.
Not only do these rules help you maintain a decluttered home, they help you become a clutter-free person.
You can set whatever rules you like that will help you keep your motivation, but make sure they help! Don’t be so strict on yourself that you aren’t able to show yourself some grace when you unintentionally break one of these rules.
Trust me, you’re going to break a rule here and there, but sticking with it is what helps you keep the motivation to declutter.
Have an accountability partner
Find a friend or family member to hold you accountable. They can be on the same journey as you or not. It really doesn’t matter as long as they are helping you reach your goal.
My friend and I have completely different ideas of what being clutter-free is, but when we tell the other one we are going to declutter, we get held accountable for our actions! It is probably one of the best ways to stay motivated to declutter!
Use Pinterest as a visual aid
Pinterest is a great place to help you find organizational ideas, interior design ideas, and so much more! It is honestly my favorite place to find new inspiration for decluttering my home [outside of YouTube videos, as mentioned at the beginning].
I’m always sharing things I find helpful, so if you’re not already following me, you should!
Are you ready to take action towards decluttering your home?
If so, investing in Declutter Your Home, a 92-page workbook, is a great place to start! It includes EVERYTHING you need to guide you through decluttering your home!
Get Declutter Your Home Workbook now!
Final thoughts about finding motivation to declutter
Are you motivated yet? All of these declutter motivation tips and tricks will help you, as they helped me when I first started decluttering.
I recommend you give each one a try, but remember that you don’t have to use each and every one. Use the ones that work best for you so that you can create a home that is clutter-free!
Do you have any ways to find declutter motivation that I didn’t share? If so, leave them below in the comments so that I can try them!
Hello, I am 65 and changing jobs to another state. I need to pack my cluttered and hoarded apartment myself. I have Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel condition) and having a flare with extreme fatigue. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. I have had a number of professional de-clutterers and nothing helps. I am still working my present job, very tired. I am sick of the mess and not finding importan papers. I just want to lay down, close my eyes and not see the mess. I must get moving Thank you for your help. Karen
I hope this post allows you to find the motivation whenever necessary for you, Karen! Dealing with illness, whether physical or mental, does make decluttering more difficult, but I’m glad you’re focused on doing it anyway. Sometimes it takes getting to a place of being sick of your current state to make a change. I know that was definitely a large motivation for me.
One of my motivational songs is Billie Jean, Michael Jackson. I enjoyed your post
That is definitely a great staple for any playlist, Susan! I’m glad you enjoyed the post!