I don’t claim to be the queen of decluttering or minimalism, but what I do claim is what a huge difference decluttering my home has made in my life. So I’d like to share with you my decluttering journey. I’m just a regular (busy) mom like you, and I hope my story can inspire you that you can do this too and make a change in your own life. 

Clutter bogs us down and often makes us overwhelmed, and I never realized just what an effect it had on me until I started making some changes and being successful in my decluttering journey. It’s not just about getting rid of stuff. When you get rid of the stuff, it has a huge impact on so many other areas of your life such as keeping up with the cleaning at home and even how much time you can spend with your kids. 

Not only is this my personal story, I will be sharing real resources with you that helped me on my journey and can help you too. So, here goes.

My Decluttering Journey – The Beginnings

It all started when I had lived in a state of overwhelm with my house for quite some time and knew I had to have a change. I felt like my house was always a mess, I was embarrassed to have people stop in, laundry was never ending, and on and on. I often had meltdowns in front of my husband claiming to feel like an utter failure as a mother. Then I stumbled across a Facebook group called Organizing Advice for Clutterbugs, joined the group, and took this Clutterbug Quiz. It’s free, it doesn’t cost you anything, and you should take the quiz if you haven’t yet. 

Taking this quiz was revolutionary for me. It’s like one of those personality quizzes. I call it finding your organizing personality. So I took the quiz, figured out what my style is, and then just by reading the other styles, I could easily figure out which style my husband is. The fact that we have different organizing styles and that’s okay was like a complete revelation to me. I don’t know why I’d never thought of it that way. I mean, we all have different personalities, and that’s not only okay, but it’s a good thing. 

Learning that my husband has a different organizing style than me helped me find ways to organize that helped him and made me a lot less frustrated. However, organizing all that stuff we had in our home only got me so far. And then, even though I knew how I wanted my house to look and feel, I still couldn’t keep up with it.

Declutter Like a Mother

Then, a couple of years ago I discovered Allie Casazza, a minimalist and decluttering expert. I wouldn’t call Allie your typical minimalist. Organization isn’t really her thing, she hates rules and rigid routines, and she loves to shop! But she helps mamas move all the crap out of their lives and live in freedom to be able to enjoy motherhood. And it starts with getting rid of all that clutter.

I participated in a free 30-day challenge she had at the time called Declutter Like a Mother. Each week she focused on one area of the home and encouraged us to take I believe 30 minutes a day to declutter those areas. Do you know how much junk I got rid of in my house doing just 30 minutes a day for 30 days?! And admittedly, I didn’t even do it every single day. To see some real results, check out my post on How to Start Decluttering Your Home.

Now, I didn’t become a minimalist after these 30 minutes a day. I’m still not. However, it did give me a huge boost to the path I’m on now. Allie also offers a course, Your Uncluttered Home, that is AMAZING. It takes you even further (and faster) on your decluttering journey than the 30-day challenge. And I’m telling you, you will feel like a new person once you’re done. Totally worth the investment, and a much smaller investment than many other courses I see out there. Plus I have to put a plug in for her podcast if podcasts are your thing. The Purpose Show gives you that continued energy and vision you need to keep going. It keeps you motivated. And it speaks to many other areas of our mom lives. So good, check it out.

My Decluttering Journey – Where I Am Now

After embarking on my decluttering journey, I feel like a whole new person. Am I perfect at decluttering? Nope. I’m not quite where I want to be. Am I a minimalist? Nope, and I’m not sure I ever will be. But all of these have given me the tools I need to make a huge difference in my life. 

I am so much more at peace with myself and with my home because a lot of the clutter is gone. I have so much more joy as a mama. And it’s helped me continue the journey. Decluttering isn’t a one time thing, it’s a lifestyle. I’m always finding areas that I’ve gone through before, but I find new things to toss. With less stuff, decluttering each time is so much easier and not one huge chore. It’s also helped me bring less stuff into my home. In my closet, I like new clothes, just like most people do. But I have a rule I’ve implemented for myself. A new item comes in and an old item goes out. 

And we haven’t even talked about cleaning. When you’ve decluttered your home, keeping it clean is SO MUCH EASIER! There’s less laundry to fold, less dishes to wash, less toys to pick up. Less things to get messy keeps your house cleaner without even having to do anything! I know it may be hard to believe because less or more, we always have laundry to do. True. But the more laundry you have, the more we tend to let it pile up, and then we have A TON of laundry to do. If you don’t have as many clothes, you don’t have the option to end up with that huge pile of laundry. And the same goes for dishes and so on. 

You Can Do It Too

I really feel that decluttering has saved my sanity. My home is less messy and more peaceful. I am more peaceful and joyful (most days :). Sure it still gets messy, but it doesn’t take nearly as long to clean up. I can focus on my husband and my kids and my blog instead of always being overwhelmed by the house. And you can do it too. You can have the same thing in your own life. You can feel freedom that you didn’t even realize you needed. 

But you don’t have to do it alone. And most likely you’ll be more successful if you don’t do it alone. Here are some resources to help you be successful in ditching the clutter and the overwhelm in your life. 

Start with reading my other blog posts on Decluttering:
How to Start Decluttering Your Home
The #1 Key to a Tidy Home
How to Ditch the Overwhelm of Motherhood

Join my Facebook Group for moms to get support and encouragement on your journey.

Enroll in Allie’s course, Your Uncluttered Home, and join her exclusive group specifically focused on decluttering for those in the course.

Start your own decluttering journey today. No matter where you are in life, you will not be sorry. You can do this mama. I am here cheering you on. Feel free to reach out on email or Instagram if you need a listening ear.

Choose a Pin to Save for Later!