The 7-Day Decluttering Challenge

The 7-Day Decluttering Challenge: Simple Steps to a More Organized Home 

Need an organizing jumpstart?

If getting organized is on your goal list (and I hope it is!), I’ve got a fun and easy way to kick things off!

I’m so excited to share my 7-Day “Small Wins” Decluttering Challenge. This challenge is all about easing into organizing without feeling overwhelmed. Trust me, taking small steps can lead to big changes. 💪

Here’s how it works: Each day, you’ll tackle a quick task that takes 20 minutes or less. It’s all about knocking out those little distractions that pile up and making room for the projects that really matter to you.

Here’s your roadmap for the next week:

Day 1: TRASH CLEANUP

Go room to room and bag up any random trash that may be collected around the house.

Day 2: DIRTY DISH ROUNDUP

Go room to room and gather dirty dishes from around the house and take them to the kitchen. Bonus points for doing the dishes or putting them into the dishwasher.

Day 3: DONATION DROPOFF

Gather up any bags or boxes of donations that may be in your home, trunk, garage, or entryway. Put them into your car and drive them to your local donation center.

Day 4: BOX BREAKDOWN

Break down any cardboard boxes you can find and put them into your recycling bin.

Day 5: RETURN YOUR RETURNS

Gather any returns that have been building up, and process the returns. Bonus points if you drive them to be returned today.

Day 6: ACTION ACCOMPLISHMENT ZONE

Create a “safe zone” for storing urgent actions and task lists. Choose a box or tray to store actions that you don’t want to get lost in the daily chaos. Then put the box somewhere where that will help you remember to take action on these activities. A few great options might be on the kitchen counter, next to your computer, or near the front door.

Day 7: DEALER’S CHOICE

Spend 20 minutes on a project of your choice (whatever area that has been bugging you the most, or wherever has been calling you). No need to finish it all today, just getting started can often be a game-changer.

BONUS ACTIVITY: REWARD YOURSELF

I know this is only a 7-day challenge, but no challenge would be complete without a final reward for all your hard work. Take a few minutes to do something to reward yourself for doing this challenge. Grab a coffee, take a bath, get a pedicure…whatever makes you feel rewarded for a job well done!

Got questions? I’ve got you! Here are some extra details to make sure you’re set up for success:

How Long Will It Take?

For this challenge, each project will take 20 minutes or less. These activities have been designed to help free up mental space so you can finally make progress on your organizing goals.

If you finish your task and feel like you want to do more, feel free. You can either spend longer on today’s activity, move on to the next day’s action, or work on something else that you’ve been putting off.

What You’ll Need

You’ll need:

• Bags to collect garbage, donations, recycling, etc.
• Box cutter or scissors
• A timer (if you’re going to use your phone as your timer, put it in airplane mode so you don’t get distracted during your projects)

What Not to Do

The only thing you shouldn’t do during this challenge is beat yourself up if you miss a day or aren’t able to do the full 20 minutes. Even 5 minutes of effort can help make a big impact in your life and home.

Why it Helps

The 7-Day “Small Wins” Decluttering Challenge is a great way to jumpstart your organizing projects. Most people try to take on too much too fast when they want to get organized. This leads to feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and stuck. The trick is to ease yourself into action.

The unfortunate truth is that there are dozens of tiny tasks that are stopping you from getting organized. Trash that needs to be thrown out, boxes to break down and put into recycling, and Amazon returns cause organizing to feel overwhelming. All these little micro tasks feel like major distractions that mentally and physically exhaust you just from seeing them.

This challenge will help you get a handle on the things that distract you from getting organized so you can start to work on the organizing projects that are most meaningful to you.

That’s everything you’ll need to jump into the 7-Day challenge. I’m so excited to hear how it goes for you.

Comment below and share which day you’re most excited about or any challenges you’re facing. Remember, you’re not alone in this—let’s tackle it together!

Here’s to a fresh and organized week ahead! 🎉