I’m Tackling My Biggest Decluttering Regrets This Year (I’m Determined!)
I love the dopamine hit I get from decluttering, and I’ve been doing a lot of it over the last couple of weeks. I made a list in my Notes app of small places to declutter, such as the two drawers under the coffee maker, my desk drawers, and our under-the-stairs storage closet. But one task that glares at me on the list isn’t small, and it’s been an issue for the entire time my family and I have lived in Knoxville: the boxes and bins filling our attic.
Our move-in was unexpectedly chaotic. The entire first floor was still in the middle of a renovation due to a leak, and we didn’t even have flooring down yet. So many of our nicely labeled boxes and well-laid plans to put everything in the rooms they belonged in went out the window. Instead, all the boxes with items that were supposed to go on the first floor were scattered through rooms on the second floor, or placed in the attic to be dealt with later.
Over two-and-a-half years later, many of these boxes are still there — some of them unopened! It’s embarrassing. But I’ve decided that 2025 is the year I’m going to finally deal with them.
The project feels so overwhelming, for a few reasons. One thing is the sheer amount of time this project has hung over me; knowing that the items are technically things I should be able to do without because I haven’t missed them adds to the weight of this time factor. Additionally, the amount of boxes that need to be addressed feels almost like going right back to the monumental task of unpacking. Lastly, the thought of undertaking a decluttering project in such a messy space that is also dimly lit and cold at this time of year is unappealing.
My plan to get this chore checked off the list this year addresses these mental hangups so that I can actually get this project done. Here’s what I plan to do.
Bring down one box at a time. I will have my husband bring down one (or maybe two) boxes at a time. First and foremost, this will break the project down into small, manageable chunks that I’ll be able to tackle in less than half an hour. But it will also mean that I don’t have to battle the dark and cold.
Declutter in the right place. I’m hoping that a glance inside each box will tell me which room of the house most items will need to go in. For instance, I know that some of the boxes contain kitchen items. Bringing the box into the kitchen will make it so much easier to put things that I decide to keep right where they belong.
Remember that I can probably get rid of most items. I plan to do my best to maintain an attitude of “I’ve lived without it for over two years, so I probably don’t need it.” Putting items in boxes and seeing if you need them is an actual decluttering strategy, so I should use this to my full advantage and get rid of as much as I can.
Schedule time to do it. Incorporating this job into my routine is probably the only way I’ll actually get it done. The job is too big to do in a day or even a weekend, so in addition to breaking it into smaller pieces, I need to make going through a box or two a day a daily habit until all the boxes are done.
Are you tackling any big decluttering projects this year? Share what you plan to do in the comments.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said
