Want to Get into the Habit of Decluttering? Here’s How
At its core, decluttering is all about behavior change.
Think about it.
When we routinely file papers instead of pile them on a counter, the space stays clutter free.
When we remove one item from our closet as another comes in, our wardrobe stays manageable instead of eventually overflowing.
To transform a home from cluttered to uncluttered requires building new habits.
But if you’re basing habit change on willpower alone, it’s going to be an uphill climb.
So the question becomes, “How do we build habits that help us reach our goal of decluttering our home (and then keep it clutter free)?”
In his book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, Stanford behavioral scientist Dr. B.J. Fogg outlines a research-based formula for habit change.
The formula, called the Tiny Habits method, looks like this: Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Trigger (B = MAT).
Let me explain. And divulge how it will help you declutter your home.
1. Behavior: Get specific on what behavior you want to turn into a habit.
The first step in creating a new habit is specifically stating what behavior you’d like to add. Begin brainstorming specific behaviors that would help keep your living space clutter free.
Instead of saying “I want to declutter my kitchen countertops,” say “I want to file mail the minute it comes into my home so it doesn’t pile up on the kitchen countertops.”
Instead of saying “I want to keep my car clutter free,” say “I want to bring trash out of my car every time I exit the car and enter my home.”
By honing in on a specific behavior, you can then develop a plan to make it happen.
2. Motivation: Pick a behavior you actually want to do, not one you think you should do.
Make sure the specific behavior is something you really want to do. Understand why you want to do this new behavior. (“I want to file mail immediately instead of piling it on the kitchen countertop because I feel more peace in my home when my countertops are clear.”)
Tying a positive emotion to the behavior will help make it more automatic. Try an internal celebration after you perform the behavior. (Sing a celebratory song in your head after you file the mail immediately.) Allow yourself to feel this positive emotion intensely. The more intense the emotion, the faster the habit forms and more permanent it becomes.
3. Ability: Make the behavior as easy as possible.
The easier the chosen behavior is, the more likely you are to do it. Try shrinking the behavior to its smallest step. If your goal is to keep your countertops clear, you might start by focusing on filing just one piece of mail each time you bring mail in (sounds easy, right?). Eventually you can file the whole stack at once, but when building a new habit, start by keeping it very simple.
Ask yourself how long the new behavior will take and how much effort it will require. Keep effort and time minimal as you work to build the new behavior.
4. Trigger: Discover where the behavior fits naturally into your day.
A trigger is a cue that will remind you to do the behavior. It could be an external cue, such as putting a post-it note that reads “file” on the counter where the mail usually goes (remove the note once the behavior is automatic). The cue could also be an action or routine you already do, such as bringing in the mail. Pairing the action of filing with the routine of bringing in the mail tells you when it’s time to do the new behavior, prompting you to do it.
No matter where you are in your decluttering journey (just beginning, mid-way decluttered, or in maintenance mode), this formula will help you reach your decluttering goals.
I’m currently focusing on removing digital clutter from my life. While our home is now consistently clutter free, my email inbox and iPhone photo folders are not (yes, we’re talking over 10,000 photos). I’m using the Tiny Habits Method to build a new behavior: deleting two photos a day from my phone (remember, start small — deleting two photos daily is better than none!). Once I have mastered the habit, I’ll increase the number of photos deleted daily.
Here’s what my Tiny Habits plan looks like:
Behavior: Delete two photos daily
Motivation: I really desire to have fewer pictures so that I can enjoy just my favorites. I pump myself up with praise-filled thoughts after I delete the two photos (AWESOME job!! You did it!!).
Ability: Two photos a day sounds easy to me.
Trigger: I plan to delete photos the first time I touch my phone in the morning (routine cue) and have set a recurring reminder on my phone to do so (external cue).
Mastering new behaviors is key to decluttering a home and keeping it clutter free.
What decluttering-related behavior(s) would you like to add to your life? I encourage you to choose a specific behavior and give the Tiny Habits method a try.
Our lives truly do change when our habits change.
Why not start today?