The Late-January Slump: Why You’re Not Failing…You’re Just Human

Guest post by Erin Port of @simplepurposefulliving.

Last January, I sat down with my favorite colored pens and bright notepads because, if you know me, you know I love a good planning session. There I was between Christmas and New Year’s, cozy in my PJs with a cookie plate nearby, absolutely pumped about what the new year would bring.

Just like everyone else, when January rolls around, I have the urge to clean out every cabinet and drawer. I was ready to tackle it all: the junk drawer, the linen closet, the pantry that always becomes a disaster zone after the holidays.

Then we got back into routine. My youngest got pneumonia. Then my daughter. Then me. And just like that, all of the decluttering plans and everything else fell to the wayside. No progress. Just exhaustion.

I was so discouraged. I even thought, “Should I just wait until next year and try again?”

But then I remembered the question that’s gotten me through all sorts of seasons: “What’s the tiny tweak I can make?”

I didn’t have it in me to go big. I was recovering. But I could start with one tiny thing.

Here’s what I realized: There’s nothing magical about January.

You don’t have to wait for a new year, a new month, or even a new week to make progress decluttering your home. When I started to feel better, I tackled one pesky area at a time, focusing on things that annoyed me and would make my recovery easier.

The junk drawer that jammed more than it opened. The linen closet that I’d raided for Kleenex and bath towels that needed a little love after it loved us through our sickness. The pantry that lay ransacked after the holidays.

None of these projects took long. I set a timer and got to work. I even invited my daughter, who loves to help with it. Not only did she help me finish, but she’s learning this actual life skill, too. She’s watching me tackle things in small chunks instead of waiting for some mythical “perfect time” to overhaul everything.

The clutter-overwhelm connection

Here’s what I needed to remember (and maybe you do too): Today counts. A random Saturday in late January absolutely counts.

Maybe, like me, you got sick (or a kid did), life happened, the snow just won’t quit and with no school, your decluttering goals went out the window. Maybe you’re looking at your messy counters and overflowing closets feeling like a complete failure.

Life just “lifed” all over your carefully made plans.

But here’s the truth: You’re not failing. You’re human. And January is hard because we are coming off the holidays, and honestly, we are all a little tired from all that extra work. Plus, getting back into normal life after no alarms and pajamas for a couple of weeks is hard enough on its own.

I prioritized areas I could see because physical clutter makes the “I’m behind” feeling worse. It adds to my mental chaos. So I focused on cleaning up the counters daily. Even this little task made me feel at peace when other projects went undone.

The decluttering system that saved my sanity

As I found things I didn’t need while tackling those pesky areas, I put them in the decluttering bin I keep in my garage. When it gets full, I take it to donation.

This is so easy you’d think “duh,” but this is the beauty of tiny tweaks. They are easy to implement but make a big impact and help us have evidence that we can make a change. And sometimes that’s the biggest win of all.

You don’t have to be sick for this system to work. Having a designated decluttering bin means you’re not constantly making donation trips or letting items pile up in visible spaces. If you don’t have a garage, keep the bin easy to access but out of sight (nothing worse than when people go shopping in it!). A closet or storage area works perfectly.

Your late-January reset

If you’re looking at your house in late January feeling defeated, I get it. Here’s the question I ask myself: What really makes life harder in my space? Can I make a tiny tweak?

I always say awareness is your superpower. Pay attention to your day. What is harder than it needs to be?

Kids struggling to get their shoes on in the morning? Maybe the shoe basket is too full or in the wrong spot. Can’t find their gloves and hat when you’re rushing out the door? Maybe they need a dedicated hook or bin. Coffee spilling everywhere when you make your morning cup? Maybe the coffee station needs a quick declutter.

No pain point is too small. Maybe it’s as simple as designating a space in the laundry room for your kids’ toothbrushes so you don’t lose them when they go back upstairs. If it makes your day easier, it matters.

The tiny tweaks to try right now

Get a decluttering bin. Put it somewhere easy to access but out of sight (a closet, garage, storage area). As you find things you don’t need, toss them in. When it’s full, make one donation trip.

Do a mini-win decluttering session. Set a timer for 10 minutes and pick one pesky area that frustrates you multiple times a day. The junk drawer. The entryway. The coffee station. When the timer goes off, you’re done.

Clean off the counters daily. This one visual win can make you feel like you’re ahead, not behind.

Start a 5-minute family reset. At the end of the day, reset your main spaces together. Pick up toys, load the dishes, put the pillows back on the couch, and fold the blankets. The place becomes a blank canvas for the next morning.

This is also a great way to model tidying with kids. We all need to see what to do, and doing this together when they’re little helps them learn. Yes, it’s faster alone, but you’re building a foundation.

Set a timer or turn on your favorite song and get everyone in on the action. When the timer goes off, or the song ends, you’re done.

Reward yourself afterward. Maybe it’s watching a show while you make dinner. Reading together before bed. Playing a board game. Or device time before dinner. The reward doesn’t have to be big. 

The trap we all fall into

Here’s the decluttering mistake people make (me included) when trying to get back on track in late January: We get discouraged by what we didn’t get done.

Our brains are wired with negativity bias, meaning we could do 99 things right and make real progress, but we see what we didn’t do. We focus on the untouched basement instead of the cleared counters.

Knowing that’s how our brains are wired, we can speak truth to ourselves. “Yes, I see the mess. And I also see the three areas I tackled this week. Progress is still progress.”

Plus, we don’t have to do it all now. Overhauls often leave us depleted and exhausted.

A friend of mine started pulling things out of all her cabinets at 28 weeks pregnant and sent me an SOS text: “I bit off more than I can chew.”

We talked about tackling a little at a time and focusing mostly on the pesky areas of her house. Everyone has a Monica closet (even Monica from Friends had one). You’ll get to it eventually, but let’s first focus on what will help you the most right now.

Just remember…

That list you made on January 1st? It came from hope and excitement, and that’s beautiful. But it also came from a version of you who didn’t know what was ahead.

You don’t have to abandon all your plans. But you do get to adjust them to fit your real life, not your imaginary perfect life.

The tiny tweak you make today counts more than the perfect plan you’re not following.

So what’s one small thing you could do today? Not tomorrow. Not when life calms down. Today.

Maybe it’s setting a 10-minute timer and tackling one drawer. Clearing off just the kitchen counter before bed. Put a decluttering bin in your closet. Doing a 5-minute family reset before dinner. Moving your kids’ shoes to where they actually put them on.

That’s where real change starts. Not in the big dramatic overhaul, but in the tiny choice you make on a random Saturday in late January.

You’re not failing. You’re just human. And tiny tweaks? They’re made for humans like us.

Because here’s what I’ve learned: You don’t build the home you want by overhauling everything at once. You build it one tiny tweak at a time, even when (especially when) life gets messy.

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If you liked this, you’ll love Erin’s new book, Tiny Tweaks, Happy Life, now available wherever books are sold. Find her online at @simplepurposefulliving.