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What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Decluttering | Minimalism and Simple Living Tips
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Aug 14, 2025
Hey friends, still hanging in our decluttering series and sharing some tips for avoiding those common decluttering mistakes! Hope it's helpful!! What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Decluttering | Minimalism and Simple Living Tips Subscribe to the newsletter for free resources, downloadable content and to connect more! https://motherhoodandhomemaking.beehiiv.com/ Subscribe to our Family Disney Channel if you love travel tips and budgeting! https://www.youtube.com/@OurWorldOfDisney Let’s Connect on Social Media! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motherhoodandhomemaking/ Access the Motherhood Library: www.motherhoodandhomemaking.com Access the Homeschool Library: www.themomresource.com Don’t forget to Subscribe and Say Hello! XOXO #CleanWithMe #DailyCleaningRoutine #StayAtHomeMomLife #HomemakingMotivation #MotherhoodJourney #SlowLivingMama #ChristianHomemaker #TidyHomeTips #CleanHomeHabits #MomLifeUnfiltered #RealLifeHomemaking #FaithFilledLiving #IntentionalMotherhood #HomeReset #PeacefulHomeVibes #Sahm #Biblicalhomemkaing
View Video Transcript
0:00
I want to let you in on something that I
0:02
wish I had known before I ever started
0:04
to declutter a single drawer, closet, or
0:06
cabinet. Because what no one tells you
0:08
when you first start this journey is
0:10
that decluttering isn't just about
0:13
getting rid of stuff. It's about facing
0:14
emotions, habits, mindsets, and
0:16
sometimes even your identity. If you're
0:19
in that beginning place, tired,
0:21
overwhelmed, unsure of where to even
0:23
start, then I want to sit beside you for
0:25
a bit and share from the other side
0:28
because I've made the mistakes. I've hit
0:31
the burnout and I've decluttered the
0:33
same room three times in a row because I
0:35
wasn't approaching it from the right
0:37
place. And I have learned what really
0:39
matters along the way. This isn't about
0:41
having a perfect home or a capsule
0:43
wardrobe or a Pinterest perfect pantry.
0:46
It's about freedom and peace, breathing
0:48
again, living slower and more
0:50
purposefully. And if I can help you to
0:52
avoid some of the things that tripped me
0:54
up, then I want to do that. One of the
0:56
biggest myths I believed in the
0:59
beginning was that decluttering was
1:00
something I could do one and done. Like
1:03
a giant spring cleaning day and then I'd
1:05
be set for life. But the truth is that
1:07
decluttering is a lifestyle. It's
1:10
something that you learn to do
1:11
continually, gently, and with grace.
1:15
Life is always bringing in new things.
1:18
So are we. Whether it's clothes for your
1:20
growing kids, gifts from loved ones,
1:23
papers from school, or random Amazon
1:25
purchases. If you don't learn to think
1:28
differently about what comes in, you
1:30
constantly find yourself redecluttering.
1:32
And I learned that decluttering is less
1:34
about the big purge and more about the
1:36
daily decisions that we make every
1:37
single day. Every item is a decision. Do
1:40
I need it? Do I love it? Do I use it? If
1:43
I could go back, I would tell myself,
1:46
don't burn yourself out trying to
1:47
declutter your whole house in a weekend.
1:50
Go slow, let it be sustainable, and
1:53
focus on changing your habits. Another
1:55
thing I wish I'd known before I began
1:58
decluttering is that the emotional
2:00
clutter is the real work. Nobody warned
2:04
me about the emotions. I thought I was
2:07
just going to be cleaning out old
2:09
clothes and kitchen gadgets, but
2:11
suddenly I was feeling all the feels
2:14
over baby clothes and feeling guilt
2:16
about gifts that people gave me,
2:18
clinging to items that reminded me of
2:21
who I used to be. And decluttering
2:24
forces you to face change. It reveals
2:27
the part of you that's afraid to move
2:28
on, afraid to waste money, afraid to let
2:31
go of your identity. And I used to keep
2:34
outfits that I hadn't worn in years. It
2:36
just reminded me of something like my
2:38
old college sweatshirts or because I
2:40
just hoped to get back to a certain size
2:43
to where I would be able to fit a pair
2:45
of pants. And what I wish I knew is that
2:48
those emotions aren't wrong. They're
2:51
part of the process. Instead of rushing
2:53
past them, I encourage you to just pause
2:56
in those moments and acknowledge it and
2:58
still choose peace. Letting go doesn't
3:00
mean that you don't care. It just means
3:02
that you're ready to live in the present
3:04
and not in the past. And this is even
3:06
for relationships because that is
3:09
another hard emotional part. There are
3:11
some relationships that I had to let go
3:13
of. And again, didn't mean that I didn't
3:15
care, but it just meant that you were
3:17
living in the present and no longer in
3:19
the past. Another one is that
3:21
decluttering is not the same as
3:22
organizing. And I made this mistake
3:24
early on. I thought buying bins,
3:26
baskets, and drawer dividers meant that
3:28
I was decluttering. But what I was
3:30
really doing was organizing my clutter,
3:32
making it look nicer without actually
3:35
asking if I needed it and getting rid of
3:37
it. Organizing is helpful, but only
3:40
after you have simplified it. Because if
3:42
you organize without decluttering, you
3:44
are just shifting clutter around in just
3:46
cuter containers. And it still weighs on
3:49
your mind and it still weighs you down.
3:51
it still takes up your time and you
3:52
still have to clean it, manage it, and
3:54
store it and step over it. So now, I
3:56
always tell people before you organize,
3:59
declutter. Organize later. And if you
4:02
find yourself constantly having to
4:04
purchase more and more organizing bins
4:06
and storage containers, you probably
4:08
haven't decluttered enough. And often,
4:10
you don't need those fancy bins. You
4:12
just need less stuff. Another thing that
4:13
I wish I knew is that progress is better
4:16
than perfection. I used to get stuck in
4:18
analysis paralysis. Should I keep this
4:20
or toss it? What if I need it later?
4:22
What if I get rid of something and
4:24
regret it? I would let fear just keep me
4:26
stuck waiting for the perfect decision
4:28
instead of just making a good one. If I
4:30
could go back, I would tell myself, it's
4:32
okay to make a mistake. It's okay to
4:34
declutter slowly, and it's okay to
4:37
change your mind later. You do not have
4:38
to do it all perfectly or all in one go.
4:41
You just have to start. So, some of the
4:43
best progress I made came from those
4:45
five minute sessions. one drawer, one
4:48
pile, one corner of the floor. It all
4:51
adds up. If you're waiting until you
4:53
have the perfect plan or the perfect
4:54
day, then you're probably never even
4:56
going to begin. It's not just about the
5:00
stuff, it's about the energy. Another
5:02
thing I didn't realize until months into
5:04
this journey was how much energy clutter
5:07
was costing me. Even things I wasn't
5:10
actively using, just seeing them,
5:12
managing them, stepping over them took a
5:14
toll. Every item in your home is
5:16
something that you have to maintain,
5:19
clean around, or make space for. And if
5:22
you're already exhausted as a mom, then
5:23
the mental load is going to build up so
5:25
quickly. I used to wonder why I felt so
5:27
overwhelmed even when things didn't even
5:30
look that bad. But when I started to
5:31
remove things, it felt lighter. You
5:33
could you could just felt it. Not just
5:35
physically, but also emotionally. Less
5:38
stuff equals fewer decisions to make,
5:40
fewer distractions, and more energy for
5:43
what truly matters. And that's the real
5:45
win. Another thing I wish I knew,
5:48
decluttering is easier when everybody is
5:50
on the same page. But it does not happen
5:54
overnight. What helped was focusing on
5:56
my own stuff first. When they saw how
5:58
much calmer and easier my spaces felt,
6:00
and they slowly started to follow. I
6:02
stopped nagging and started modeling
6:04
because that's important, especially
6:05
with kids. Just model the behavior that
6:07
you want to see. And then I involved
6:09
them in small ways, letting my son help
6:11
me choose which toys we were going to
6:12
keep, talking about why we were making
6:14
room for what mattered. It's a process,
6:17
so be patient and just lead with love.
6:19
And remember that you can declutter your
6:21
life even if not everyone is 100% on
6:23
board at first. Decluttering definitely
6:26
makes room for who you are becoming. I
6:29
kept a lot of things just because they
6:32
were tied to who I used to be. Work
6:34
outfits, old hobbies, items from past
6:37
seasons. And while some of that was
6:38
sentimental, a lot of it was fear until
6:41
I realized I kind of was just ready for
6:44
a change. I didn't want to be the person
6:45
that I used to be. I am not the person
6:47
that I used to be. And so I needed to
6:49
fully step into the person that I was
6:50
becoming. A wife, a mom, a homemaker, a
6:53
woman who loved simple things more than
6:55
stuff. And a woman who depended on God
6:57
more than I depend on my things. What I
7:00
wish I knew is that decluttering isn't
7:01
about losing pieces of yourself, but
7:03
about making space for the newer version
7:05
of you. the one who wants slower
7:07
mornings, a lighter home, a more
7:09
peaceful and intentional life, and
7:11
letting go made space for new dreams,
7:14
deeper rest, and a home that actually
7:16
felt like a haven. So, if I could wrap
7:19
it all up into one sentence, it would be
7:22
this. Your peace is worth the effort.
7:25
Decluttering is not always easy. It can
7:27
be emotional, messy, slow, but every
7:31
small step brings you closer to a life
7:33
that feels good to live in. for you, for
7:36
your family, your kids, your spouse, for
7:38
all of you. You don't need to have it
7:40
all figured out. You just need to begin
7:42
with one drawer, one room, and one yes
7:44
to less. It adds up, and before you know
7:47
it, you'll look around and realize
7:48
you're lighter, you're calmer, you're
7:51
more you. And if this video helped you,
7:54
I would love for you to like it, give it
7:56
a thumbs up, and if you're new here,
7:57
subscribe. I'm always sharing simple
7:59
living videos about intentional living,
8:02
intentional motherhood, as well as some
8:04
homemaking, decluttering, organizing.
8:05
So, if you're new here, go ahead and
8:07
subscribe. We're in this together, and I
8:09
thank you so much for being here and
8:10
watching this video. I hope that by me
8:13
sharing some of the things that I wish I
8:14
knew before I started decluttering will
8:16
help you avoid some of those mistakes.
8:19
But that's going to be all for today's
8:20
video, and I will see you guys in the
8:22
next one. Thank you for watching and
8:23
happy homemaking.
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