Pro Organizers Reveal a Simple Declutter 365 Challenge for 2026 That Won't Make You Lose Motivation or Give Up Early
It's all about smaller, isolated actions and not quitting too soon, pros say
At the beginning of a new year, a big 'Declutter 365' challenge can sound like the fresh start your home needs. Unfortunately, many of us begin with good intentions, only to quit within weeks, frustrated by the magnitude of the commitment.
But it doesn't have to be this way, however. Professional organizers say the secret is consistency over intensity, focusing on small wins that build up over time.
How to Do a Declutter 365 Challenge
A Declutter 365 challenge is exactly as it sounds. You commit to a small decluttering goal every day to gradually reduce clutter in your home over the course of a year, or to stop clutter before it starts by building new habits.
Decluttering every day can be a daunting prospect, however, and can quickly lead to feeling overwhelmed when decluttering, leading to stopping before completion.
That's where professional organizers say so many of us get it wrong. The trick, they say, is not to see decluttering just as a big project, but as smaller, isolated actions that all contribute to less belonging over time.
This could mean recategorizing clutter to not only include those items clogging up home storage, but also smaller things lingering on surfaces, such as mail and trash. and using the no pile rule to reduce clutter each day.
You could make it your daily challenge to not leave counters cluttered when you go to bed each day, for example.
Alternatively, for Cathy Orr, professional home organizer and co-founder of The Uncluttered Life, this means spreading the tasks out weekly, rather than daily, to ensure you are setting yourself up for successful decluttering sessions.
'I find the easiest way to look at a year of clutter reduction is to do one room at a time to get a really good handle on clutter. Take the total number of rooms in your home (including organizing a garage and/or attic storage) and divide it by 12. If you have more than 12, group like rooms together. For example, all your bedrooms.
'Next, get out your calendar [or invest in a stunning weekly desk planner, from Anthropologie, to help motivate you to declutter] and schedule by month. Actually write the room you’ll be focusing on each month.
'Then, take that room and divide it into sections. For example, in January, I am going to declutter the kitchen. The first week, I’ll do the pantry. The second week, I’ll do the refrigerator and freezer. The third week, I’ll do the cabinets. In the fourth week, I’ll do the countertops. Then, start.'
Try not to go too hard on yourself to avoid burning out.
Another key reason people often quit the Declutter 365 challenge too soon is failing to give themself breathing room within the challenge.
Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, learning strategist and founder of Awakened Learning, explains that, all too often, people have an over-idealised view of the year ahead in January. As a result, 'there is a tendency to turn everything into a "challenge." A new regimen, protocol, or optimization system. But, these carry an energy of a sprint, which is by nature doable only for a short time.'
To avoid decluttering burnout, she urges us to consider and anticipate roadblocks alongside the potential successes. 'What happens when you or a kiddo gets sick? What about holidays, vacations away, and welcoming visiting friends and family? It's crucial to identify what might create friction in the coming 365 days. And, not just the external variables like family or work responsibilities and peaks in demands, but also internal challenges, like procrastination or waning motivation.'
Giving yourself some grace in advance can ensure that, should you hit a roadbump, you don't derail completely.
If you're prone to procrastination, you can implement a plan, such as the Try-for-Five rule, to try to keep yourself on track. And for those weeks when you're too busy to clean or declutter? Remind yourself that life happens, and you can always pick it up another day.
Saying goodbye to housekeeping perfectionism can alleviate some of the nervous system activation that happens when decluttering feels stressful.
What to Shop
It is a lot easier to feel motivated to do something if your tools are pretty. It sounds superficial, but quality tools, such as planners that you enjoy using, are more likely to encourage you to plan and adopt new, consistent habits.
When decluttering regularly, you won't always have time to dash out to donation centres weekly. Investing in some baskets with lids allows you to neatly stash items that need to leave your home in the interim without them getting in the way.
Essentially a tidying bible, professional organizer Marie Kondo's best-selling book breaks down the key tenets of decluttering to help you separate guilt from essential tasks.
When organizing your home after decluttering, opt for useful bins that keep essentials visible to prevent clutter from accumulating again, and to make finding items easier later.
Open-top storage bins are ideal for organizing cabinets and shelving, offering easy access while keeping open spaces neat, preventing clutter from overflowing.
Once you have finished streamlining, add labels to your storage to make maintaining the areas through the year easier for you, others in your household, and guests.
Meet the Experts
Cathy is a cofounder of The Uncluttered Life and the Declutter Deck, recently featured in FabFitFun. She is also a certified master in the KonMari Method.
Deena Kara Shaffer, PhD, is a nationally sought-after learning strategist. She is also a bestselling author, keynote speaker, senior education administrator (York University), and founder of Awakened Learning, offering academic resilience support to students of all ages and their parents.
Pair your efforts with some simple home organizing ideas throughout the year, and by the end of your Decluttering 365 Challenge, you'll have a perfectly tidy home with stunning systems, ready to carry you forward for years to come.
