I tried the Temptation Method to finally unpack the boxes I'd been ignoring after a stressful house move – I'm relieved it worked so well

I moved house recently and I'll admit I entirely ran out of steam with the unpacking. That was until I tried the Temptation Method and finally sorted out the boxes I'd been burying my head in the sand about.

I had just moved from a spacious Victorian end terrace with three bedrooms and two reception rooms to a small house with open-plan living and two bedrooms. The intensive decluttering and downsizing I'd had to do whilst packing had left me with complete emotional burnout and led, therefore, to procrastination for the final bits of unpacking.

Whilst I had utilized the color-coded moving hack, there were still 'corners' holding my unpacked boxes a month after the move and I was struggling to find the motivation to deal with them until a professional organizer told me about the Temptation Method. It sounded like the stress-free antidote I desperately needed, and I'm thrilled to report it worked brilliantly.

What is the temptation method?

Docia Boylen, owner of Handyman Connection of Golden, Colorado explains what the Temptation Method is in a nutshell. Docia says, 'Created by behavioral economist Katy Milkman, the idea is simple but powerful: you pair something you should do (like decluttering) with something you want to do (like listening to your favorite podcast or sipping a fancy coffee). The goal is to make the less enjoyable task more appealing and sustainable over time.'

The 'something you want to do' could be watching an episode of a show you love, listening to your favorite album, or as Docia suggests, a podcast you want to catch up on. 'The key is to find something you really enjoy and make it exclusive to the decluttering task. So for the reward – your favorite podcast – you can ONLY listen to it, while you are cleaning out your closet – is a good example,' she adds.

Where to begin

According to Maria Fraietta, CEO and founder of Nokbox, the key is picking something that is enjoyable but doesn't take your full attention.

'Set up your “keep,” “save,” “trash” piles, start something enjoyable (the temptation), and move through your task (and clutter) at the same time. Just recently, prior to turning on the latest episode of The White Lotus, I found multiple bins (Walmart's Iris 72 Qt plastic storage bins are great for this) where I mindlessly threw old clothes in designated “keep” or “donate” piles. I took that donation bin right out to my car between episodes, and I haven’t thought of those clothes since!'

With the Temptation Method, some people work best in short bursts – the Pomodoro technique is great for this – where you set a timer on your phone for say 20 minutes and you focus on the task. You can also coincide the timing with the activity. For example, listen to one side of your vinyl, then have a break.

'Let’s look at a pile of old papers and files,' says Maria. 'I’ve got about 30 minutes to spend, I queue up five Lady Gaga songs, get my containers and shredder ready (Amazon's Fellowes Powershred 12 sheet cross-cut paper shredder has great ratings), and hit play. When the setlist is done, whatever documents I did not get to will be saved for the next round of decluttering, and thankfully I was motivated enough to start the task at all. It was actually kind of fun: who feels overwhelmed when shredding to Lady Gaga?'

I tried it

My main pain point was my home office – I had unpacked enough to be able to work, but then that took over and the rest had been sitting untouched for the last four weeks, depressing me yes, but with no motivation to sort them out, the boxes remained there.

The box contents needed going through, paperwork needed putting into folders. Organizing a home office will max out your efficiency so I knew I needed to get it straight as soon as possible.

I decided that my 'temptation' was to re-watch the last season of Yellowstone before catching up on the new episodes. Because I had watched them before, I could have it on in the background with the odd glance at my screen.

First up was to invest in some folders for the paperwork I was ignoring the unpacking of. I emptied the shelving unit that I'd dumped things on and gave it a good clean – since moving I've switched over to non-toxic cleaning products only.

For extra storage I like to use baskets as I'm also a florist I have plenty of ribbons that need to be kept together, but they had also become messy.

See my top buys for the above three, below.

Was it successful?

The answer is yes – I had been putting off the last bits of unpacking for weeks, but once I used the Temptation Method to pair Yellowstone with unpacking, I was able to focus on getting the job done. In fact, I got through two episodes instead of the predicted one and unpacked the items I'd been putting off for weeks.

What I did realize was that I need to invest more in some home office storage solutions, and these are now on my list for pay day.

What are the benefits of this method?

There are definite benefits to using the Tempation Method for any declutting, organizing or unpacking you'd been putting off. I do think I'd have kept putting off unpacking those final boxes if I hadn't tried it.

The temptation method gave me the motivation to give it a go and once I had started I carried on, instead of stopping and leaving another box unpacked.

Organizing expert Maria says spring is the best time of year to use this method to get your home summer-ready and remember you can use it for outdoor cleaning tasks too.

She says, 'It’s the perfect time to prep for the relaxation we are supposed to have in summer! The dog sitter will know where to find your vet documents [keep them in Target's U Brands paper expandable file organizer that has 13 individual pockets]. You’ve got the spare keys tracked down & organized, just in case.

'You can host family and friends and you’ll know where the paper plates are stashed, and that you have enough, you can easily access your guest bedding and supplies, and your kids’ water toys will be fresh and ready to go for the season. Give yourself the gift of a relaxing summer, and tempt yourself right through it!'

Can anyone get good results with the temptation method?

According to Maria, the temptation method is ideal if you're an 'over-thinker'.

'This decluttering method might help you get out of your head and get the stuff in a box. Let yourself be distracted by temptation so you don’t spend hours wondering what to do with that dated sweater. This simple trick works for all of us.

'Everyone wants life to be just a little easier, and sometimes we get into our own heads about how annoying, frustrating, or “heavy” a task can feel. Lighten the load with some fun: music, friends, conversations, podcasts, and shows are all awesome “temptations” to bundle with the decluttering challenges we all face.'

Docia agrees, 'This method works for several types of people – those who struggle to get motivated to declutter, people who can get overwhelmed with large projects and those who gravitate towards setting healthy habits, or habit stacking.

So who might it not work for? 'On a related note, it’s not good for people who multi-task too much or people that get sidetracked easily,' says Docia. 'The goal is to turn something you have to do, into something you want to-do.'

For extra accountability and a space for you to add suitable temptations, this 12-month planner is very handy.

Meet the experts

Docia Boylen

Entrepreneur and owner of multiple businesses, Docia's passion is helping others succeed at their dreams. Her personal moto is 'Build Connections with Passion and Heart-work' and she spends her time running businesses that serve others and allow her to build connections.

Maria Fraietta

Maria is the owner and founder of Nokbox, a system designed to help you organize your life and important documents that ensures your next of kin (NOK) can easily manage your affairs and estate after you're gone.

Maria has expertise in all topics about organization, estate planning, emergency preparedness, Spring cleaning, or other areas that require a strategic organizational component for success.

She currently lives in Littleton Colorado, where she started the Nokbox in her garage with the help of friends and family.

I definitely wouldn't have finished unpacking if it wasn't for the Temptation Method so I am really pleased I tried it. Pairing up something I enjoy with something I don't, worked well for me.

I still have a couple of areas in my new home that need some attention so I think I'll try the pile decluttering method next for some speed sorting!