How to Start Decluttering When You Don’t Have Time (or Identify as a Perfectionist)
3/2/20254 min read
Raise your hand if you’ve ever told yourself, I’ll declutter when I have a whole weekend free. Or I just need to find the perfect organizing system before I start. Or my personal favorite, I can’t start until I know exactly where everything should go.
Perfectionists, I see you. And I am you.
But let’s get one thing straight: perfection is the enemy of progress. (Key Concept #2 in Tidy On Your Terms—because it’s that important.)
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect plan, the perfect system, or the perfect timing before you start decluttering, I’ve got some news for you: That moment isn’t coming. And even if it did? You’d still find a reason to wait. That’s just how perfectionism works—it tricks you into thinking you’re “not ready” when, in reality, starting messy is the only way forward.
So, let’s break this down and get you decluttering—even when you feel like you don’t have the time, the energy, or the ideal plan.
1. Accept That “Imperfect” Progress Is Still Progress
Here’s a radical idea: You don’t have to finish decluttering to make an impact. Even five minutes of clearing off your kitchen counter counts.
Think of it like brushing your teeth. You wouldn’t say, Well, I don’t have time for a full spa day, so I might as well not brush my teeth today. Right? The same applies to decluttering. A little effort, done consistently, makes a world of difference over time.
So instead of waiting for a full free weekend (which will never happen), commit to tiny wins. Set a timer for five or ten minutes and do what you can.
2. Start Before You’re Ready
Perfectionists love to overthink. (Shocker, I know.) We research storage solutions, browse Pinterest for the most aesthetic organizing methods, and map out an entire strategy—before we’ve even taken a single item off the shelf.
But here’s the thing: You learn by doing.
Instead of spending another week planning, just start. Pick a single drawer, a single shelf, or a single category (like shoes or coffee mugs). You don’t need to know exactly where everything will go yet—just make some decisions and trust that clarity will come as you go.
(And spoiler alert: If you wait for the perfect plan, you’ll just keep waiting.)
3. Give Yourself Permission to Stop and Start Again
Another fun perfectionist trap? Thinking that once you start, you have to finish in one perfect, uninterrupted session.
Reality check: Life doesn’t work that way.
There will be interruptions. You might get halfway through sorting your closet and realize you’re exhausted. Or you might start clearing off your desk and suddenly remember you have a meeting in ten minutes.
That’s okay. Decluttering is not a race.
Instead of seeing a pause as failure, see it as part of the process. When you have to stop, just leave yourself a simple next step:
“Tomorrow, I’ll finish sorting this pile.”
“Next time I have five minutes, I’ll tackle the top drawer.”
“I’ll set a reminder to come back to this this weekend.”
Stopping doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re making progress in a way that actually fits your life.
4. Embrace Radical Self-Forgiveness
This might be the most important step. Because if you’re a perfectionist, you probably also have some guilt around how your space looks right now. Maybe you feel like you “should” have figured this out by now. Maybe you’re embarrassed by the mess or frustrated with yourself for letting things pile up.
I want you to hear this loud and clear: You are not behind. You are not failing. You are human.
Every time you feel overwhelmed or discouraged, remind yourself: Self-forgiveness is the secret weapon to long-term change. The more grace you give yourself, the easier it becomes to keep going—even when things don’t go perfectly.
Instead of beating yourself up, try these affirmations:
“I am doing my best, and that is enough.”
“A little progress is still progress.”
“My worth is not measured by how tidy my home is.”
The kinder you are to yourself, the easier it becomes to take action.
5. Celebrate Every Small Win
Finally, let’s talk about momentum.
Nothing fuels motivation like acknowledging what you’ve already accomplished. So instead of focusing on how much is left to do, celebrate what you have done.
Cleared off your nightstand? That’s a win.
Donated a bag of clothes? That’s a win.
Finally let go of that stack of random papers from 2017? BIG win.
Perfectionists tend to downplay small progress, but I want you to make a habit of celebrating every tiny step. Because those tiny steps? They add up.
Final Thoughts: Just Start. Right Now.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start, this is it.
No more waiting for the perfect time. No more obsessing over the perfect plan. No more guilt about what you “should” have done sooner.
Start where you are. Do what you can. Forgive yourself as you go. And trust that every tiny step forward is better than standing still.
Now, go set a five-minute timer and tackle that one little thing you’ve been avoiding. You’ve got this. 💛
