If you are considering tidying up and decluttering at the end of 2025 here are a few tips and tools to help you.
Start by visualizing what you’d like your space to look like in 2026. Take a few moments to close your eyes and picture it. Notice how you feel after this brief visualization. What are some of the overall differences between the space you visualized and the one you have now? You might create a list of some of the major differences. Now identify two-five things that you could change that would help you to move towards that ideal space
Some of those things might be:
Letting go of clothes that no longer serve you
Reducing paper of papers
Cleaning off a counter top or table
No matter what you identify, pick something small that doesn’t feel too daunting to start. In the KonMari method, we start with the easiest category first. This is typically clothes for most people but it could be a different category for you. (You can download a free KonMari checklist )
If you’re starting with a pile of clothing 👚, start with some summer clothing items. Are you excited to wear this item next summer? If not let it go with a sense of gratitude. Carefully consider why these clothes are in this pile or space. Is there a common theme? If this is a pile of clothes that need to be mended, can you get them repaired by the end of the year? If you don’t want to spend your time taking them to a tailor or repairing them yourself, consider letting them go. The TakeBackBag (https://www.trashie.io/tbb-collection) is a great option for clothes that are ready to be recycled.
When cleaning off a countertop or table, tidy by category rather than by section. Gather up all the items of a similar category first and then decide if you want to keep each item. For example, gather all the magazines together. If there are any you want to keep, set them aside. Thankfully recycle the magazines that you aren’t excited about leafing through. Finally, decide where you want to store the magazines so you can enjoy reading them. Perhaps in your ideal space you can designate a special chair for relaxation and reading.
Organizing paper can be challenging and for most of my clients it’s the most challenging category. Start by sorting through the pile for any junk mail or documents that you can easily recycle. If it’s something that you already have digitally, recycle it. Pause and notice that you’ve made some progress in the pile. Taking time to recognize the successes along the way is important. After your pause, start to put similar types of documents together. For example, papers about healthcare appointments and health insurance could be collected together. Take a moment to notice the general themes and types of paper that you have. Reflect on your ideal space. What would be the best way to store paper in that version of your space? Let go of as much paper as you can and then file the rest so you can find it later. One of my favorite temporary organizational tools for paper are these vertical files, which can be stored in a filing cabinet or standing up on a bookshelf .
No mater what you type of things you chose to organize at the end of the year, give yourself permission to celebrate your efforts and success. It will give you additional motivation to keep tidying up in the new year.