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I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to become a minimalist.
I woke up, stubbed my toe on a laundry basket, and realized my home was slowly plotting my demise.
For months, I’d been telling myself I didn’t really have that much stuff. You know, just the usual—overflowing closets, a “miscellaneous” kitchen drawer that’s really 87% expired soy sauce packets, and a bookshelf so full that one sneeze would cause an avalanche of self-help books I never finished.
But every time I tried a full-on decluttering spree, I’d burn out by hour two. My enthusiasm would last right up until I hit the stack of mystery cords, at which point I’d shove everything back in a drawer and “deal with it later” (translation: never).
So this time, I tried something different: the one thing a day method.
Why One Thing a Day Works
Here’s the thing about getting rid of one item a day—it’s ridiculously doable. No three-hour commitment. No “pull everything out and panic” moment. Just one thing. Today it might be a shirt that’s been dead to me since 2018. Tomorrow, a coffee mug I never liked but kept because it was “perfectly fine.”
The point is, you start small, but it adds up fast.
- Less overwhelming — You can’t fail if your only task is to toss one thing.
- Fits into real life — You can declutter while waiting for water to boil.
- It’s sneaky — Before you know it, you’ve gotten rid of 30 things in a month without even realizing it.
How I Did It
I gave myself three simple rules:
- Pick a time — For me, it was after dinner, when the kitchen was quiet and I could stare judgmentally at my stuff in peace.
- Have a “Goodbye Basket” — This was my one-stop holding pen for all outgoing items before donation or trash.
- Don’t get sentimental too soon — I avoided old photos and love letters for the first two weeks because I didn’t have the emotional bandwidth for that kind of drama.
The Journey (a.k.a. My House Roasted Me)
The first few days were easy. An itchy sweater? Gone. A chipped wine glass? Bye. But then I hit the dreaded junk drawer, and let me tell you, that thing had range. Broken pens, six takeout menus from restaurants that don’t even exist anymore, three keychains to doors I no longer own.
The kitchen was next. I swear my cabinets were multiplying plastic containers just to mess with me. And the lids? Forget it. If they didn’t have a match, they went straight to the Goodbye Basket.
What Happened After 30 Days
By the end of the month, I’d decluttered:
- 9 shirts I never wore
- 4 random throw pillows
- 3 pairs of shoes I didn’t even remember buying
- A box of cables that probably belonged to technology from the Bush administration
- Enough old paperwork to fuel a small bonfire
The difference was instant. My space felt lighter. I felt lighter. And, weirdly, my brain was quieter. There’s something about removing physical clutter that unclogs the mental clutter, too.
Quick Tips if You Want to Try It
- Start with the low-hanging fruit—don’t begin with your grandmother’s wedding china.
- Count digital clutter (emails, old apps, desktop chaos).
- Take before-and-after photos—you’ll be surprised at the transformation.
- Make it a family or roommate challenge for extra motivation.
I didn’t just clear out stuff—I cleared out the mental noise that came with it. And now? My home finally feels like it’s on my team instead of trying to take me out with a rogue laundry basket.
So go ahead, pick one thing today. Toss it, donate it, recycle it. And tomorrow? Do it again.
Trust me—future you will want to hug current you for starting.
