Daily Declutter – Unpacking the One Item Method

Join me on The Simple Joy Show as I delve into the ‘One Item Method’ of decluttering.

In this episode, I explore how removing just one item a day can lead to a transformative and more manageable approach to organising your home.

I’ll share the benefits of this simple, yet consistent method, ideal for those who feel overwhelmed by traditional decluttering or who appreciate gradual change.

Whether you’re new to decluttering or searching for a fresh approach, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration for anyone looking to embrace a minimalist lifestyle, one step at a time. 

Stay tuned for more episodes of my podcast, The Simple Joy Show, where we share tips on living a simpler life every Friday.

USEFUL LINKS:

Join the 30 Day Decluttering Challenge: https://hub.simplejoy.co.uk/challenge

Website: www.simplejoy.co.uk

How to Get Started Decluttering When Overwhelmed PDF: https://hub.simplejoy.co.uk/overwhelmed

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Facebook Group: The Simple Living Society: www.facebook.com/groups/thesimplelivingsociety

Transcript

Hayley Forster [00:00:00]:
Hello, and welcome back to the Simple Joy Show. I’m Hayley, and today, we’re jumping back into looking at the different decluttering methods, and we are going to look at the One Method. It’s a pretty straightforward method, but it can have quite an impact. So it could be just the key to unlocking a simpler, more organized life for many of you.

Hayley Forster [00:01:03]:
So what is the One Method? The One Method focuses on decluttering just 1 item a day. Yes. You heard me right. Just 1. It might sound too simple, but therein actually lies the beauty of it. Every day, you can choose 1 item that no longer serves a purpose in your life and eliminate it. Get it out. Remove it.

Hayley Forster [00:01:27]:
And that could be anything from an old magazine up to a piece of clothing that you’ve not worn in a very long time. As always, there’s pros and cons to the methods, and I’m gonna do a little review for you here so you can try and understand if perhaps this might be a method that you could try when you’re decluttering. One of the first positives for this method, and for me, it’s probably the biggest, is that its simplicity makes it really manageable. There’s no overwhelming piles of crap to go through. It’s literally just 1 decision each day. For those of you who feel overwhelmed by large scale decluttering tasks, this method actually breaks it down into a really achievable task with stress free steps. It may even be your beginner method. So it could be that you start doing this for the 1st month, and perhaps then you want to pick up the pace because you’re feeling the benefits.

Hayley Forster [00:02:23]:
You’re seeing how easy it is, and you want to start eliminating more and faster. So this is a great first method for people to try. Another benefit is that this method really promotes consistency as well. By decluttering daily, you’re developing a habit. You’re making it easier for you to maintain a clutter free home in the long run because you’re getting so used to just taking something, making a decision, and taking action. And that’s going to really help you once you’ve got to a point where you’re fairly clutter free, to keep on top of it. If we move on to the cons of this One Method. If you’ve got a lot of clutter, progress can feel really slow.

Hayley Forster [00:03:07]:
And I always say it’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint, but that can be frustrating if you’re wanting some really fast results. Because, obviously, if you’re decluttering 1 item a day, it’s gonna take you quite a long time to get through everything if you’ve got a cluttered house. You may also feel that there’s limited impact as well. So if you’ve got a particularly large house or you’ve got quite a cluttered home, the impact actually might be really minimal for you to actually make a noticeable difference. I personally think that this method is perfect for those of you who feel really daunted by the idea of a big decluttering project. It’s great for people who thrive on routine and small daily tasks that they’re able to manage. So if you’re someone who enjoys gradual change and you prefer to take things 1 step at a time. The One Method could be really ideal for you.

Hayley Forster [00:03:58]:
Also, for those of you perhaps that don’t have that much clutter, or perhaps you’ve only got 1 or 2 areas of your home that are a problem – this could be the perfect method for you to start off with. As I say, for those of you who’ve got a lot of clutter, you’ve got a big home, perhaps it’s not one that’s gonna motivate you to keep going because you’re going to feel like it’s going to take a long time, and you’re not going to see the benefits that you might get if you do a bigger declutter initially. So this episode is a nice short one this week, but to sum up, the One Method, it really offers a gentle, sustainable approach to decluttering. It’s about making those small, consistent changes that ultimately lead to a significant transformation in your home. If that sounds like something that you need, then give this method a go. I’d love to hear if the One Method has worked for you. Have you tried it? What was your experience? Let me know the pros and cons from your side of it.