Home Organizing
How to Let Go of Things: Conquer Clutter with the 15-Minute Rule
Elegant Simplicity Team
Apr 7, 2025
6 min read
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Even in a perfectly curated home, clutter will find a way to the surface, amiright? Believe me, it’s perfectly normal and a struggle many people can relate to. Even when you're following the most popular hacks found on TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest.
But just because you find an organizing system that works for someone else, doesn’t mean that it’s going to be the right fit for your home.
The 15-Minute Rule is different because it is more than just tidying up… we turn the focus to reclaiming your space so you can create the long-lasting results that you desire.
Ready to dive in, friend?
The Frustration of Surface-Level Decluttering
While anyone can remove clutter from surfaces around the home, the problem with this approach is the failure to address what the root cause of the clutter is. When looking at the items in your home, think about why clutter is accumulating in those spaces.
Are there too many coats hanging in the mud room?
Or is that drop zone becoming a drop everything zone? *wink*
You can tidy up over and over again, but the clutter will keep coming back because you haven’t yet learned how to let go of things. As long as you have an excess of items in your home, the visible signs will show and clutter will start accumulating. Again. And, again.
The thing that we’re here to help you by drawing emphasis around it, is that decluttering is more than just making your home look nice. While aesthetics are important, the process of getting organized is about both emotional and mental well-being. Because, even the most beautifully curated home can suffer from clutter, making a luxury space feel chaotic and stressful.
The Power of the 15-Minute Rule
One of the best organizing tips you can follow is to approach decluttering in a logical, step-by-step, process.
Try using the 15-minute rule, which is going to become the game-changer for your decluttering efforts. Here’s how it works:
Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Choose one surface… in one room/area to focus on.
Clear everything off that surface.
Before the time goes off, only put back what is intended to live there.
Anything not back on the surface needs to be relocated (trashed, recycled, relocated to another area)
When you set a time constraint, it helps minimize overwhelm because you know there is an endpoint that will quickly be reached. Additionally, a predetermined amount of time helps you create focus so that you don’t get distracted by other things.
We know life may throw a few curveballs at you like a call from work or your kid getting into the snack drawer *wink* But remember, with just 15 minutes you’ll be well on your way to decluttering one problem area. And as time allows, you can do this over + over again.
The Benefits Of The 15-Minute Rule
The benefits of living in a clutter-free home are undeniable.
A Mindset For Decision Making
This process moves you into the mindset of making decisions. Remember, it’s not so much about the “speed” of the decision as it is about the time constraint you’ve given yourself to STOP second guessing each decision you’ve made.
With the 15-Minute Rule, you won’t get stuck in over-analysis, which makes organizing easier because you quickly learn how to let go of things that aren’t serving you + are unnecessary.
Reclaiming Your Space
Taking the initiative to learn how to purge is one of the most transformative and powerful things that you can do to improve your home.
The impact of these activities has a positive effect on both your physical space and personal energy!
Think about the last time you let go of things that were cluttering your home. Even though it can be hard to let go, you find a renewed sense of freedom and liberation.
Increased Productivity
Having less “stuff” will increase your productivity because simply put: you don’t have to do as much cleaning and organizing.
Many people even find that their stress levels go down when their home is clutter free. Notice how your overall well-being is enhanced when you follow these organizing tips for decluttering.
One of the most notable benefits of decluttering is that you’ll free up space in your life for the things that really matter.
Focusing on quality instead of quantity, and you can bring in more meaningful pieces like updated family photos or crafts your 10 year old brought home from art class today *wink*
Practical Tips for Sustaining Decluttering Habits
Even if you have the best of intentions in the beginning, it can be challenging to sustain these decluttering and organizing habits for the future.
The good news is that you can change your mindset and approach right now to make this process more sustainable in the coming months and years. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
One In, One Out Process
One of the most effective solutions is to follow the “one in, one out” method. This means that if you want to bring something new into your home, then you need to make sure to get rid of something else to create space for the new item.
Sentimental Items
Even if they are sitting unused in storage, it can be hard to let go of the sentimental items that you’ve had for years. Dedicate a bin for these items and make sure that they all fit in this storage container. If something doesn’t fit, then you’ll need to make a decision about which items need to go in order to make space.
Decluttering Categories
Maintain a schedule going forward, with different categories for decluttering. For example, you might set a goal to declutter the pantry every three months or tidy up the mud room every Sunday night before the week begins. This routine will help you stay ahead of the clutter. It’s like hitting the reset button every time *wink*
Cleaning Schedule
Additionally, have a cleaning schedule to follow to keep your home free of clutter throughout the week. These seemingly small daily activities can add up to major results in the future.
Elegant Simplicity’s Approach to Decluttering (The NEED Method®)
At Elegant Simplicity, we use the NEED Method® to help our clients through their decluttering journeys. This is how it works:
NEEDS Assessment: We begin with a full assessment to determine your individual decluttering needs and goals. This process goes far beyond the surface level. The goal is to identify the specific results you want to achieve through decluttering.
Evaluate Why: Next, we look at the reason why you are holding onto the clutter. Not only do we look at the practical reasons you are keeping these items in the house, but it’s just as important to consider the emotional reasons as well.
Curate Meaning: As we continue through this process, we guide you in the curation process to create a space that aligns with your priorities and values. This experience helps you get clear about what really matters, then you can use organization and decluttering to align with your desired lifestyle.
Transform Intentionally: This whole process uses an intentional approach, using the 15-minute strategy and other decluttering tools to help you create lasting change.
As you can see, our decluttering process allows for a better design experience, helping you achieve the life-changing results that you desire.
And guess what boo, if you’re feeling a bit like a floundering fish out of water know that we’re here to lend you a helping hand, let’s chat.
P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.
P.P.S. Please share your decluttering experiences and tips in the comments! Let’s keep this conversation going.
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