Why New Year Decluttering Fails (and the Method That Actually Works)
- Sue Spencer
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Every January starts in a familiar way. Social media is full of advice about fresh starts, out with the old, in with the new. Decluttering always gets a lot of airtime and, with the best of intentions, you tell yourself this is the year you’ll finally get on top of it.
Standing in your home, you look through the overstuffed wardrobe, the kitchen cupboards you can barely close, and you make a familiar promise: this is the year I'll sort it.
The Pattern We All Recognise
Fast forward a few weeks, and nothing's really changed. Half-sorted piles have moved from one room to another. But, despite your best efforts, nothing really feels lighter or easier. If this sounds familiar, let me reassure you: this isn't a willpower problem. You're not lazy and you're not failing at decluttering.
Why New Year Decluttering Challenges Don't Work
What I see time and time again is that January decluttering advice focuses on what to clear, driven by the belief that a 'perfectly organised home' will suddenly make life feel calm. You're told to 'tackle one space a day', 'get rid of one item at a time', or 'empty individual cupboards and clear surfaces'.
But this rarely talks about why it's so hard to make decluttering decisions in the first place, or the real reason the clutter has built up. In my experience of working with clients, every item you pick up represents a decision you haven't made about your life.
The wardrobe filled with old work clothes? You haven't accepted that the career is over.
The expensive exercise bike gathering dust? Letting it go means admitting the gym routine isn't happening.
Your grown children's bedroom? Clearing them can feel like letting a piece of the past slip away.
Guilt, hope, identity, fear of waste - these are what fill your home, not just stuff. Until you address why you're keeping things, decluttering remains an exhausting cycle of moving items around without anything truly leaving. You might clear the dining room table for a while, but unless you truly really go of and start looking forward, the clutter will return.
What Marie Kondo's Method Taught Me
As a professional organiser who's specialised in the KonMari Method since training with Marie Kondo in 2018, I've seen what actually works (it's not what most people think). The KonMari Method isn't just about holding things and asking "Does it spark joy?" That phrase has become a cultural shorthand, but it misses the deeper question:
Does this support the life I'm living now?
Marie Kondo's decluttering method provides a decision-making framework rather than a set of rules. You don't declutter by room, which can be repetitive and overwhelming. You work by category: clothes first, then books, then papers, then miscellaneous items and sentimental items last. This order isn't random. You're building your decision-making muscles, starting with categories that carry less emotional weight and gradually working toward the items that mean the most.
When you gather similar items (like books) in one place, you start to see the full picture. You notice patterns. You make better decisions. You're not just discarding things at random; you're curating with intention. You begin to ask different questions: What do I want to carry forward? What serves the person I am today?
This shift from "what should I get rid of?" to "what do I want to keep?" changes everything. You start making active choices about your life and home. And once you’ve made these decisions using the KonMari framework, maintaining your space becomes about simple daily habits rather than constant re-decluttering.
But here's what makes the difference between decluttering that sticks and decluttering that doesn't: before you work through the categories, you need to understand what's changed in your life, not just what's in your cupboards. Take a moment to consider how you'd like your home life to feel going forward. These questions can help get you started:
Questions to ask yourself before you start decluttering:
How has my life changed in the past five years?
What does a 'normal' week look like for me now?
What do I enjoy doing, and what's getting in the way of that right now?
What really matters to me today?
Your home should support this, rather than being filled with speed bumps that get in the way.
The Hidden Problem: When Life Has Moved On
With so many of the clients I work with, the clutter isn't about messiness or lack of organisation - it's about life moving on while the stuff in their homes doesn't keep up.
Children grow up and leave, but their rooms remain untouched, frozen in time. Careers end, yet wardrobes are still full of work clothes for a life that no longer exists. Hobbies change and priorities shift, but the items tucked away in cupboards still reflect who you were ten years ago.
Some of my clients' homes are literally time capsules. One client had wardrobes filled with tea dance dresses and shoes from when she led dancing lessons more than a decade ago. Dancing was no longer part of her life, but she couldn't let the dresses go - doing so meant saying goodbye to that chapter of her life. The clothes weren't serving her, they were blocking space for the person she'd become.
Working together, we talked about what was important to her now. What would free her up to actually have time and space to enjoy the hobbies and activities she currently does? The focus on her current and future lifestyle helped her shape a home that supports who she is today, rather than constantly reminding her of who she used to be.
I call this rightsizing, not downsizing. It's not about having less for the sake of it. It's about reshaping your home so it fits the life you're actually living now. When your cupboards are full of the life you've lived, there's no room for the life you're living.
This Isn't About Having Less
Lasting change doesn't come from quick decluttering sprees or minimalist rules. It comes from honest assessment and thoughtful decisions that balance your space with your reality.
Start by understanding what's changed in your life. Then use a proven framework like the KonMari Method to work through your belongings with intention. Your decisions should be based on the present, not who you were or who you hope to be someday, but who you are right now.
This isn't about having less - it's about having a home that works for the life you're living today. Decluttering might be the first step, but it's about so much more.
If this resonates, I'd love to help. I'm a KonMari Master Consultant and organising expert based in Winchester, UK. I specialise in helping families, empty nesters and people in life transitions when homes haven't kept up with life. Book your free Rightsizing consultation and let's talk about creating space for the life you're actually living.
Hi! I’m Sue, a professional home organiser and KonMari Consultant based in Hampshire, UK. Trained by Marie Kondo, I specialise in rightsizing - helping growing families and empty nesters organise their homes to fit their lifestyles, without moving.
We declutter and organise to clear space and time, so they can get on with what really matters: enjoying life.
Are you ready to start living A Life More Organised?
For a no-obligation chat about how I can help, please get in touch.
m: 07740 782575
I'd love to keep in touch - why not follow me on Instagram or join in the conversation in my Facebook group
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