At the beginning of this year, I decided to go back and start the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge over from week one. Like last year, I’m keeping myself on track by sharing monthly progress updates, along with any new decluttering tips I learn along the way. With that in mind, it’s time for my February decluttering update.
52-Week Decluttering Challenge
If you missed last year’s challenge, here are some links to get you started.
- 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Free printable
- Week 1 – Easy decluttering checklist
- Looking back on a year of decluttering
- And, if you just want to jump in and declutter a specific area, you can find links to all the weekly tips and posts on the main Decluttering page.
February decluttering update
The main focus for February was closet decluttering, an area that I did a pretty decent job of the first time around. As such, I didn’t find a lot to declutter this time around.
Two new closet decluttering questions
I did, however, pick up a couple of tips to share with you. When faced with closet decluttering, in addition to the usual questions on the easy decluttering checklist, ask yourself:
- Does this piece of clothing fit my current life? Or is it something from a past life, or an aspirational future life?
- Do I feel great when I wear this?
If the answer to either of these questions is “no”, you know what you need to do!
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Here’s a summary of this month’s progress.
Week 5 – Closet decluttering: pants, skirts, dresses, shorts
Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 5 – Pants, skirts, dresses, shorts
I did a pretty major cleanup of these items last year. Pretty much everything that’s left, I love. However, when I asked myself the two new questions, I did find a pair of shorts and a couple of pairs of pants to get rid of.
Weekly decluttering tally: 3 items
Week 6 – Closet decluttering: shirts, blouses and sweaters
Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 6: shirts, blouses and sweaters
Again this week, I didn’t find anything that I don’t wear—or that I don’t expect to wear when normal life resumes and I’m not at home all the time.
A key observation both last year and this year is working from home full-time means a lot of my office clothes haven’t seen the light of day in over two years. So, while many items technically break the “Have I worn this in the last year?” rule, I’m hanging on to them until I see what my post-pandemic work life looks like.
Weekly decluttering tally: 0 items
Week 7 – Closet decluttering: t-shirts and sweatshirts
Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 7 – t-shirts and sweatshirts
Nope! I’m still not getting rid of any of my band and concert t-shirts. I did, however, find a couple of other t-shirts that I don’t wear that I can part with.
Weekly decluttering tally: 2 items
Week 8 – Suits, blazers and cardigans
Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 8 – Suits, blazers and cardigans
As our office has shifted to a more casual dress code, I have definitely reduced the number of suits and blazers I own over the years. I’ll hang onto what’s left until I retire, or until I don’t love them any more.
Weekly decluttering tally: 0 items
Week 9 – Desktop clutter
Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 9 – Desktop clutter
With the bulk of closet decluttering out of the way, this week’s task was desktop clutter—an area that always presents an opportunity, especially with me working from home full-time.
This was a more productive week, as I was able to clean up several pieces of paper clutter and other items that had found their way to my desk.
Weekly decluttering tally: 23 items
So, that’s it for my February decluttering update. Overall, it was a pretty good decluttering month with a grand total of 28 items on their way to the thrift store or recycle box. In March, I’ll wrap up closet decluttering with a focus on shoes and other accessories.
How do you approach closet decluttering? Do you do it all at once or by categories as I do? Tell me your ideas below.
I love that you are revisiting the areas in your home that you already decluttered. I hit up most of my areas three times before I got them paired down to what I have now. As for my closet, I periodically switch all of my hangers backward on the rod and then replace them correctly after I wear each piece. After a certain amount of time, I can easily look at my hangers that are still backward and assess them more closely.
I think decluttering needs to be an ongoing process. Even if I find one or two things every week that I can get rid of, it’s worthwhile.
I somehow missed that you were restarting your decluttering challenge over again! I can see it both getting easier as you’ve worked those decluttering muscles, but harder since you’ve already purged so much. I really need to tackle my closet and dresser. There are so many things I know I’ve been holding onto.
You’re right that it gets easier and harder. The good thing about decluttering regularly is at least I know what I have and where most things are.
Decluttering has never been easy.
We just hang in between ‘Yes’ and ‘No’
The interesting thing about decluttering is it gets easier the more you do it. That’s why I am determined to keep going now that I have started. It gives me an opportunity to revisit and make sure I am keeping things for the right reasons.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Ritish.