Welcome to the 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess Challenge! Over the next month we’ll declutter, reorganize, and breathe new life into your home. If you’re new here, consider starting at the beginning of the challenge for full context.
Now that you’ve defined your “why,” the next step is setting clear, realistic goals for decluttering. Goals give you direction and the practical steps to follow — especially helpful when you’re staring at the 18th drawer and feeling ready to quit.
Why goals matter: Goals keep you inspired, decisive, and focused. They help you make steady progress instead of getting overwhelmed by everything that needs attention.
When you set goals for decluttering, follow a few essential steps:
- Make S.M.A.R.T. goals — specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. “I want to declutter my home” is a start, but it’s not specific enough to act on.
- Write your goals down.
- Post them where you’ll see them often.
Put your goals right next to your why statement, or on the same page. Seeing them regularly keeps them top of mind and helps you make small, consistent choices that add up over time.
I personally set goals at the start of each year. Writing them down and displaying them where I can see them helps them become part of my habits. Even when I don’t think about them every day, having those goals posted nudges my choices throughout the year and influences how I manage spaces and belongings.
Examples of S.M.A.R.T. decluttering goals:
- Donate 20 pieces of clothing to a local thrift store by the end of the month.
- Eliminate two storage boxes from the closet by consolidating items, donating, or discarding until two boxes are empty.
- Donate any clothing that no longer fits within two weeks.
- Remove 25 books from the house by the end of the month.
- Sell five pillow covers online within 30 days.
You get the idea — specific numbers, clear actions, and a timeframe make it easy to measure success.
My goals for this month (and beyond):
- Create one, organized place for paper in my home to stop the spread of random stacks and piles.
- Simplify storage by eliminating two boxes from the craft closet through sorting, donating, and consolidating.
- Methodically declutter all 41 drawers in my home — yes, I counted — making each drawer useful and manageable.
A quick note about the KonMari method: Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, offers a strict and focused approach to letting go of items. I don’t follow every step to the letter, but her philosophy — keeping only what sparks joy and being intentional about what you keep — has been transformative for many people. For some, that level of rigor creates lasting change; for others, it provides principles to adapt to their own lives.
For goal planning, a simple yearly goal sheet can hold all your decluttering plans. If you like more structure and guided reflection, tools like goal planners or workbooks can be helpful to break big goals into manageable, regular tasks.
One more thing before you start …
Before we jump into organizing and sorting, we need to address mindset. This challenge won’t stick unless you shift how you think about your things. You’ve got to be willing to change your relationship with “stuff.”
I’ll be honest: letting go is hard for me. I grew up in a household where resources were limited and saving things “just in case” felt practical. Later, after getting married and working to pay off debt, that frugal instinct became even stronger — saving items for potential future use felt smart.
At some point I had to let go of a scarcity mindset. Holding on to things “just in case” often means keeping items you don’t use and that clutter your space and your mind. A helpful mantra I say to myself is: “There’s more where that came from. You can replace it if you truly need it.”
Consider practical ways to release items: donate tools you haven’t used in years, pass on craft supplies you’re unlikely to touch again, or give away duplicate kitchen gadgets. If you need something later, borrowing from a friend or buying a new one is usually easy and inexpensive. The likelihood you’ll need something you haven’t used in years is surprisingly low.
The Messy Work: Today’s task is simple but powerful — write down your decluttering goals and post them somewhere you’ll see every day. Make them S.M.A.R.T., realistic, and motivating.
Tomorrow we’ll tackle planning your daily routine to make progress a habit. See you then!
In the mess with you,
Laura
More favorite posts you might enjoy:
- 30-Day Decluttering E-mail Challenge
- The BEST Holiday Planner Printable Binder
- Daily Simplified Planner Review & Favorite Hack!
- The 10 Easiest Family Command Centers to Get Organized
- How to Organize a Pantry