4: A New Decluttering Mindset: Seasonal Decluttering
Little by little, becomes a lot—that is what seasonal decluttering is. In this episode, we're talking about what this type of organizing system can do for you and four tips to seasonal decluttering! Listen in as I share how seasonal decluttering allows you to work smarter in your decluttering process and save time in the long-term!
The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!
What is season decluttering?
Seasonal decluttering the action of letting go, discarding, or finding a new home for items in your space during the season that they are utilized the most! For example, a good time to let go of your winter clothing that you don't need, don't use, or doesn't fit and occupying space would be during the winter.
Who Season Decluttering for?
If you're considering seasonal decluttering, but aren't sure if it's right for you, here's how you can find out. Seasonal decluttering is for someone who has already done a big declutter or has a year to get through a full cycle of this declutter method. This shouldn't be treated as a decluttering system for someone who hasn't already started the decluttering process, but this method is rather a maintenance method. If you take a look at the 7 steps to organizing, this system falls under steps 6 & 7.
Still curious, here are three scenarios that it won't work. Season decluttering is not for:
- Anyone in a time crunch or deadline, because the process takes at least a year to complete.
- Someone going through a hoarding situation. I would not do this process because it delays your decision making and takes more time.
- A person who is moving.
Seasonal decluttering works best for those of you who are in space where you will be staying for a longer period of time and want to take their time to intentionally declutter
X Tips for Your Seasonal Decluttering Session
If you've determined that seasonal decluttering is right for you, here are X tips for you as you approach your decluttering sessions.
- If you are working with a professional organizer and you like this system, mention it to them and ask if this could work for you.
- If you plan on selling any of your items, sell them as soon as the season starts.
- If you are donating your items, start making phone calls to the donation centers as soon as the season starts and ask what they are taking.
- If you get on the season decluttering method, it pairs really well with the Capsule Wardrobe method of organizing your closet, which we will focus on in a later episode.
Seasonal decluttering allows you to let go as you take your items out for the season—use that time to evaluate what you haven’t used or doesn't serve you and find a new home for it! This type of system makes organizing your home much more manageable and dare I say, fun!
If you need organizing guides, workbooks and templates so you don't have to recreate the wheel, just head on over to theorganizedflamingo.shop for all of our organizing tools. Happy Organizing!
Review the Transcript:
It is said that little by little becomes a lot. And that is what seasonal declutter unis. So let's talk about what this type of organizing system can do for you, shall we? Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized grooming go. I'm your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go.
Hello, friends. So for today, we are focusing on one of the many organizing systems out there. As a reminder, though, these episodes are meant to get you need to start thinking about what organizing systems are out there. And if they're right for you. So as you listen to this episode, take note about how you're feeling about this system and method, you may immediately start gravitating towards this and think that this is perfect for you. And some of you may listen and completely be off put by the system. My intention is for you to at least know what's out there. And then figure out what works and what doesn't work for you. So my recommendation is for you to listen to the entire episode, and then make the call once you're done. These are super short episodes, so they get straight to the point right away. And that way, it can be a fast Listen, give you some aha moments, and then you can determine if this is a system for you. So let's get straight to it. So what is seasonal decluttering. So this type of decluttering system, it's the action of letting go and discarding, finding a new home for items in your space during the season that they are utilized the most. So for example, a good time to let go of your winter clothing that you don't need, they don't fit anymore, you don't use it in there occupying space would be during the wintertime.
So basically, think about it this way, when you're getting your items out of the box out of the attic, the basement the closet, during the season that you're utilizing them, that is the time for you to go through it and determine what you're keeping what you should be letting go of what you're not going to fix anymore. And so that is seasonal decluttering. So who is seasonal decluttering for so this type of decluttering method is for someone who has already done the big declutter like the big big project where you've already kind of done a big decluttering job. And this is a good maintenance method. And or you have about a good year to devote to this type of system. So even if you haven't gone through the decluttering journey, like a really big project, that's okay. But you do need a full cycle of this decluttering method, which is the four seasons, which is a full year, at least, because this is a maintenance method. So it is meant for this to be a way for you to maintain your organizing journey. So that is why I would recommend if you haven't done a big declutter of your space, then just make sure you have enough time to devote to this type of system. This is the type of system that you use under Step Six and seven of your organizing journey. If you're familiar with our seven steps of organizing almost anything I mentioned in one of our earlier episodes, but step six, and seven is the evaluate and maintain sections.
And those are the sections of the method where you just kind of see what's working for you what isn't, now you're just in maintenance mode, you're not going through the big big projects, right, like having to declutter and sort and just start from scratch. Okay, so now let's talk about who this is not for. So this type of system is not for anyone under a time crunch. Or it may be you're on a deadline, because the process does take at least a full year to complete. Because it's you're supposed to do it during each season, right. So if you're moving pretty soon, this probably won't be for you, this type of method won't be for you. If you need to do a big decluttering project, you know, before in the next couple of months, a couple of weeks, it's just not really going to work because you will feel really pressured. And this is supposed to be a more of a thoughtful, methodical type of method and system. Also, if you're going through a hoarding situation, I would not do this process because it delays that decision making.
So if you're working with a hoarding specialist, or maybe neurodivergent, where you're working with a coach that's helping you make decisions a little bit quicker, then this method won't be for you. Because this is one of those systems where you can start overthinking very quickly and then not take any action. So ultimately, this is the type of system and method that really works best for those of you who are staying in one space for a long period of time, and you have the time to devote to this intentional type of Declutter. Okay, so now for the really fun part. Let's get to the tips on how to have a seasonal decluttering session of your own. And if you're working with a professional organizer or somebody that's helping you through this, and you like the system you are like getting what you're hearing, mentioned it to them and ask them if this could work for you. Okay, so some of my tips are, if you plan on selling any of the items, while you're going through this system, I would start selling them as soon as the season starts. So think if, again, we talked about the winter items, right? Think about starting to sell them and take pictures, right at the beginning of the season versus the end, because for obvious reasons, people are probably looking for these items at the beginning of the season, and not so much at the end. And if they are looking for an end of the season item, they're probably looking for a good deal, which could work as well.
But if you want to get the optimal value of the item, I would sell it at the beginning of the season. If you are donating the items, if you're thinking you know what, I don't really have the time to be selling these things, taking pictures of them, I just really want to get them out. But you don't want to throw them away yet, you know, you're thinking, these are the type of items that have a little bit more life to them, you'd like to give them away in a meaningful way to a place that could potentially use them, you're just not ready to throw them away yet. And you'd like to see if you could donate them. If you're donating them, I would start making phone calls to the donation centers at the beginning of the season as well. And then asking them what kind of items they take in, let me tell you why not all donation centers will accept everything right, because they're also at capacity, they may not be able to handle all the things that are coming in. So at the beginning of the season, they usually have a list of the things that they're accepting during that season. And that way, you have the list printed out, write it down. And as you're going through your items, as you're doing the seasonal decluttering, you're taking your items out, then you can see if you have any of the items on that list ahead of time. So maybe there's an item in your like, let's say a jacket, like you weren't really thinking about giving it away. But now that you know that your favorite charity or your favorite nonprofit is accepting these items, you may look at that item, that jacket and say, Hey, I haven't worn it or it doesn't fit anymore. They're asking for this item, they need this item, they have someone in mind for this item.
So then it really kind of triggers you. And it kind of gives you that little push to maybe let go of something that you're otherwise holding. But it's not even being used. Another tip, if you will be using this method is for the items that you do decide to keep. So you're going through the bins, right the bins, the closet, the pantry, whatever it may be, and you're going through it and you're not ready to let it go yet. So it's not going in the in the let go pile quite yet. But you are wondering when the last time you used it, go ahead and put a sticker so get, you know, colorful stickers or something and then put it under the item or somewhere on the item. So that you know that as of last year, you know the last time that you use that sticker it hasn't been used. And so when you do use it, take the sticker off. And then that way you know that these items have been used and utilized more recently. So if you come across an item that has a sticker, you know, and it's been there for like year after year, because every year you're going to add a new sticker to it. And so if that item has five stickers, you know that for five seasons, it has been put back in the bin, and maybe it is time to let it go.
So one additional advantage of seasonal decluttering is that you can let go as you take the items out. So you are really taking advantage of the action you already would be making. Right. So if you're taking the items out for the season, why not also quickly Declutter. Also, one bonus tip out of this is use a timer, right so that you don't have to, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. So maybe devote an hour of the time that you're taking stuff out to look through the stuff and see what it is that you're using what's broken, what you're no longer using what doesn't fit. So it really works with the action you're already making, which is taking stuff out of the band out of the pantry during that season. And now you're evaluating what you haven't used or doesn't serve you and find a new home for it. This type of system is making organizing your home much more manageable. And dare I say a little bit of fun. So this is perfect for those of you who also get really overwhelmed quickly, or have a short attention span. Seasonal decluttering is just a fun way for you to organize your house without it being overwhelming, which is why I love this type of system. But again, it's not for everyone. But this is one of my favorite types of systems to maintain your organizing journey.
So what do you think? Does this type of methods sound manageable for you? I'd love to hear your feedback. So connect I put us on Instagram or Facebook or the social media apps out there at the organized Flamingo and share your thoughts. And if you do decide to use this system, I'd love to see your results or how your progress is going and cheer you on. And don't forget if you need organizing guides, workbooks and templates, so you don't have to recreate the wheel. just head on over to organize Flamingo dot shop for all of our organizing tools. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here are full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Have you organizing