If you gave me the keys to your house and permission to minimize anything I wanted, here’s where I’d start.
The bedroom. I’d clear the mess from your nightstands, dressers, and other flat surfaces using the No Piles Rule. Then I’d apply the Hate That Shirt Rule to your closet.
The living room. I’d use the Wouldn’t Repurchase Rule to remove anything disrupting the calm in your main living space.
The kitchen. I’d open your cabinets and jettison anything that fits the Didn’t Know Rule. Then I’d use the Junkless Drawer Rule to eliminate the anxiety hiding in your drawers.
Why start with these three areas? First, they’re the rooms where you spend the most time, so you’ll feel the benefits fastest. Second, they’re easier to declutter than the biggest problem areas—basements, attics, storage rooms, and other mausoleums of stuff. You can tackle those eventually, but momentum matters first.
—JFM
P.S. Ryan, T.K., and I made a new YouTube video about this topic: If We Had 2 Hours in Your House.
