My Two (and ONLY Two) Decluttering Questions to Declutter Quickly

I needed a way to work through my huge amounts of clutter quickly! I boiled my process down to two simple, instinct-based questions. If I can answer the first one, I don't even have to ask the second question! This lets me declutter fast without getting caught up in the emotions and the what-ifs.
Mentioned:
My books: www.aslobcomes...

[@AB-zr8pu]

Sometimes the space is more valuable than the stuff. My mantra while decluttering.

[@eileenlester4342]

Amen.

[@debbiepalmer1094]

i love this!

[@bethvankirk]

Mine also!

[@Fiery154]

This is what my husband says he feels. I don’t feel it, so I’m doing it *for him* But then I find something I’m willing to part with and he wants to keep it. I’m spinning my wheels

[@NancyLudden2]

This principle could work for PILES of PAPERWORK!!!

[@annekent7350]

“Where would I look for this first?” That has been a life changer for me! Never lose something from putting it away in a “special” place again!

[@danarzechula3769]

Point of use storage is a great principle

[@novocaine09]

I have put things together from you, Dawn, and Cass, and my life has changed. My house was a warzone. I had a mental break last year and couldn't clean. Everything was disgusting and I had piles of clutter everywhere. I mean everywhere. Piled on the couch, table, counters, extra beds, floors, it was embarrassing. I couldn't clean around the clutter. Now I actually want people to come in! You guys really saved me. I can not thank you enough.

[@barbaragrove3651]

That's awesome MM! I'm cheering you on! I've struggled with too much stuff for years too! Have been working my way through my stuff since I've "met" Dana, Cass & Dawn over a year ago. I am more than 2/3 of the way done now, so that had been encouraging! I work a full-time job still, so it has been taking me a while to get through my things. However, as Dana says... "If the space looks better than it did before, that's progress!" I love these remarkable women and am so grateful for their willingness to share these tips & tricks with us to help make our lives more manageable! If we both keep plugging away, one day at a time, we will get there! eventually!

[@novocaine09]

@@barbaragrove3651 I'm so proud of you!!! Finding the time when you work can be a challenge, so it's wonderful that you have been making so much progress. You will be there before you know it. Thank you for the encouragement! ☺️

[@MelindaPlainandSimple]

I'm so glad you're feeling better and making progress! Dana, Cas, and Dawn have taught me so much too. To be free of not only the clutter, but also the reasons for accumulating the clutter, and knowing how to control, manage, and deal with clutter going forward is wonderful. I still have a ways to go, but I give myself the grace to declutter at the pace I can go. Whether it's time, energy, health, or something else, we all have things that slow us down. Even slow progress is progress. Happy decluttering, ladies!!!

[@tiffenynicolekellydaughter1403]

I'm Sooo happy for you And hope to feel the same

[@tiffenynicolekellydaughter1403]

@@MelindaPlainandSimple sunshine, it's glorious sunshyne, to know I'm not alone. It's one thing to watch a video it's another to connect with others who are watching it too putting it to use

[@carynwood9158]

Googly eyes are easy. In My grandson's homeschool art bucket that is in the China cabinet because we homeschool at the dinner table so I emptied the cabinet and use it for all the homeschool paraphernalia! This Grammy doesn't need 6 china sets, she needs worksheet storage!

[@creativelycountry3343]

Love!!! Keep our homeschool supplies in a hutch as well!!!

[@donnaanderson3857]

I so agree. I have 26 plates from 2 different patterns. One antique still and the other one is from the Company that I work with, but only hubby and I. Don't have that many parties. Need to figure that out. 😲

[@pamwaldron3504]

We discovered that all the "dinner parties" we have are so casual that disposable dinnerware suffices. So, goodbye excess dinnerware. We only need 4 of each piece of permanent dinnerware. Coffee mugs, on the other hand.... 😂

[@MrsOhgi]

"Take it there RIGHT NOW" made me successful in decluttering! It also helped me donate items. If it wasn't worth putting away right NOW, it wasn't worth keeping and went in the donate box.

[@grutarg2938]

Yeah, having to take it all the way upstairs makes me like some of my things a lot less.

[@goodtroublemaker143]

I can identify with this so completely. I’m easily distracted and overwhelmed. Been listening to Dana for less than a week and my house is already looking better.

[@olivemaycards]

The question “would I even know I had this thing?” is extremely useful to me, especially for those junk drawer items. Sometimes I even remember that I WAS looking for something like this recently, I didn’t find this one, but I made do without it, so then I know I can probably make do without it again.

[@katherinelipari6610]

I used to use the method of piling stuff to take to other rooms instead of ‘take it there right now!’ This was before kids, constant interruptions and brain fatigue. The keep piles stuff is for young people with wayy too much time on their hands. Dana’s method is for people who CANNOT afford to make their house more crazy pants. I usually only have a few minutes to clean before a baby is crying. Those minutes must be used making the house better, not crazier! Love Dana’s method.

[@maryrosespriggs5427]

For about 50 years, (I'm 68), I have been accumulating stuff. I have been decluttering for about 15 years. I call what I have been doing walk-around-cleaning. I have been putting things where I would look for them and what I have found is not only did I buy one more of the thing, but 2,3,4 and sometimes 5 more of the thing. That is the record, 5 needle nosed pliers, 2 drills, 3 complete drill bit sets, two 12 inch quilting hoops and many other examples. I LOVE Dana's questions! I am starting to pick up speed. Thank you for the inspiration. Also, my husband is nearby and hears when I listen to your videos and actually said he needed to declutter his desk.

[@MelindaPlainandSimple]

I have found that once I hit decluttering fatigue, that energy for putting things elsewhere has diminished too. Putting away piles of items in order to complete the project can feel overwhelming. If I don't deal with those piles right away, not only do I have the mess, but I risk forgetting where I had planned to put things, so even if the piles are still separated I have to think it all through again. I love this method of putting it there now. It has helped me so much. No mess left behind. It looks better than it did before. I don't have to go through the stuff twice. And there's always this certain familiar voice in my head asking me where I would look for it first and telling me to "take it there now." 😄It's almost like having a decluttering buddy.

[@roseschulze1647]

Perfectly stated!!

[@cynthiaewing6584]

Dana has been my decluttering buddy too! Especially with 14 Days to Make Your Home Ready for Guests.

[@MelindaPlainandSimple]

@@cynthiaewing6584 I find that piles work better for me than one thing at a time decluttering, but I definitely put those piles away. And I only get out what I can deal with completely. If I get interrupted, I can put it all back in my container, but neatly, so I don't have to start over completely when I get back to it.

[@maryanne2500]

Amen

[@granitemoss1451]

Just think- taking items where they go one by one, instead of all at once, helps bump up that 'step count' for the day!

[@elizabethdowney3412]

I have to clean in 2 and 5 minute increments, because I have little distractions running around. Only these techniques have made it possible.

[@KS-un3pi]

I just finished both of your books! After watching your YT channel and podcast. I just love the sensible take on decluttering. It took me about 6 years to decide, that I'm not redoing my house anytime soon. So, the cabinet space I have is what I have. Make what I have fit the space. It has helped my frustration level so many times! Things are pretty easy to find and things don't fall out of the cabinets at you!

[@skybluepink998]

The right now part is key ---- delayed decision making is the root of my clutter and potential messiness.

[@carlottadix]

In the SAME boat. HELPFUL. YOU HAVE A DETAILED BRAIN. ANALYTICAL SKILLS are a sign of intellectual intelligence. Please see you great qualities and beautiful nature. I don't know where my goggle eyes are to even donate them or why I own them. I will get over it.

[@vannahhall915]

I am truly benefiting from your videos. Still throwing away pens that don't work and asking question #1. I also went and bought black garbage bags. I was using clear ones before, but the black is truly helpful with sentimental teens in the house! 🤓🤣🤣😂

[@cathyterratovah]

Your method also helps me develop a habit of putting an item away as soon as I am finished using the thing. It's a "just do it" mindset or mind reset!

[@s.a3099]

You are so awesome for those of us with a cluttered ADHD brain! We need simple and to the point.

[@brendatomlinson]

So true! I always felt ashamed of my inability to declutter and organize like the ‘experts’ (looking at you Alejandra) until I found Dana and Cas/Clutterbug. Now my ADD brain has a template to follow that works for me. Dana’s a treasure.

[@meman6964]

Dana, I want the outcome of a nice decluttered space. I don't want to be told what to do. But you go under the layers and tell "why", so then I can 'obey' what I m being told to do. Wish I could explain this more clearly. Anyway thanks for "Better", "Do visible spaces 1st", etc.

[@mijuajua4820]

Amen!!!🙌

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

I was listening and wondering, "does she have adhd too? Cuz everything she says makes so much sense.

[@byamboy]

@@meman6964 This is PDA Autism, through and through! You probably have ADHD and Autism together, PDA is a profile of Autism. Look it up! You're welcome!

[@ginamcdonald7854]

I find that with my ADD, taking things to other rooms immediately is very distracting because I see something there that needs to be done and get sidetracked! I’m using a basket to put things in for other rooms and taking the basket to rooms after finishing an area. Otherwise, I end up doing a little bit in all rooms and it never seems to get better!🤦‍♀️

[@paulaw418]

I get it, I have ADD too. But I think that's the reason for question #1 & then taking the item there immediately (ex. nailclippers in the liv rm that belong in the bathroom medicine cab). If you do get sidetracked once you get to the bathroom, then your original area (the living room) is STILL better off than it was before you removed that item because now there are no more nail clippers in the living room. The AD/HD "mess" kicks in when you tear apart the living room with the idea of putting every single thing away where it belongs. Then you sort it into some piles/baskets & gather up all the bathroom stuff & make your way there. But if you THEN get distracted in that room (stuff in bathroom that belongs in your bedroom, the kids bedroom, the laundry room, etc). You're now tearing apart the bathroom & making new piles in the bathroom of things that belong in your bedroom, the kids' bedrooms, the laundry room, etc. But... Now it's time to pick up the kids or make dinner or help with homework, & what do you have? A living room that's all torn the hell apart with piles or stuffed baskets everywhere, a bathroom that now has piles and now you're too busy to put all those baskets away properly. I try not to gather up piles anymore now. But what I will do is while I'm standing there getting ready to take the item to the bathroom, I will look HARD right then & there at the surface or item I'm working on and ask 'IS there ANYTHING else right here that I can take to the bathroom with me RIGHT NOW?' I don't wait until I have gathered a big enough pile I just grab what I can immediately see that's headed in the same direction. It makes a huge difference. Also, it's a decluttering session that you don't have to put off until you can set aside a whole 3 to 4 hours to work on it, you can do it even if you only have 15-20 minutes to spare right now. Because you're not making a mess to clean a mess. At least I think that's what Dana was trying to say? Sorry for writing a mini-novel!

[@lynnettemurphy8243]

Gina McDonald, I'm the same. Tho I don't have many things in rooms that belong elsewhere. I have 2 rooms that are storage/ catch all places. If I'm working downstairs I'm not going up 16 stairs with a single item. It makes sense but I'm too easily distracted. I have a mind like a grasshopper. Have done it a few times, its the logical tho not time saving way to do it. But as long as each area is better, that's progress. Hope you're working tru it & doing well. Only new to Dana & her channel. After watching several other methods on different channels that I subscribed to, I have now unsubbed. Dana is the only one I'll listen to. She totally gets the way I am. I smile & nod when I listen to her podcasts. She's a genius that has set me free to pursue my dream of having a clutter free home. Ordered her books today. Sorry, I went off on a ramble, I can never just make my point & move on. Hope you're doing well in your decluttering journey.

[@stephanied6711]

Same

[@Plethorality]

@@stephanied6711 i find if i go into a room, and take out what does nor live in thar room, cam put it all in a basket, then put things back into their own rooms, NOT NECESSARILY AWAY, YET ... then everything is back in its room... then with each room i am in, i am only dealing with the stuff that lives there, and until then, at least everything is in its own room, not sprrad out, doing my head in!

[@divergentdyes]

“Where would dI look for these first? The store. “ I should get rid of it, I store these things at the store, lol

[@angelabstractart6168]

I'm now in the habit of asking myself: where would I look for this first? It's very helpful!

[@deniselatimer5675]

I agree. It had been a game changer for me. It is so freeing. No more where should it be! And I am able to find things since I have put them where it makes sense to me to look

[@LilCraftyNook]

I got the stink eye from my husband when I asked him that once!! I quickly explained, and “Dana said it”!!

[@stephanied6711]

That's soo helpful thanks

[@mjcossel6136]

What if you’re not sure where you would look for it first, but you’d know whether you already had some?

[@stowie5790]

Decluttering At The Speed Of Life changed my life! And my house is much more organized and clean...progress over protection. Thanks Dana!!

[@vikkienos8030]

I really resonate with you and your thinking - I like the questions you are asking and I love your thought, “It’s not perfect... but it’s better”.

[@christinemorris2343]

I love your videos even though I am super organized. My daughter is like you and will spend a whole week organising and then be back to square one within a week. I showed her your videos and she bought your book and she is actually decluttering now . You are the only person she can relate to and she loves your ideas.

[@amypearsall]

First Question 1:38, 2:15, 3:27, 4:02 4:32-4:44 This is a new insight for me. One thing though: This way is a lot more walking around the house; instead of say, putting everything that goes upstairs in a basket at the bottom of the stairs. recap 7:23 Second Question 7:49, 8:03 Donation regret 9:20, 9:30 Comes down to 11:05 and 11:29 Thank you for your insights.

[@jspaingreene6350]

nice breakdown! Thanks!

[@rickyjes]

Thank you so much. Helps one with Adhd.

[@veracalvin6858]

Thank you, good grief.

[@kwlancaster1804]

My favorite part of this video is when you say to trust yourself

[@rachaelk8358]

My mind is blown. This makes SO much sense to me!

[@Julies-in-a-mood]

I’m helping my 27-year-old daughter’s best friend get control of her over-stuffed apartment this afternoon, & one of my prime messages will be your question #1: where would you look for it first & take it there RIGHT NOW! Will also add question#2 to my arsenal. Wish me luck! ❤️

[@mwebb3014]

Report back here under your comment! I would like to hear how it worked out. Thanks and best of luck! 💕

[@paulaw418]

Hey how did it go?

[@jesseb5112]

I had my mother-in-law moving in, and needed to move around 2 bedrooms and eliminate a craft room. I am SO GRATEFUL for this system!!

[@BabyAken2012]

Listening to her I feel like somebody actually truly understands me.

[@emmadelaney3361]

You should just call this “how to clean with ADHD” - this is my ADHD habits solved!

[@lisaasad6652]

I pray I will have a friend just like Dana K White some day.

[@bernandettemartinez6264]

Me too💕

[@ninak8506]

Right!! She's so REAL & relatable. I love her ❤️

[@Emkfry8020]

That’s darling! Agree 😂

[@lisaasad6652]

@@meridelmoss1802 that’s terrific

[@laurarysedorph7200]

Me too! I just love her!

[@sage_forensics_2261]

May I suggest the audiobook version? It helped me greatly to start listening first, and then I got motivated to start on the work of decluttering. I'm slowly and steadily making progress, and that never happened before. Dana's ideas and thought process really clicked for me! If you listen while decluttering, it's like she is cheering you on and helping you to maintain your focus. I even found myself yesterday working on a shelf in the cabinet next to the microwave while I had something heating up. It's starting to become a habit now, too! Yay! You can do this, too! Thanks, Dana!

[@GoingGreenMom]

My daughter solved the googly eye problem. She now has a phone case that stares at me any time she is on her phone..... Or if she lays it on the counter. Lol.

[@traceymason5626]

How do you make progress if there is so much clutter that you DON'T KNOW where you would look for it first, and you answer YES to the question "would it ever occur to me that I had one of these?" I have lots of stuff and the reason a lot of the stuff is "clutter" is because it doesn't have a home. I don't know how to give it a home (or decide where I would look for it first) because all of the spaces ("containers") are full.

[@mjcossel6136]

This! I want to know this too. I can get stuck here.

[@lydiajohnson3592]

Sometimes I need something I know I have and have no idea where it is. Then I will go out an buy another one because I don't have time to hunt for it.

[@stephanied6711]

Me too

[@joypiepenhagen7118]

I did that way too many times! People thought I was a hoarder. No, I was a single mom with two jobs and no time to look for things🤦‍♀️

[@amma7244]

We use where would I look for this now on a daily basis and when new things come in the door. It’s relieving me from being the finder of all things and I’m learning how others organize in our house.

[@ethelrobinson7920]

Thank you for saying this! I’d have not thought of this perspective ♥️💯

[@TheCleanTheory]

Alternately to the first question, if it's an object you've been looking absolutely everywhere for, ask yourself "Where *did* I look for this first?" Especially if you consistently look in the same spot for the same object

[@juliehowman3912]

Have to say although i still have the marathon to do, so far, these two questions and the no further mess technique. I will admit however that i needed to move piles into boxes so the process was not so daunting. I have a clutter coach working with me too. I started with 27 boxes just in my lounge, and am down to 11, but it takes persistence. I have read both your books a few times and for the first time in my life the hoard is beginning to wane and the habbits of maintenance are being established. Thank you

[@shadowprovesunshine]

Wow, congratulations! That's HUGE progress. How are you doing now? She is the 1st person to speak my language with decluttering clothing. She should have her own show!

[@juliehowman3912]

@@shadowprovesunshine absolutely, the progress continues albeit slow, but getting rid of a recycling and a rubbish big bin that holds 3 bin bags(the standard big black ones) a piece each week, is progress. Sadly I have found I am unable to ‘donate’ stuff as if it does not leave my house immediately it gets reabsorbed back into it. So recycling and rubbish are the only two choices. I have got rid of some stuff on free cycle but again unless it goes on the day I post it it does not leave the house. My clutter coach no longer comes in, as she was prone to making decisions on my behalf which would breed resentment. She also took umbrage at my ascribing credit to the techniques that work ie decluttering without a mess and decluttering at the speed of life and my rejecting her favourite technique of make a huge mess and ask if each item sparks joy. That does not work for me. I respect that it may for many, but creating more of a mess within a mess makes no sense in my brain. I will once I have fully decluttered get in an organisation person, if needed but I’m already finding that my home is more organised as I can find things because they have been put in a place where I decided. That question. “If I had to find something, where would I look for it, and the follow through of putting it there seems to work wonders. A strange phenomenon I have found is I am finding that when I find whatever it is I’m looking for in that place, I seem to return it to that place. Something I doubted would occur. As more and more things are defined by their containers, and things placed where I would look for them the whittling down of stuff continues.

[@24carrotgold8]

I keep googly eyes in 2 different places. If they have a back post they go with crochet supplies for the amigurumi critters. They poke through and are secured with a back washer. If the are flat backed they go with the card making supplies. I used them on frogs 🐸 and 👻 ghosts. 🤗👍🥳

[@elizabethsydnor8953]

Time Passage Awareness Disorder? OMG! That's a real thing??? I have dealt with that for YEARS!!! I always just thought I underestimated my time incorrectly, AGAIN!!! 😥

[@Sheskis]

My husband passed away over two years ago, and I’ve been needing to declutter and reorganize his garage. It’s so overwhelming because I have no idea what half that stuff is! These two questions are going to help me with this huge project! Thanks!

[@daisybuchanan5378]

Maybe “Have I ever needed this ?” is a good question. Maybe pick what you want and let others who know what the items are and how to use them take the rest off your hands in a garage sale ?

[@annmariehicks1239]

I hope this challenging project offers you a positive and healing experience. Sending prayerful thoughts to you!

[@Sheskis]

@@annmariehicks1239 Thank you 😊

[@mrs.z4370]

Same here, my husband was a "collector" , he passed last summer. I don't have a clue what most of the garage stuff is, I am still working on it! What seems to help for me, I have really great neighbors who have been helping, they know what most of the stuff is and even bought some things from me. I need to have a huge yard sale, so I have been asking what things are worth and looking items up online helps too.

[@Sheskis]

@@mrs.z4370 Good luck to you! 🤗

[@kthybrown007]

Am I alone in thinking ... Of course I would have googly eyes, what size do we want? ...

[@eg7647]

I love your cute little phrase!🤣

[@staciearagon5394]

LOL moment...cute little saying...GET OVER IT!

[@leannahshank8976]

These videos are really helping me stay afloat on my decluttering. I get up in the morning excited to list what I am going to get done for the day and the list grows each day because my stamina is better. Thank you for your very kind honesty about these challenges.

[@arkangelhanson]

Your "Where would I look for this?" struck me, as a couple of times my MIL has chosen to "straighten up" my kitchen/pantry area while I was out of the house, and I literally could not find some items for months, including an item I had just bought, because she put them where SHE wanted to. My daughter tends to step in now and say, "Don't worry, Gram, I'll put it away" since she heard me going crazy about not being able to find the "straightened up" items! Dana, you seriously have been a God-send in just the couple days I've been following you! Thank you!

[@jnorth9702]

1) if I need this item, where would I look for it first? Take it there right now. 2) if I can’t answer number one, then I have to be honest with myself. Would it ever occur to me that I already have that item? If no, put it in the donate box because having the space is more valuable than an item I’m donating.

[@mjcossel6136]

But what if the answer to #2 is yes? I can get stuck there.

[@ladonnalee7825]

LOVE this!!!! Thank you Dana! You have changed my life forever. My husband thanks you too!

[@צביהשבט]

I truly agree! And I have to listen again and again to have it sink in... TY Dana!!!

[@AngPerry]

I literally decided to declutter a bag of odd stuff this morning realizing I have 7 clippers 🤦‍♀️ and i asked where would i look for them ? Well now a couple have a new home rest are past on so i felt like i accomplished something before work and was like now i have time to check out decluttering videos 😊 and you popped up with clippers lol Love your videos 💕

[@originalsupermommy]

The added exercise of running items around is a bonus!

[@maryrosespriggs5427]

Yes! Got an extra 3000 steps in today running stuff around!

[@katrinaphipps8681]

I listened to Decluttering at the Speed of Life while I decluttered my house. It was as if my friend was with me, helping me to just do it!

[@MK-lp4he]

Too funny Reid, we are your mom’s people. I never noticed either one of those things throughout the whole video.

[@mindymudge7247]

Thanks for saying phrases that are now stuck in my head. Has made a great difference to me. You are the greatest simplistic declutter help for me!

[@traceyshenanigans]

Dana, I love both Cas and Dawn - but you... you are my HERO...You are my spiritual mom. My brain works exactly like yours. I may admire and aspire to be more organized like Cas or more minimal like Dawn, but my truth is you. From the first time I read your book where you substitued 'scarf' for 'book', I knew I had found my caped crusader. Please keep up the good work. God bless.

[@shadowprovesunshine]

My sentiments exactly! I'm reading her book A Slob Comes Clean and it's my exact same thought process...shes is producing REAL results in my life!

[@whitehawkjulie]

I really really love the two questions, thank you! I have some questions about the questions though!! 1. I've been in this house for 20 years. So when I ask "where would I look for it", I'd look where it's always been, whether that's a good spot for it or not. Especially if that answer is "in the pile of stuff on my desk". Blah. I think the way past that, for me, is to get clear on what category a thing is, and make a home for that category - and put sticky notes in the places where I'd normally go to look for them, to tell myself where they're now stored. 2. I'm totally happy to spend the $3 again for googly eyes ... but then i think about the fact taht they're made by some poor slave-equivalent person in China, and how this stuff is destroying the planet, and it's not such an easy question any more. I *think* the answer is to not buy them in the first place (cos taht's when the damage is done, NOT when i get rid of them) ... but I'm ADHD and impulsive and blah blah blah. Guess I can only keep working on that!! Thanks again, would love anyone's feedback or follow-up ideas! - Julie

[@joycetheobald1717]

My husband is that "someday I'll need it" kind of person. Decluttering with him around isn't something I ever want to do. We're trying to pack and store stuff to stage the house. It has probably turned me into a pot head just trying to deal with him tbh. Lol

[@blackeneddove]

It is a natural and likely learned response. Humans are essentially hunter gatherers at our core. If he learned it, he can unlearn it with a little time and a lot of patience. 😉

[@stephanied6711]

Im the same but im trying to be better

[@SP0TI3]

I read and watch everything about decluttering and organizing, so I don't often come across tips that I have not heard of or that work with my ADHD brain, but I am SOOO thankful I "met" you through Cass's Clutterbug KZbin channel! You (and Cass) speak to my heart lol Your two questions are amazing and extremely relevant to my decluttering situation right now. Thank you so much!

[@alicejohnson6775]

Where would I look for it first?! That same question has made such a difference for me! Thank you!

[@laurencunningham8281]

Do it now and it’s better than it was have helped tremendously and echoes in my head…….thank you 🤗

[@selenegold7041]

Same here! Ive gotten so much more done because Ive let go of the idea of having to do the project just right. Now I do a project and smile that I got started and the space is better. Totally helped my hubby's thought process too. Big thank you

[@ronnalambeth6226]

Same here it's been a blessing to do it this way and put it in their proper places

[@TheDriftwoodlover]

I thought no more videos till fall so this is a treat to have a reminder!!

[@natalies5818]

I also thought she was taking a summer break. Great to continually see videos (keeps me on point with my decluttering tasks!)

[@LedgerAndLace]

The podcast returns in the Fall, but she's doing a weekly video on KZbin. YAY!!!

[@KatyInNH]

@@LedgerAndLace YEA!!!

[@gweno9901]

Your system is genius!

[@angierecovering_clutterer2434]

I didn't know that Time Passage Awareness Disorder was a thing that other people had! I have never felt so seen!!!!!!!!!!

[@gillianmcquarrie2829]

You are brilliant. And through your videos you are currently talking me through a detailed declutter of papers and sentimental items which was torturous until I found you. Talk about Freedom at age 55. Thank you so much!! :)

[@lisawilson134]

My moma always taught me...There's a place for everything and everything for a place...If there is to much stuff in your house..keep those things that serve a purpose..and rid your home of everything else that does not serve a purpose! :D Great advice that I have lived by for many years!! My problem is that I box everything up that we no longer use or need..then store it in the attic or basement..thinking one day we can use them...or someone in my family can use them...or maybe for a yard sale...but with Covid the past 2 years we have not rid our home of this stuff and I have an attic full of stuff that I have boxed up! So I do need to just take the boxes and rid my home of them!

[@jayme3557]

I'm going to put the clippers in this drawer.....OH LOOK!! 10 MORE SHINY THINGS.....That I play or tinker with for an hour...... 👍 Thanks ADHD!!

[@stacyritter9261]

Love the simplicity of your decluttering style.. and you look very pretty today

[@eunicebenedict7831]

LOVE the "editorial notes" at the end of your videos! I almost want to fast forward to watch them first. Great job to both of you!

[@melindastimpson9014]

Dana, I love your books and method! My second question is a bit different though. I almost always remember that I have one. What I cannot remember, even if I put it where I was sure I would look for it first, awhile ago, is where on earth it might be, now. The obvious place to look for it, if it's a miscellaneous thing like googley eyes, is almost never obvious later. So I ask myself, "will I ever be able to find it again," and the answer is usually no.

[@alanbirkner1958]

My daughter has ADD. She's gotten rid of 60 boxes of stuff. Things are much better. Tina

[@momjeans9238]

You are changing my life so much. I really can't thank you enough.

[@tcm087]

Dana, thank you for these questions. I have struggled to manage my inventory since I was child. I have struggled with the idea that I was just lazy or didn’t care or was anti-authority, when in reality I was overwhelmed to the point that I would have meltdowns. No, I don’t want to work harder than I have to but I am a hard worker. I have what I call, “ooh, 🐿 “ brain, too. (I am undiagnosed, but so many things fit for me not to believe.) It has been exhausting. I am finally making real progress albeit slowly as I work through your co-taught course “Take Your House Back.” Thank you! The shame I have carried for decades is lightened knowing I am not alone and there are solutions. Better ways to approach all that we manage in our homes. Better mindsets and practices.

[@shadowprovesunshine]

Such a good feeling to not be alone! I'm undiagnosed too...

[@Fiery154]

My fingernail clippers go in the slots in the built in toothbrush holder in the bathroom! Toothbrushes are bigger now than they were in 1950 and don’t fit. The clippers fit!

[@creativelycountry3343]

Dana- call up a friend “, hey, where do you keep your fingernail clippers?” Me - laughing soooooo hard

[@jillianguilford5191]

I have fibromyalgia and probably am on the Asperger's spectrum this is doable for me - I will need to put up notes with those questions in each room so I remember what they are. I also for cleaning use Marilyn's Way - so there is basic cleaning daily/weeklyzone plans/monthly focuses. I've been quite ill for some time so little has been done, not even cooking due to fatigue and pain. I hope using these questions will help me to focus when and where I can.

[@shadowprovesunshine]

Hope you're feeling better. 💐

[@msmellowmood84]

Yooooo. Where WOULD I look for this, not where SHOULD this go. 🙌🏽 giiiirrllll… pssshhhh. I am so grateful I found you. Thank you.

[@gbarnett9470]

I am sorry I have failed the Dana system. My ADD look over and my living room look ran sacked by burglar. Lost momentum. I am going to do some, "Just One Hour Better" several times to so I can vacuum. I knew better and drug it all out any way. Surge cleaning is not the way. My living room has turned to "The DANGER ZONE". Good Luck and God's Speed - I AM GOING IN....😌

[@carriewilson2104]

What do you with items that you have no idea how to dispose of responsibly? Such as old CPAP machines, my wedding dress, electronics, etc. This type of stuff really paralyzes me when it comes to decluttering.

[@titusmarius8718]

I have been decluttering for about 3 months now and I actually get really excited if I have to buy it again because I know it will be useful this time around and not just on a whim or on sale.

[@htmc2022]

Brilliant! I am going to use your Q’s! Where WOULD I PUT THIS? Do I really need this? We are caught between moves which means 2 houses have tons of stuff in boxes plastic bins & bags all over the place & NO “HOME” for most items in either house! Funny you start with nail clippers - this is probably the #1 item by hubby & I bicker over as in “Where are the friggin’ nail clippers now”! I have literally spent a small fortune buying nail clippers (need 2 kinds - finger & toe) for both he & I & they have ALL disappeared! They used to sit in a decorative wooden box in living room - mostly that system worked - though my hubby is terrible about returning items to their “home”. Now that box is packed away & no one knows where it is. I spent another bunch of moola buying clippers & nail files + those professional big toe nail “snappers” with scissor-style handles for this past XMAS! Where are they all?Drives me nuts - because both of us of need our toe nails clipped. I have to do his toenails because he is a man = toddler - have been trimming them for 30years! I am fatter than him but I can reach my toes - just! When I don’t do them soon enough he finds the clippers, does a 1/2 baked job & they end up in that black hole that has sucked in all previous clippers! So now - when I do find some - any grooming tools are going where I WOULD first look which is the bathroom vanity top drawer! My hubby has suggested that I throw out or donate stuff which is just too infrequently used and has promised me that he will pay to replace it when/if I need it. That rule is much harder to comply with. I am a hoarder because I play the what if I need it game constantly - including most sturdy plastic & cardboard boxes that food stuffs come in. Because we live there sometimes - maintaining the house - We still have stuff to pack up in the old house - I need weird sized boxes. So I hang onto any just in case. Master BDRM in new house and a bedroom in basement & part of the rec room are horrid jungles - half-decluttered working with my daughter & family when she came alone in Oct - & when they came for XMAS. I have done little since they left because dealing with serious health issues has made me too fatigued - one reason the hoarding got bad in the first place is both of us have severe health issues. I’m starting decluttering again now. Trying to get motivated to do it “the once & for all way” because I have literally touched every item in this house at least 5 times - packing & unpacking & even Re packing because I can’t find a home for things!

[@conniebeane6164]

"...I'll put it here for right now...." The seven scariest words in my life.

[@htmc2022]

We are also both people who buy duplicates of stuff like small kitchen appliances (Air Fryers - though I did let one go because I decided it wasn’t a safe design). We have stockpiles of over the counter med’s etc because they are on sale but also because a year ago fall & winter 2022/23 all OTC pain pills & cold & flu products disappeared from shelves when the kids went back to full time school & caught every virus going & their parents raided the shelves everywhere - while I was very I’ll with severe respiratory ailments. Because of shortages during Covid Lockdowns We stock up on everything for the household now - piles of toilet paper & paper towel & tissue boxes & dish & laundry detergents & cleaning sprays! Never buy one bottle on sale - buy 5-6! - Covid lockdowns didn’t help our hoarding impulses because it only validated & reinforced this habit! There are not enough places in this house for the warehousing we force ourselves to do! But these are not items we want to throw out - they are new! And needed in the future. The OTC med’s are a problem because they can age out past their best before date! It’s stressful keeping up with all the best before dates and using stuff before it’s too old! Anybody else suffer from this NEW Hoarding impulse? We have a lack of trust in the food & household supplies distribution system in North America!

[@htmc2022]

P. S. I would put googly eyes with the sewing & crafts stuff - bought a cheap stack of 5 plastic drawers to sort sewing supplies into. But yes Googly Eyes will probably not be needed ever (because grandkids are teens so are not doing crafts at home anymore) so they should be donated! ❤

[@painwarriorprincess5120]

Great advice! I have to conserve energy and strength (fibromyalgia and CFS, among other things), so taking 1 or 2 things immediately to where they should go isn't an efficient use of my very limited energy. I bring several baskets into a space when I declutter, and label them with the different places or rooms things need to go to, then just drop them in the appropriate basket. When I feel like I'm fading, or I've had enough of the decluttering for now, I'll take the baskets to where they go.

[@jillianguilford5191]

I have the same conditions. I live in a small apartment and want to declutter. For me, I'd just plan on doing less decluttering in a day - say 2- 5 minutes at a time - pacing myself so I can take the thing to it's home.

[@painwarriorprincess5120]

@@jillianguilford5191 It can be so difficult for us, taking on these projects. I applaud your efforts - I know how draining these projects can be, plus recovery time.😔 I'm planning to start making videos again on how to live with fibro and the other conditions, so if you wanted to subscribe to my channel, soon there might be some tips that I've figured out over the past 30 years of dealing with my often uncooperative body.🙂

[@lisaann6267]

your hair and makeup look lovely. most of my things i find. but i have 5 boxes, and bought a label maker.i've made 1 label and there it sits. 🙄 on the table. i didnt have money for clear boxes, only cardboard. (sigh) decision. save up to buy 1 clear bin, and reduce so it all fits in one box. them donate label maker.

[@denabritton4626]

Best 2 decluttering questions ever. Thank you.

[@britt581]

Son, you are awesome at editing your mom and since she has a sense of humor, I'm sure she loves it too!

[@nataliek5528]

But what if you ask… if I needed a frying pan … and u know it goes in the cupboard. And then u find another and another and another . You can end up with 10 frying pans. All in their home. But the cupboard is now very cluttered ! 😢 Don’t we then need to ask the opened ended question: do I need ten frying pans . Want ten frying pans ?

[@marthar4370]

your are my #1 organizer hands down...I am going through a major pre-chemo purging. I have enlisted my family in your questions...when they question the questions I have them watch this video again...wish me luck as it starts 11/3

[@lucyhenley8283]

I live in a very small flat with children, no spare rooms, closets or spaces, I have to sleep in the living room, which is also the everything room, apart from kids bedrooms, there is a small kitchen and bathroom, the living/everything room is also pretty small, so I found the question where would I look for this first really difficult, what I found helpful was to divide the three dressers/ drawers in the living room into distinct storage areas, one for my stuff, the bigger one for anything electric or fabric and the last one for everything else, hope it’s helps someone else in similar circumstances starting out.

[@divergentdyes]

If I put things in the 1st place I’m going to look for it later, I am setting my future self up for success. I’m giving myself a gift in the future. When I go to that place in the future, looking for that thing, I am saving myself frustration and loving my future self.

[@karenlepley2432]

Thanks for giving me permission to work harder... not smarter!!! I like the way you brought out about putting each item away rather than creating piles to be dealt with again at some later time!!! That resonates with me, but I realize that it seems like an inefficient way to work. Now I hopefully won't feel so guilty when I find myself doing this. To some people, this might not make sense at all, or might seem like a lot of wasted time and steps, but I GET THIS!!!!! Thank you! 💕

[@chasswhipps]

Love your books!!! I tell everyone about the them!

[@cheykath]

What do you do when the place you would look for something is in a pile or on the floor because that's where it's been for as long as you can remember?

[@morgannewood]

This is my huge issue. I make piles, get tired or distracted, walk away and come back to see these overwhelming piles and tell myself I should start something else that I think I can finish to motivate me to tackle me the original pile(s).

[@carolnolan9439]

Me too. I have a pile hiding behind my sofa in my entryway. I just can't seem to get motivated to tackle it

[@deb384]

TPAD! There IS a diagnosis for it! I LOVE YOU!

[@maryvaughn1951]

I am ADHD and this video with the 2 questions is the best! Putting it somewhere "right now" breaks things up for me just enough to keep me focused and I don't feel guilty I go off to follow the butterflies! Thanks so much.

[@terryruiz7417]

I just reviewed this, and remember learning years ago that when tidying, touch each item only once. So, pick it up, dont move from one place and shuffle it to another, but put it away immediately. Over the years, when clutter seemed to gather, I was reminded of that lesson. And then, I discovered you! Same basic lesson, still works so well!

[@karendoran6148]

GREAT tips! I've also heard the tip of asking yourself whether paying a store to store that inventory (googly eyes, let's say) $3 is worth it to you.

[@madonnahagedorn5649]

For me, to reduce clutter is to reduce buying. I have learned to be deliberate about what I buy. I replace things instead of adding to the inventory. If I buy new towels, the old ones go and so on. Buy the item if you absolutely love it and visualize the perfect spot for it. If it can refresh that space by removing the old, all the better.

[@vienicestyles6122]

I had multiples because of that second question. Once I got rid of my multiples, I had a place for everything. The decluttering was instantaneous. I saw progress immediately. Getting rid of multiples…was a life changer. 🥰 💕 🌻 👧🏽