365 Items in 365 Days Decluttering Challenge

Are you overwhelmed by clutter in your home?  Do you find it difficult to consistently declutter your home?  Are you motivated by the accountability of a challenge? Would you like to be cheered on by other people who are decluttering too?

Then the “365 Items in 365 Days Declutter Challenge” is for you! 

The goal of this challenge is to purge 365 items from your home in 365 days.  That’s an average of 1 item per day.  You can do it on a daily basis or you can do it weekly or monthly.  Whatever works for you!

This challenge actually began in January 2014 and since then thousands of people have participated. Think of all the clutter that’s left all those homes!

Sometimes when we have a lot of clutter it can feel very overwhelming to think about decluttering. We think we have to wait until we have lots of time, but that rarely happens and the clutter continues to build. We can feel paralyzed or not know where to start.

But if we just start, anywhere, it’s so much easier to continue! And even if we just declutter a little bit, if we do it consistently it all adds up.

That’s why I started this challenge! It’s simple… just one item per day. By the end of a year, 365 items will have left your home. Or more if you’re on a roll sometimes.

Think about how much lighter you’ll feel after letting go of 365 items!

365 in 365 Rules

OK, here are the “rules” for this challenge:

1. Declutter 365 (or more) items from your house in one year.
2. Items must actually leave your home to count in this challenge.  We all know how easy it is to “declutter” but have boxes and bags of items pile up in the garage or the basement without actually leaving your home.
3. You can sell, donate, or give away items.  It’s up to you.  But they have to leave your home (see rule #2).

Throughout the year, I’ll be sharing decluttering tips and motivation to help you achieve your purging goals.

I’m in!  What do I do?

To participate, join our 365 Items in 365 Days Facebook group. This group started with a few people who were participating in the challenge and just kept growing. Everyone is so encouraging as we share our struggles with clutter and cheer each other on in our decluttering efforts. 

This is a closed group (just click “Join” at the top of the page, answer the question, and wait for me to accept you). It’s intended for people participating in the challenge, as well as anyone who loves decluttering or who wants to declutter more and needs the encouragement. You can share pictures or stories of your purged items or uncluttered spaces and interact with others in the group.

Next, I recommend you set up a place in your home to put the items you’re decluttering. You can have separate boxes for “Sell”, “Donate”, and “Give Away” if you’ve got the space.  Or you can have one box or basket to add to on a regular basis, and sort it when it’s full. If you want to get other members of your household involved, let them know where to put items they no longer need or want.

Not sure yet?  How about a few Q & A’s?

I’m sure you’re wondering about a few things.  Hopefully these Q & A’s will help:

Do I have to declutter specific items each day or week? 

Nope!  It’s entirely up to you what you choose to let go of.  You can tackle a different area of your home each week or month if that helps you.  Or you can just set aside things as you come across them throughout the year.  Easy peasy!

Do groups of similar items count as 1 item or multiple items? 

It’s up to you, but most participants count each single item if it’s easily countable. In some cases it’s easier to count a group. For example a stack of papers, a box of paperclips, or a bag of candy.

Do I actually have to count every item?

I highly recommend it! There will be days when you don’t feel like decluttering, but seeing your totals will help motivate you to keep going.

How do I track my progress?

You can just use a tally mark on a piece of paper on your fridge if you want. I’ve also created a printable tracking sheet and a tracking spreadsheet if you’d prefer those. You can get the tracking sheets here.

Do I have to start in January?

No, you can start any time you want! Just jump in and start decluttering.

Can I declutter more than one item per day?

Absolutely! The idea is to do one item a day as a minimum, so the challenge is not overwhelming and you’re more likely to stick with it. But you can always do more decluttering if you’re on a roll. Some people get to 365 items quickly and just keep going. It’s all up to you.

What happens if I miss a day?

It happens. Don’t be too hard on yourself and just declutter an extra item the next day. The main thing is to keep going and to be as consistent as possible.

Does garbage count? 

You can decide if you want to count it or not. If it’s leaving your home you can definitely count it as part of your 365 items, but the point of the challenge is to declutter, so don’t count everyday garbage that you throw out all the time anyway.   

Will I win something if I complete this challenge?  

Well, you’ll experience the joy of living in a less cluttered home for one thing.  And the satisfaction of helping others if you’ve donated or given away some of your belongings.  You may even have made a little money along the way if you sold some things or found any money while you were decluttering! 

When I first started the challenge I had planned to give a prize away to one participant at the end of the year, to motivate people to participate. But everyone was so inspired to declutter when they saw other people decluttering, that by the time the end of that year came around, most people had forgotten there was a prize. I polled the group and overwhelmingly they felt they had won enough by having less clutter in their homes, so I made a donation on behalf of the group instead. It was really inspiring to see how motivated participants were!

If you have other questions, you can ask in the 365 Items in 365 Days Facebook group.

Where can I find Decluttering tips?

If you aren’t sure where to start decluttering, check out my 31 Days of Easy Decluttering series.

Or you can check out my Decluttering/Purging Tips and Ideas board on Pinterest.  It’s one of my most popular boards and I add it to regularly.

Are you ready to enjoy a less cluttered house?

Join the 365 in 365 Challenge!  I look forward to sharing this journey with you!

It’s been truly wonderful to watch the 365 Items in 365 Days Facebook group grow over the years and have people sharing and encouraging each other!

What area of your home are you going to start decluttering first?  Do you think you’ll have a problem purging 365 items in 365 days?  What decluttering tips can you share with us?

If you need help decluttering, contact me for in-person organizing services in the Mississauga area, or virtual organizing services anywhere else.

Happy decluttering!