Set a Timer for 15 Minutes

Spend just 900 seconds each day clearing stuff out. “It will give you confidence in your ability to shed and strengthen your decision-making muscles,” Caldwell says. The more often you make the call to toss or donate something, the easier it will get. Promise.

Pick 5 Things a Day

Every day, look around your house and move five items to the donate pile or the trash. At the end of the month, that’ll be 150 things! If you don’t have a ton to declutter, make it one item per day; you’ll still get rid of 30-ish items a month. 

Focus on a Single Spot

Target one tiny area you can finish in one little chunk of time. Tokos suggests something like a kitchen drawer. You might be inspired by the momentum and move on to tackle a second (and third!) small area. 

Put a Number on It

How many is too many pairs of earrings? Count out your collection to gain perspective. Let’s say you have more than 150 pairs of earrings—that means you could go almost half the year before rewearing a pair. And like all of us, you probably wear your favorites again and again. So if you donated 10% of your collection, you likely wouldn’t even feel it!