Effectively Decluttered

A couple of years ago, I started decluttering at the beginning of the year (and most seasons) as a great ritual to kickstart the "Fresh Start Effect" in my brain. Decluttering isn’t just about having a tidy space (Marie Kondo-style); it’s about creating mental clarity, which improves decision-making, and boosts overall effectiveness.

Various experts support the fact that when our surroundings are organized, our minds feel freer to focus on what truly matters. Whether it’s your workspace, your closet, or your digital files, a clutter-free environment sets the foundation for more productive habits.

Your Effective Tip of the Week: Declutter your (digital and physical) work and home to boost productivity.

[As always, you can jump straight to the actionable steps or take a quick read to explore the theory and insights behind them.]

THE THEORY

The 5S Method is a practical framework for decluttering and organizing that can transform both your home and workspace. Originating in Japanese manufacturing, it consists of five steps: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.

Start with sorting and organizing to create a solid foundation. Sorting (Seiri) means deciding what to keep and what to let go. Marie Kondo’s famous question, “Does this spark joy?", captures this step perfectly. At home, this might involve decluttering seasonal clothing or expired pantry items. At work, it could mean clearing out old emails or irrelevant files. Once sorted, "Set in Order" (Seiton) ensures everything has a place. We have to designate spots for frequently used physical items like key baskets or toolchests and digital items like a solid folder structure.

Creating a system is key to maintaining consistency. Shining (Seiso) is about regular maintenance, like daily desk resets or weekly home tidying sessions, to keep spaces clean and functional. Standardizing (Seiketsu) builds on this by creating repeatable systems, like time-blocking 15 minutes for organizing or setting a weekly routine to process emails and notes (long live Inbox Zero). These systems keep spaces clutter-free without much effort.

Create a habit to sustain these practices and ensure long-term success. The final step, Sustaining (Shitsuke), focuses on building habits and staying consistent. Use habit formation tricks like rewards, calendar reminders, or accountability partners (e.g., family or coworkers) to make decluttering a regular, manageable part of life. By following these steps, you’ll maintain clarity and effectiveness in both your physical and digital environments.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Decluttering is more than physical, it’s mental. I’ve seen firsthand how cluttered desktops and endless folder structures create more problems than they solve. Saving files to your desktop? Keeping dozens of tabs open in your browser? These habits might be impacting you more than you realize - and they’re worth breaking! Keeping read to see how…

A reader once recommended a brilliant idea for closet decluttering: hanging clothes in reverse to track usage. In a few months, it’s easy to see what hasn’t been touched and decide what to donate. Simple and effective!

HOW TO PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE

Some actionable ideas you can implement today:

1. Sort

• At Home: Go room by room and ask yourself, “Does this serve me?” Donate or discard items you no longer use or need.

• At Work: Declutter your inbox. Unsubscribe from newsletters you don’t read (don’t worry, this one’s a keeper!) and archive old emails.

2. Set in Order

• At Home: Create a designated spot for everyday essentials like keys, chargers, or your wallet. A reliable location prevents the daily scramble to find them.

• At Work: Organize your digital files into a simple folder structure based on your main goals for the year and personal projects.

3. Shine

• At Home: Establish a “night shift” routine. Before bed, tidy up the house so it’s ready for "business hours" when you wake up. (this was a game-charger for my family when we implemented it!)

• At Work: Spend the last 5 minutes of your day clearing loose notes from your desk and organizing your calendar for tomorrow.

4. Standardize

• At Home: Try the reverse-hanger trick: hang your clothes backwards and track what you actually wear over a few months. Reassess and declutter accordingly.

• At Work: Schedule a recurring Weekly Review every Friday afternoon to plan and prioritize your tasks for the upcoming week.

5. Sustain

• At Home: Share your decluttering wins (like the number of items you’ve donated) in your family group chat to inspire others.

• At Work: Struggle with weekly reviews? Make them enjoyable. Plan them at your favorite coffee shop, treat yourself to a good coffee (and maybe a pastry), and turn it into something you look forward to.

Stay tidy,

Jorge Luis Pando