Watching paint dry.

Listening to trees grow.

Decluttering.

If these sound boring to you—we need to talk! At least one of these activities can be pretty fun (hint: decluttering).

Maybe you’re an organizing natural. Someone who gets charged up by taking a room from chaos to clarity; from a hot mess to harmony. That’s how I feel about decluttering and organizing. But my typical client . . . not so much.

Don’t despair! You can always give Unjumbled a call and I’ll provide whatever level of help you need (strategies, body doubling, or a brand-new opportunity I’m unveiling in March 2024). But if you want to DIY it, let’s find a way to MAKE IT MORE FUN!

And how will we do that? GAME-IFY IT!! Decluttering games are a great way to make progress and have fun while you’re doing it. You may even be able to “Tom Sawyer” some help from family members. Let me share some decluttering games with you . . . the best is saved for last.

Decluttering Games

The Minimalist Challenge

Take the 30-Day Minimalism Challenge. Each day, challenge yourself to get rid of a set number of items, starting with one item on day one and increasing the count each day. By the end of the challenge, you’ll have purged a staggering amount of clutter –496 items in a 31-day month! And, yes, putting a mug in the dishwasher that you find in the family room totally counts!

Decluttering Bingo

Create a bingo card filled with various decluttering tasks or categories. Write each task or category on a poker chip and put the poker chip in a container. Randomly choose poker chips and play until you’re out of time or energy (but not too long—the goal is to have fun; not get burned out). As you complete each task or declutter each category, mark it off on your bingo card. It’s OK if you stop playing before getting a bingo–just put the card away until you’re ready to resume decluttering.

Scavenger Hunt

Choose a broad category you want to declutter (examples include paperwork, clothing, toys, etc.) Set a timer for anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes and challenge yourself to find a certain number of items to donate, recycle, or discard within that time. This game encourages you to seek out hidden clutter and eliminates the pressure of deciding what to keep, shifting the focus to what can be let go.

Clutter Competition

Declutter with a buddy! Agree with a friend that you’re each going to work in your individual homes for an agreed upon number of minutes (20-30 minutes is a good range). At the end of the time, see who has decluttered the highest number of items. The good news is—you both win!

Spin The Wheel (the best of the bunch!)

I’ve created a Spin The Wheel game that lets you declutter for 5-15 minutes and have fun along the way. Spin and play Chatter Matters, You Old Softy, Bookworm as well as other games that will keep you intrigued and engaged while you declutter. Click here to play!

Game-ify your decluttering! Creativity and competition plus maybe even getting the kids and grandkids to help will give you a huge dose of decluttering mojo.

Let the games begin!