The One-Box Rule That Changed How I Declutter

Decluttering can be overwhelming. Have you ever experienced the sense of dread that comes with even thinking about decluttering? Maybe you’re just too tired after your work day or perhaps you’d rather spend your weekend doing something fun. Accumulating a houseful of things was the easy part, and getting rid of them certainly won’t be as easy. It’s time to make a plan and stick with it. But this time, make sure the plan is one that really gets results.

The one-box rule

About five years ago I came up with a special technique I haven’t seen anyone else write about. It’s something I call the one-box rule. The idea began when I saw how many times my wife or I would think to ourselves, or say out loud, that an item really ought to be gotten rid of. This would happen while we were walking through a room, looking for something in a closet, or opening a drawer to find a pen.

Clutter happens gradually

The problem with clutter, as I see it, is that it accumulates gradually. It’s the kind of thing you don’t notice until its too late. When you finally spot it, you realize you’re going to need to dedicate an entire afternoon to cleaning up. Therein lies the problem. My wife and I have four young kids, and full-time jobs— that kind of free time, especially the kind that can be predictably scheduled is hard to come by.

Declutter as you go

My one-box rule was designed to help us declutter without needing to make a big deal about it. We placed a box for “stuff we don’t need” in a convenient location and made a pact not to pass anything that could go in there without stopping and throwing it away. The idea was to do this on our regular rounds around the house without ever setting out on a “decluttering mission.” And if the box happened to fill up, we’d carry it out to the garage so we could take it to the donation center the next time we left the house.

A compounding effect

The magic of the one-box rule is in the consistency. It’s amazing how a little progress on a daily basis can add up to big progress over time. Simply be making decluttering a part of our regular lives, we were able to corral the clutter and the chaos, in a way that feels manageable. When we have extra time, we can still do some of those deep-cleans, but we’re not constantly needing to play catch up.

I believe the one-box rule is flexible enough to be adapted to almost any situation. As long as you’re realistic about your own habits and the unique constraints in your life, you can make it work. Not only that, but I believe the one-box rule has the power to drive positive change across many areas of your life. Here’s a few ideas to get you started.

Cleaning

Everyday, as you go about your life in your house, look for 5 things that are out of place and put them back. It might be books, papers, dishes, or anything else that is out of place.

Email inbox

Apply the same rule to your email inbox with a certain number of emails to read or sort back into folders. If you’re like me, there’s plenty of emails in there you don’t need to keep, or that need to be moved out of your inbox and to where they belong— in folders.

Digital files

Let’s be honest. Most of us have an unmanageable amount of digital files whether it be a folder on your phone, computer, or in a cloud service. The one-box rule will work just as well when applied to these areas of clutter. For example, go through a certain number of photos each day and delete the ones you no longer need.

Fridge

Another place where clutter tends to build up is inside your refrigerator. Every month we set out with good intentions to not waste any food, but sometimes our meal plans don’t go exactly to plan and we have more items than we need. Consistent review is a great way to stay on top of this important task.

Junk drawer

Be honest with yourself. We all have cluttered spaces that are meant to be junk drawers. But sometimes we leave things there that really should be discarded or placed somewhere else.

Countertop clutter

Many homes these days have large countertops, and while those spaces are wonderful to have, they also tend to accumulate all manner of objects that don’t belong. Typically, I’ll spend about 5-10 minutes each night before bed doing a quick scan to make sure these are back in order after a busy day.

Social media

Clutter doesn’t just pile up in the physical world, it happens in the virtual world as well. Do you follow all sorts of instagram accounts that no longer appeal to you? Or maybe, you’d like to start fresh and come up with a new social media plan for your life. The one-box rule can be applied in a similar manner to building a social media feed that encourages and inspires you to be the person you want to become.

Errands

Clutter isn’t just the physical stuff you see in the world— it’s anything you want or need to do, but haven’t done yet. One way to clear that clutter is with a well-planned “errand box.” In this case, the box is metaphorical, but the rule is the same. You consolidate your errands into a single trip by keeping a list of them, and knocking them out all at once in one focused effort.

Long-term projects

Some people like to set aside an entire day or weekend to work on a big project in their life. While that sounds good in theory, lots of people struggle to carve out those large blocks of time when life is pulling them in so many directions. The one-box rule says that you break your projects down and aim to do just a little bit every day. Over time you will make progress and the compounding effect will surprise you.

Reading list

Declutter isn’t just about things you do, but also things you consume. One area that my wife and I are pretty particular about is what we read. We don’t just want to read whatever books happen to be most popular at the moment, but instead, high-quality books that have stood the test of time. While we don’t always succeed, we try to curate what we read to get the highest quality out of our time. The one-box rule can be applied in this area as well to gradually whittle down your reading list to only the books that will truly delight you.

Friendships

The final area of life I’d like to mention is your friendships. Many of us have a long list of people we care about, but in different seasons of our lives, we only have so much time to dedicate to certain friendships. The important thing is that you are intentional about the friends you do decide to invest in. Take time to make time for them in your life and practice the art of being a good friend. Don’t let that clutter build up, the way it does when you have regrets about people you should have stayed closer in touch with.