Looking for editing & decluttering inspiration besides my posts?
I love writing about organizing and decluttering, but let’s be honest: I’m not the only voice out there, and I don’t want to be. Different perspectives resonate with different people, and part of my job as a professional organizer in Littleton is pointing my clients toward the resources that will actually click for them.
Over the years, I’ve read the books, watched the shows, scrolled the YouTube rabbit holes, and tested the philosophies on my own house and with my clients. Some approaches I fully embrace. Some I disagree with. And some I take pieces from and leave the rest, which is honestly the healthiest way to approach any decluttering advice, including mine.
So if you’re looking for a nudge, a fresh angle, or just some background inspiration while you fold laundry, here are the sources I recommend most often.
Start with The Minimalists
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, better known as The Minimalists, are usually the first place I send someone who is decluttering-curious but doesn’t know where to begin. Their documentaries on Netflix are an easy on-ramp, and their podcast is great background listening while you’re actually working on a closet or a garage.
What I like about them is that they don’t preach a rigid rulebook. They talk about intentionality, about why we accumulate, and about the emotional side of stuff. That aligns closely with what I see in real homes. If you’ve ever wondered why letting go feels so hard, their content pairs really well with what I’ve written about the psychology behind accumulating clutter.
Where to start: The documentary “The Minimalists: Less Is Now” on Netflix. It’s about 53 minutes and a great watch on a Sunday afternoon.
Read “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”
Margareta Magnusson’s book has one of the most off-putting titles in the genre, and yet it might be my favorite decluttering book of all time. Don’t let the word “death” scare you off. The premise is simple: as we get older, we should thoughtfully edit our belongings so that we’re not leaving a burden for our loved ones.
But here’s the thing: you don’t have to be a senior to benefit from this approach. I recommend it to clients in their 40s and 50s all the time. Magnusson writes with such warmth and dry humor that it doesn’t feel morbid at all. It feels freeing.
I love it so much I wrote a whole post on how to Swedish death clean and why you should start now. Read the book, then read my post for the practical “how do I actually do this in my Littleton house” version.
Marie Kondo (With a Few Caveats)
Marie Kondo is probably the most famous name in decluttering, and her “does it spark joy?” question has genuinely helped a lot of people. Her Netflix series is charming, and her folding method for t-shirts is legitimately useful. Game changer for anyone with a stuffed dresser, because you can actually see every shirt you own.
That said, I disagree with her on a few things. Her one-shot, do-it-all-at-once approach doesn’t work for most of my clients. Real life has kids, jobs, and a dog who wants to be walked. Small, sustainable steps beat a marathon every time, which is why I’m a big fan of the 15-minute secret to a clutter-free home instead.
I also think her category-not-location rule (all clothes from the entire house in one pile) is overwhelming for a lot of people. Take what works for you and leave the rest. That’s the whole point.
Peter Walsh and Other Authors Worth Your Time
Peter Walsh is another author I recommend often. He came up through TLC’s “Clean Sweep” years ago and has written several books, including “It’s All Too Much” and “Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight.” He’s compassionate but direct, and he ties clutter to the bigger emotional and lifestyle picture, not just the surface mess.
A few other names to search:
- Dana K. White (“Decluttering at the Speed of Life”) for a very practical, no-nonsense approach.
- Gretchen Rubin (“Outer Order, Inner Calm”) for the connection between environment and wellbeing.
- Francine Jay (“The Joy of Less”) for a gentler, more philosophical minimalism.
Your local Littleton library has most of these, so you don’t even need to buy them.
Fall Down a YouTube Rabbit Hole
If reading isn’t your thing, YouTube is a goldmine. Just search “decluttering” or “minimalist home” and you’ll get hours of content. I recommend watching a few different creators to find someone whose home, budget, and life stage look somewhat like yours. Watching a 25-year-old with a studio apartment declutter isn’t going to translate perfectly if you’re a family of five in Highlands Ranch.
My tip: Pick one video per day, watch it while you fold laundry or wash dishes, and then go do 15 minutes of decluttering in one drawer. Inspiration without action is just entertainment, lol. That combo of watch-then-do is what actually shifts your house over time.
Find What Resonates and Ignore the Rest
Here’s the honest truth after 15 years of doing this work: no single expert has the “right” answer for your home. Marie Kondo isn’t wrong. Peter Walsh isn’t wrong. I’m not wrong. We’re just all coming at it from different angles, and your job is to find the voices that make you want to actually get up and do something.
If a book leaves you feeling ashamed or overwhelmed, put it down. Try a different one. This is supposed to help you, not beat you up. Many clients in Littleton come to me after reading three or four books and feeling more stuck than when they started, and that’s usually a sign they need a real person in the room, not another chapter.
Ready to Turn Inspiration Into Action?
Reading and watching are wonderful starting points, but sometimes you need a real human beside you in your actual house, sorting through your actual stuff. As a professional organizer serving Littleton and the Denver area, I love helping people move from “I’ve been meaning to declutter for years” to “wow, I can breathe in this room again.” If you’re ready to take that next step, contact me today to schedule a consultation, and we’ll figure out what works for your lifestyle together.
