How to Build the Habit of Decluttering Your Physical and Digital Life
Jesse Krim
Founder & CEO
How to Build the Habit of Decluttering Your Physical and Digital Life
A cluttered space—whether it's a chaotic bedroom or an overflowing inbox—silently drains your focus, creativity, and drive. Thought leaders like Marie Kondo champion keeping only what "sparks joy," inviting mindfulness into your physical world. On the digital end, Cal Newport emphasizes intentional tech use to break free from constant digital noise. When these philosophies unite, they create a powerful path to clarity—both inside and out.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to build a sustainable habit of decluttering—physically and digitally. You’ll learn how to intentionally curate your environments to foster sharper thinking, deeper focus, and a life aligned with what truly matters.
Why Decluttering Matters: The Science of Less
Decluttering isn't just about clean countertops and empty folders—it's about mental liberation. According to research from Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute, visual clutter competes for your attention. Every object or open browser tab is silently calling your brain, fragmenting focus and increasing stress.
The benefits of intentional decluttering run deep:
- Amplifies clarity and eases mental fatigue
- Supercharges productivity by eliminating distractions
- Aligns your space and tools with your core goals
- Reduces overwhelm by simplifying your decision-making
- Encourages presence, awareness, and purposeful living
Simplifying your physical and digital spaces is like decluttering your mind—and the effects ripple through every part of life.
The Marie Kondo Method: Sparking Joy in Your Physical Surroundings
Few methods have captivated the world like Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method. It’s not just about neat drawers—it’s about honoring what matters. Her central philosophy? Keep only what sparks joy, letting go of everything else without guilt.
Core Principles:
- Tidy by category, not location (start with clothes, then books, then papers, etc.)
- Follow a specific order, designed to strengthen your decision-making over time
- Hold each item and ask with intention: “Does this truly spark joy?”
- Express gratitude to the items you discard—they served their purpose
- Discard thoroughly before organizing
Turning This Into a Habit:
- Begin small: One drawer, one shelf—no pressure to overhaul everything at once
- Time-block it: Dedicate 15 minutes each morning or evening
- Track progress: Use photos or journals to celebrate your momentum
- Stack it with routines: Declutter while your coffee brews or during your favorite podcast
- Find accountability: Join a decluttering group or challenge for extra motivation
By infusing emotion into the process—not guilt, but gratitude—you'll turn tidying into an act of joy-filled intention.
Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism: Mastering Intentional Technology Use
While your desk may be spotless, your digital life might still be a mess of open tabs, unread notifications, and apps siphoning your time. Enter Cal Newport and his philosophy of digital minimalism—a mindset that encourages you to use technology with purpose, not on impulse.
Key Principles:
- 30-Day Digital Declutter: Temporarily remove non-essential tech to assess what truly adds value
- Reintroduce tech selectively, ensuring each tool serves a clear purpose
- Set strict boundaries: Define when and how you engage with screens
- Choose high-quality tech use over passive consumption
- Prefer analog activities when possible—walking, journaling, or reading long-form content
Building the Habit Digitally:
- Weekly audits: Reflect on time spent and app utility—what’s helping vs. hindering
- Deploy tools like Focus Mode, email filters, or website blockers
- Ruthlessly unsubscribe from newsletter clutter and digital noise
- Use logical folder structures and naming conventions to tidy your digital files
- Curate a distraction-free home screen—no dopamine-triggering social apps front and center
Digital minimalism isn’t about becoming a technophobe; it’s about being the author of your attention in a world designed to hijack it.
Bridging Physical and Digital Decluttering
Most people separate the physical and digital, but lasting clarity emerges when both spheres are aligned.
Synchronize Your Sessions
- Pair a desk clean-up with a desktop reorganization
- Create monthly resets: archive old files, wipe dust from corners, and review tool usage
- Ask the "spark joy" question of your apps, software, and subscriptions
Decluttering Rituals That Stick
- Weekly Intentional Reset: Sunday evenings are perfect to reset your desk, hit inbox zero, and plan the week ahead
- The 10-Minute Rule: Just a daily 5-minute tidying sprint for your space and 5 minutes for your digital world
- One-In-One-Out Rule: If you add a new shirt or app, retire one that no longer serves you
Use Mentorship to Stay Accountable
Developing a new habit is easier with someone in your corner. With a mentor, you can:
- Craft a personalized decluttering system that fits your lifestyle
- Stay consistent through accountability and encouragement
- Get expert advice on tools, programs, and techniques for sustainable balance
Decluttering isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about structure, energy, and reclaiming bandwidth.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even with good intentions, decluttering can derail if you fall into these traps:
- All-or-nothing thinking: You don’t have to overhaul your entire life in a weekend
- Forgetting that decluttering is ongoing, not a single event
- Lacking systems, which makes it easy to fall back into old habits
- Overcomplicating the process—remember: the goal is less, not more tasks
Instead, focus on progress, not perfection. Sustainable transformation happens step by step.
Final Thoughts: Decluttering for a Focused, Purpose-Driven Life
Decluttering is more than a productivity hack—it’s a lifestyle of clarity, intention, and alignment. When you blend Marie Kondo’s emphasis on joy with Cal Newport’s call for digital purpose, you’re not just eliminating clutter. You’re making space for what really matters.
Let this be your quiet revolution: small, consistent actions that reclaim your focus, spark your creativity, and unlock your potential.
And remember—consistency beats intensity. Every drawer you organize, every app you delete, every notification you disable is a vote for the kind of life you want to lead.
Ready to take control of your space, mind, and goals?
Download the Get Mentors app today to connect with mentors who can guide your productivity and organization journey. Learn more about our mission at Get Mentors About Page.
