One reason you can't start decluttering
Do you need the after-picture to get started?
One reason that you can't start decluttering is you want an after-picture for the room first.
Like a vision for the room.
You want to know where everything will go before starting the work.
There's one thing to understand about visioning.
A vision for a room is different than figuring out the clutter
Here's a vision for a room.
Make your spare room, currently the top floor dumping-ground, into a reading room with a cozy chair.
A vision can motivate you to declutter.
Figuring out what's in the clutter by looking at it, is mission impossible.
You don't know what's in the clutter.
You figure that out by untangling the clutter, deciding what stays, organizing the keepers, and exiting the discards.
Why is it more comfortable to start with an "after picture"?
The need for an “after picture” to get started is due to how you solve problems.
You're used to seeing where you're going before you start doing the work.
That works amazingly for some problems.
Just not for untangling clutter.
It's easier to start decluttering without knowing where things will go
How can I know where things will go?
I don’t know what’s in the clutter.
I also don't know what you’ll discard or move to a different room.
This is what we find out from untangling the clutter.
Decluttering is a systematic exercise.
You need a method that you can rely on to get you through uncomfortable decisions.
The method that I use to declutter is called Magic Squares.
In a nutshell, clutter is replaced by space in a systematic fashion.