Do you feel pressure at the start of the year that everything should suddenly be better than before? This text offers a different perspective on New Year’s cleaning – calm, gradual, and without the demand for perfection. You’ll learn what to focus on when minimizing and how to begin with small steps.
Reading time: 8–10 minutes
A new year is here, along with a new number on the calendar. Hope arrives that this year we’ll manage – if not everything, then at least something – that we didn’t accomplish last year or even in the years before. Media and personal development coaches offer one inspiration after another, social networks overflow with motivational quotes. Some people set resolutions.
The more challenging the state of your home is, the more likely you are to hope that this year everything will be different. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Hope and new beginnings are absolutely tangible in the collective field – even though the difference between December and January isn’t actually that big.
When we look around, nature is in a deep winter sleep. And we humans are part of nature. The more disconnected our city life is, the less we may realize it – but believe me, we are no exception. And that’s exactly why it’s good to be careful during these months.
The more dissatisfied people are with their life – whether with their physical health, body, lifestyle, or home – the more they tend to set extremely high goals. “This year I’ll dive in headfirst and finally make those huge changes.” Often supported by miraculous challenges or courses, fitness memberships, and expensive coaching programs.
But when you look out the window in January – does it really seem like now is the time to throw yourself into everything with full force?
I’ll tell you straight: it’s not.
Winter months are a time when we should be replenishing energy. Reflecting not only on what we want to improve in the new year, but also on what we will finally allow ourselves to release – and not do.
The first step of healing clean‑up
So what is the first step I would recommend in January from the perspective of healing clean‑up?
Go for a walk.
Fresh air combined with walking works wonders. Let thoughts about your home and life in the new year swirl in your mind. Let your imagination roam freely. Let yourself visualize, as if watching a movie, what your ideally spent day would look like – whether free or workday. What does your soul deeply long for?
Let the vision of your ideal home and life come to you naturally.
When you return home, take a pen and paper and write down answers to these questions:
- How could my home look this year? What could be different?
- What will I allow myself to do differently?
- What bothered me most that I didn’t manage last year?
- What will I allow myself to release?
- What will I allow myself to not do?
Just realizing that allowing yourself not to do something is just as important as constant improvement can bring relief and a deep breath. The pressure that everything must suddenly be significantly better than before is often very strong after a demanding December.
Small steps instead of big actions
You may wonder why bother with a vision. Isn’t it unnecessary? Why not jump straight into action?
Clarifying priorities is important. Thanks to it, the next steps won’t be just trial and error, but will start making more sense. Also remember that this isn’t a sprint, but more of a marathon. The more challenging the state of your home is, the more it becomes a long‑term project.
That’s exactly why the first action steps in the new year, from a minimalism perspective, shouldn’t be big actions – hours‑long decluttering sessions, entire rooms at once, or attempts to sort large categories like the entire wardrobe or kitchen.
At the start of the year, I recommend something else. Believe that every small change counts. Every decluttering session – even if you remove just one item – has meaning.
The goal for January and February should be:
- ride the positive wave of new year changes
- start with small, manageable steps
- break decluttering into very small parts
Focus on “space, time, and energy eaters”
What should you focus on when minimizing in the new year?
On the things that eat up space, time, and energy.
These include:
- duplicates
- unwanted gifts
- unrepaired items
- unsold items
- empty boxes and packaging
- already decluttered but not yet removed items
- unnecessary stockpiles
These items take up your valuable storage space. Let’s recall a well‑known quote from American minimalist Joshua Becker: “You don’t need more space, you need fewer things.”
All the items you have extra and don’t use take up space not only in your home overall but also in specific storage areas that you then lack for storing what you actually use.
At the start of the year, unwanted gifts are a perfect category. You may have received items your loved ones bought with good intentions but didn’t quite match your needs. Do you need to stress every time you see them? Definitely not.
Allow yourself to let these unwanted gifts go. A gift is meant to be an act of giving – it has already fulfilled its symbolic purpose. You accepted it. Now it’s yours, and you can handle it as you see fit. Life is too short to suffer at home because of things that don’t bring joy.
Another simple category to release is unrepaired items. Electronics that don’t work, clothes waiting for a tailor, broken toys. Go through your home, find these items, and decide – either repair them or let them go. Prepare them right away into a bag, box, or car trunk.
Unsold items often seem harmless. They represent hope that money from impulsive or unsuitable purchases will someday return. But the more we cling to the original price, the longer these items stay at home. Try lowering the price, relisting – or donating them.
A big topic is also decluttered but not yet removed items. These often hide postponed decisions and “just in case” thinking. Yet their quick removal brings significant relief.
Getting rid of empty boxes and packaging is also time‑efficient. They take up lots of space and create unnecessary visual noise – whether in cabinets, garages, or attics.
All these categories are ideal candidates for New Year’s releasing. Solving them won’t take hours but rather minutes – and that’s the point. Completing a small task brings a good feeling, relief, and a sense of progress.
Don’t strive for perfection
You may have heard recommendations, such as from Marie Kondo, that only big decluttering sessions make sense. Or: “If you want to tidy your whole life, declutter one item every day.” Or: “Aim for perfection just once.” The problem with these claims is that they don’t fit everyone – even though they present themselves as universal.
It’s important to realize that Japanese homes are generally much smaller than European apartments or houses, not to mention American homes. Compared to the Japanese, you likely won’t manage to declutter your entire home in a weekend or a few days.
Big actions require lots of time and energy, and you need to plan them ahead. And some people simply don’t feel up for them – especially not at the start of the year.
So I’d like to tell you:
Don’t strive for perfection. Every decluttering session counts, and don’t worry – it truly won’t take your whole life.
Once you reassure yourself through small steps that you’re capable of letting things go, the process naturally unfolds and bigger actions will come on their own.
A meaningful New Year’s resolution can also be a simple decision: I won’t buy any new things until I use up my current supplies – whether in cosmetics, cleaning products, or food. Nowadays, almost everything can be purchased very quickly. So why store unnecessarily large amounts at home?
To conclude, I want to emphasize one thing about this specific time of year: don’t rush. You have plenty of time ahead, and there’s no need to exhaust yourself right at the beginning.
I wish you lots of success on your journey toward a lighter home. And if this inspiration resonated with you, know that you’ve just read a part of a new book that is currently being created.
Does the healing approach to minimalism speak to you? Then you can dive deeper into the topic through the book Healing Clean‑Up. It’s a book about a home without pressure for perfection and about finding balance between outer space and the inner world. You can get it in my e‑shop with a signature and personalized dedication.
