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I used to be an all-or-nothing kind of person—go big or go home. Declutter my entire garage in one go, or don’t declutter at all. And because a task like this was so overwhelming, I very often chose not to declutter. 

Until I read the “Atomic Habits” book by James Clear. 

Here are 15 lessons from the Atomic Habits book that helped me finally achieve a clutter-free home. 

15 Lessons from Atomic Habits for a Clutter-free Home

Keep reading below or watch the video:

1. The 1% better rule

One thing I took from this book is that taking a space and making it 1% better each time can actually have a compound effect. This, in time, can have impressive results. 

So I started to ask myself: if I walk into my living room, what is something I can do right now to make it 1% better? 

It might be just taking dishes to the kitchen or taking some toys out to declutter—depending on the day. But by doing something that made my living room just 1% better each time I entered it, I noticed a massive change in my home after a few months or even a year. 

And if you think about it, if you try to make things 1% better every single day for one year, it means the results will be 37 times better at the end of that year.

Source: JamesClear.com

2. The 3.5 rule

In his book, James Clear mentions the 3.5-degree rule. He gives the example of a pilot who’s flying a plane from LA to New York but changes the degree of the plane’s trajectory by just 3.5 degrees. If this happens, at the end of the flight the plane lands in a completely different location, not in New York. 

What I took from this is that we are all on a trajectory. 

When it came to my home, I was definitely on a trajectory of adding more stuff every single day or week and not really taking a lot out, so not really decluttering much. Looking at that, I realised that, even if each day it feels like, ‘Oh, I’m only adding this tiny amount, it’s not going to matter,’ the trajectory of the amount of stuff I was going to have in my home was going to go up and up.

That was a real eye-opener to how much stuff I had accumulated by just adding a little bit each time. 

So, I decided to change that trajectory, making decluttering more of a habit—something I do on a consistent basis. The result? Over time, the amount of stuff has slowly gone down. 

This principle doesn’t apply only to decluttering but to many other areas of our lives, like weight loss for example. We often see ads promising quick results, like ‘Lose weight fast in 30 days.’ 

Even postpartum, when I was trying to lose a bit of weight, I reminded myself that making tiny changes each day in the right direction would eventually lead to the result I wanted. But let’s be honest—this approach doesn’t sound as appealing in marketing, does it? They usually push for something fast, something quick, something that gets you results right away, but it’s usually not sustainable. And that’s why this rule really stuck with me.

3. Make it obvious

This is part of what James Clear calls “The Habit Loop”—the first step is the cue, which is the trigger that starts the behaviour and leads to habits that stick.

For example, I wanted to read more, so I started leaving a book on my nightstand at all times. When I went to bed, seeing the book there served as a visual cue that signalled to my brain, ‘Oh, you might want to give this a read.’ 

The idea is to make the cue as obvious as possible. Having a visual cue can be really helpful. When it comes to decluttering, maybe put a box somewhere visible and you can fill it with things you want to declutter. 

4. Make it attractive

This is the “craving” part of “The Habit Loop”, where motivation kicks in. 

We don’t just want to watch TV; we want to be entertained. Similarly, we don’t want to do the physical act of decluttering; but we do crave a calm, easy-to-tidy, and easy-to-manage home. That’s the real desire. 

To make this process more attractive, I started following people who inspired and motivated me to shop less, declutter my home, and simplify my life. That is what worked for me. Maybe for you is putting some music on to make decluttering a more fun and enjoyable experience. Maybe it’s something else. Anything that can help motivate you is worth trying.

5. Make it easy

This is the “response” part of “The Habit Loop”. I learned that the easier I made the process, the more likely I was to actually do it. 

For me, this meant not overwhelming myself when decluttering, but instead, focusing on those 15- or 20-minute decluttering sessions—just a small task doable right now that gives a sense of accomplishment without being overwhelming.

This allowed me to focus on the first step. Looking at a cluttered garage, for example, could feel like, ‘Where do I even begin?’ But if I thought, ‘Okay, I’m just going to tackle this tiny area or this one storage box,’ it felt attainable. 

This approach felt much easier than staring at the entire space and feeling paralysed by the enormity of the task.

So, just take the first step. As James Clear advises, if you’re trying to train for running a marathon, just put your shoes on first and focus on those small steps. You know what they say: an object in motion stays in motion; that’s Newton’s law. 

I have found that to be true. I noticed I would set myself a timer for 15 minutes to declutter just one small area. But once I was in it, a lot of the time I actually felt like doing more.

6. Make it satisfying

This is the “reward” part of “The Habit Loop”.

One of the things I tried to do to make it more rewarding for myself was to take pictures of the space I was decluttering before and after the process. This simple act can make the whole process feel so rewarding—just looking at “before” and “after” pictures.

You don’t even have to post them anywhere, just for yourself. 

Another thing I tried to do to help make it a more rewarding experience? I created my Simply Decluttered program and community. Members of the community took “before” and “after” pictures and felt their effect. 

So if you’re struggling with decluttering, taking these pictures might be just the thing for you.

7. The Habit Loop

This is where the 4 stages I mentioned above come together.

If they don’t align, creating a new habit can be really tough. But when they do, forming a habit like keeping a decluttered home becomes almost as effortless as brushing your teeth—just something you do naturally.

8. Habit stacking

This is another concept from “Atomic Habits” that really stuck with me, and it goes like this: attaching decluttering to a habit you already have in your daily routine makes it so much easier to stick to. The habit you already have will trigger your brain to associate that time with decluttering as well, making it feel almost automatic.

For example, in my case, when I walk through the door after coming home, I try to remember to put back in their places the things I came in with. Another example is emptying the dishwasher in the morning while making coffee or breakfast. 

Think about the things you already do in your routine—how can you add decluttering, tidying, or any other habit you’re trying to form to those already established habits?

9. The 2-Minute Rule

This is another great tip, and it’s quite simple. If you’re looking around your home and see something that takes less than two minutes to do, then do it straight away. 

It might be replying to that birthday invite your kid got. Or it might be taking dishes from the living room to the kitchen. Simple and quick tasks. 

Implementing this rule is going to free up so much time down the line because you won’t have a mountain of tasks piling up.

10. The Identity Habit

This one was a game-changer for me. I learned that how I identified myself played a huge role in how I kept my home, ran my business, and managed almost every aspect of my life. 

Back when I used to think, ‘Well, this is just how I am—my household can be messy, things are left around, I’m not a very tidy person,’ my brain was constantly working to prove those beliefs true. If I identified as someone who was messy, I was more likely to leave things out and do the things that a messy person would do.

It truly is a mindset shift, an identity shift. So, I started telling myself, ‘I am an organised person. I am a tidy person. I am someone who puts things away where they belong.’ And the more I did little things to reinforce that identity, the more it built up, and the easier it became to do those things effortlessly.

11. The dopamine effect

Another thing I found really helpful is understanding the dopamine effect. When we think about decluttering, if we can make the process enjoyable and rewarding, it can actually give us a dopamine rush. Even just clearing up a shelf or organising a cupboard—those small actions can trigger that little dopamine hit, making you more likely to want to do it again.

12. The immediate return rule

This concept was also really interesting to me. Often, the habits we’re working on, for example going for a run, have rewards that are far into the future—like better health. But it’s not something we can see right now. And because those rewards aren’t immediately tangible, they often don’t feel satisfying to our brains. 

That’s why giving ourselves immediate returns, even small ones, can really help in building these habits. Whether it’s the quick satisfaction of a tidy space or the instant gratification of crossing something off the to-do list, these immediate rewards can make a big difference.

13. The environment is important

Our environment plays a crucial role in helping us achieve our goals, like decluttering. It’s important to set up our surroundings in a way that supports our objectives. For example, placing a box in a visible spot to collect items for donation or creating a system to streamline the decluttering process can make a big difference.

14. Never miss twice

One key lesson I learned is the principle of “never miss twice.” Skipping a habit one day is okay, but missing two or more days in a row can lead to the formation of new habits that don’t support our goals. 

For instance, if I skip tidying up at the end of the day because I’m too tired, that’s fine—missing once is manageable. However, I make it a point to get back on track the following day. This helps reinforce my identity as an organised and tidy person.

I’ve also applied this principle to my business. For example, with my videos on my YouTube channel, I aim to never miss twice. As you might know, I upload a new video every Saturday. 

And while missing one Saturday is acceptable, I will absolutely try my best to maintain my schedule and avoid missing two weeks in a row. This approach helps me stay consistent and focused on my goals.

And you can definitely keep me accountable too—if you notice I’m missing multiple times in a row, don’t hesitate to give me a shout! 

15. Systems over goals

When it comes to achieving our goals, I’ve learned that focusing on systems is often more effective than just setting big, distant goals. While goals are motivating, they can sometimes feel out of reach or too far off. What really drives progress are the daily and weekly systems we put in place to support us reach our goals. 

We all want a clean and decluttered home, but it’s the systems—the daily routines, the weekly tidying, and the small, consistent actions—that make it achievable. If you need a little extra help, I have a free decluttering checklist you can download.

I hope these 15 lessons from Atomic Habits for a clutter-free home have been useful and inspiring. I’d love to hear how you’re doing on your decluttering journey, so feel free to share your progress in the comments below.