About Sharon

Hi, I'm Sharon, the creator and author behind Declutzy and a self-proclaimed decluttering guru! Well, I say “guru,” but anyone who really knows me is probably in shock after reading that statement. Why? Because I was never the neat freak type. Sure, I had my fair share of clutter. Possibly even a bit messy. But no one would have described me as a guru of anything related to being tidy. Until now.

So, how did I get from messy to decluttering guru? Unfortunately, I did it the hard way by getting totally overwhelmed with clutter until I had to do something about it. But do you know what I found out along the way? I found that with a little bit of structure and know-how, it’s really not so hard to declutter your home and get organized. My aim is to show you how easy it can be. Because if someone like me can do it, you can too.

My Story: A Life of Clutter Accumulation

I wish I could say that I’ve always been organized and clutter-free. But that simply isn’t true. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Over the years I’ve had many different jobs and hobbies. I’ve also traveled quite a bit. Therefore, my house was full of stuff to reflect that lifestyle. Although the clutter bothered me a bit, I had plenty of storage space and spare rooms to hide the overflow. Until I didn’t. That happened when my husband and I downsized into a much smaller house.

As newly retired (young) seniors, we found ourselves rattling around in a big house we no longer needed. Being empty nesters, we no longer required multiple rooms with a bedroom for everyone. Cleaning took forever, and there was always something that needed fixing or needing attention. It was a lovely house, but it was becoming exhausting to maintain.

We had always loved vacationing in Florida. I mean, who doesn't love soaking up the sun and enjoying the laid-back lifestyle? So, when the time came to downsize, it felt like the perfect opportunity to combine our favorite vacation spot with a more manageable home. That's when we decided to make the leap and move from Pennsylvania to Florida.

Downsizing and Clutter

I loved the new house. The smaller size made it easier to maintain, clean, and furnish. But, my gosh, it seriously lacked storage space. Although we got rid of a lot of our belongings before the move, we still brought way too much stuff with us. Always with the same justification… "just in case" or "We may need it." But that proved to be a big mistake when trying to find places to put it all.

Added to that, both my husband and I had lost our parents so had a lot of their stuff too. We stored it carefully in airtight containers but, again, it was taking up a lot of room. This was a tough one for me; I felt a lot of emotional attachment to my parents' belongings and really struggled with letting go of sentimental items. It caused a lot of guilt and anxiety for me to even think of discarding their belongings. But I knew I had to let go of some of it… eventually.

At the new house, I was overwhelmed with the sheer volume of stuff. Unpacking was a total nightmare. I found myself stuffing things into drawers and cupboards just to get the boxes empty. This wasn’t my best idea. Yes, it was quick; however, my drawers and cupboards became full of stuff I didn't need, and I had nowhere to put the things I did need. And that’s how the clutter began.

I started to feel overwhelmed and frustrated by all the clutter. The smaller house made it much more obvious. My garage and spare room took the brunt, with every drawer, cupboard, cabinet, and corner being full. It was at that point I decided to make some changes, but I wasn't really sure where to start. I was confused by all the different methods and feared that I would regret getting rid of something that I may need later.

Experimenting with Decluttering Methods

After realizing that the clutter in my home had become overwhelming, especially after downsizing, I knew I needed to find a way to get rid of the excess. Actually, I think it was more about finding the motivation and determination to get started. This led me to start experimenting with various decluttering methods to see what would work best for my situation.

I bought countless books and watched many YouTube videos to find the most effective method. After much research, I found there are many ways to declutter and organize your home. Best of all, there are plenty of methods, challenges, and ideas to keep it interesting. So, I decided, why not try each one and see what works best for me?

At first, it was confusing to figure out which approach was best, but I quickly realized that they all had their merits and downfalls. By working through each one, I was able to determine which works best for which situation. And most importantly, write it down so I wouldn’t forget!

I’m someone who gets bored easily (did I mention my ever-changing hobbies?), so I needed a solution that kept me interested. By chopping and changing the methods, it does just that. I also found documenting my results helpful. This website is the result of those efforts, together with my opinions on each one.

Sharing My Experience and Knowledge

I kept on track by journaling my efforts with photos and videos as I loved seeing the progress I’d made. There’s something deeply satisfying about a before and after photo. Besides, when I started to feel overwhelmed again, I would look at the pictures or videos and find the motivation again. It also helped me to evaluate each method to see which worked best for each situation. That way, when I start a new project, I review my notes and determine which one will work best.

My Approach: Honest Opinions and Practical Tips

Through this website, I aim to share my knowledge and experience gained from my own decluttering journey to help you with yours. Everything on my website is based on my own unbiased opinions and experience. I don’t endorse one method over another but give you honest reviews of what I found worked and didn’t work for each one. Bear in mind, what may work for one person may not work so well for another.

Similarly, I found the same for the decluttering strategies. For instance, I found the 12-12-12 method worked well for my spare bedroom but didn’t work so well for a smaller area, like a drawer. However, your experience may be different. My goal is to give you a balanced view of both advantages and potential drawbacks so you can make your own judgment of which method to use. I also hope it will help eliminate the confusion of where to start for you.

Resources: Checklists and Printables

I’ve also created some actionable tips and a collection of checklists you can download and print to help get you started with your decluttering project. These have all been created by me (i.e., someone who has “been there and done that.”) I hope that gives you reassurance that my advice is both realistic and effective. It’s honest reviews of how those solutions work in the real world—warts and all. Feel free to download and print whichever resource you need.

Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter what anybody says, seeing is believing! That’s why I’ve included lots of photos and videos of my own progress. I strive to show you the impact decluttering can have on your home and help you to see what is possible. Because it is always possible. The impact it had on my life was amazing. Here’s how it can help you:

• Reduced Clutter - create a more organized and functional living space 
• Effective Strategies - practical and actionable methods that you can follow 
• Reduces Anxiety and Overwhelm - relieves chaos of a cluttered environment and removes uncertainty of where to start 
• Provides Hopefulness - Provides hope of discovering new methods based on proven success stories 
• Empowerment - Successful decluttering can lead to feelings of empowerment and accomplishment 
• Create a Sustainable System - Enables you to establish long-term habits to maintain a clutter-free environment

Whether you’re tackling a specific area of your home or want to try a particular technique, you should find all the tools you need to succeed here. I do hope you enjoy the content on my website and it helps you on your own transformative journey towards a clutter-free life—the Declutzy Way!

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