If I've learned one thing over the years, it’s that I am at my most effective and my most efficient when I operate under strict guidelines. This is never more true than when I’m attempting to declutter.
After testing out the SIMPLE method to organize my fridge and loving the results, I decided to try out another popular decluttering technique. The newest method I'm testing in my cluttered home is called the 90/90 rule.
If you’re like me and haven’t heard of this one before, the 90/90 rule is credited to Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists. Much like other wildly popular decluttering methods, this one involves asking yourself two very simple, straightforward questions:
With this in mind, I decided to tackle one of my closets with the 90/90 rule and see how I fared.
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While the 90/90 rule earned its name by taking stock of the past and upcoming ninety days, Millburn and Nicodemus are the first to tell you on their site that the number itself isn’t the important part. Though it's a good guideline, the timeframe should adjust based on where you're decluttering.
For instance, if you’re using this method on your fridge, your window might be much smaller. If you’re cleaning out your guest room or linen closet, you might need to think seasonally.
Whatever you decide, it’s helpful to set your window before you start and stick to it.
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Because I decided to attack one of my closets with this rule, ninety was the right number for the first question. Ninety days ago was early November, when the weather here was about the same as it is now. But, ninety days from now is May, and that hopefully will bring some editing of my spring and summer
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