The Power of Starting Small
The Power of Starting Small
When I first began decluttering, I thought I had to tackle everything at once. You know that feeling, standing in front of a closet or a room and thinking, “If I don’t get it all done today, what’s the point?” That mindset kept me stuck for years.
The truth is, when we expect ourselves to clear decades of clutter or change deeply ingrained habits in one big swoop, we set ourselves up for overwhelm. And overwhelm almost always leads to avoidance.
What finally shifted things for me was realizing I didn’t need to do it all. I just needed to do something. One drawer. One pile of laundry. One decision at a time. That’s where the idea of the 10-Minute Club was born, just committing to what you can do in 10 minutes.
Here’s what happens when you start small:
🌿 You build trust with yourself. Every time you complete one tiny step, you prove to yourself that you can follow through. That’s powerful.
🌿 Momentum takes over. Have you ever noticed how clearing one counter makes you want to wipe down the table too? Small steps create ripples.
🌿 The pressure disappears. Instead of staring at a massive project, you shrink it down into something doable. “I’ll just set the timer for 10 minutes” feels a lot gentler than “I have to clean this whole room today.”
I still remember the first time I used this approach in my laundry room. I didn’t have the energy for a full overhaul, so I told myself, “Ten minutes.” I folded what I could, put away what I could, and when the timer went off, I stopped. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. And the next day, it was even better.
Starting small doesn’t mean you’re thinking small. It means you’re laying the foundation for lasting change. Because here’s the truth: lasting transformation rarely comes from one big leap, it comes from a series of tiny steps you keep showing up for, day after day.
So if you’re looking at your space today and feeling that familiar weight of “too much,” I want you to take a deep breath and remind yourself: I can start small. I can start kind. I can start now.
Because small steps still move you forward. And forward is all that matters.
Julie 💗
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