There are plenty of books on the market about how to declutter a house. But The Declutter Challenge takes an innovative approach in helping readers organize their homes. It is a guided journal that encourages the reader to introspect on the reason for the clutter itself. Designed to foster an improved personal understanding and knowledge of the home, it follows a 30-step process.
Written by Cassandra Aarssen, best-selling author of Real Life Organizing, popular YouTube personality, and owner of Clutterbug™️, the journal aims to help readers retake control of their homes. According to Aarssen, the inspiration arose when, under the guidance of a counsellor and life coach, she realized: “It’s never about the stuff. It’s so much more than that.”
Aarssen began journaling while decluttering her home and found it rewarding. The introspection process, she says, highlights the fears and anxieties behind clutter. She wrote the book to be, “More interactive for the reader. It’s a workbook with prompting questions. It has a step-by-step decluttering challenge.”
Aarssen says that people can use this period of quarantine to their advantage by taking the time to declutter. “It’s a silver lining,” she says. “It gives us the time to make our home a priority.”
She adds that families usually have more clutter, but decluttering can be a valuable life skill to instill in children. “Kids think differently than adults – the decluttering process is hard, but they can get really excited.”
By journaling, the reader gets the opportunity to “peel back the layers of the onion, identify the struggles of underlying fears, anxieties, or past experiences.” The book aims to provide eco-friendly options through the repurposing of old items to halt the perpetuation of buying only new products. Combining self-evaluation with a family activity suitable to social isolation, The Declutter Challenge aims to improve lives by eliminating clutter.
Acknowledging the relevance of the home during this era of social distancing, Aarssen says, “It’s something you can do that’s free and can really transform your home.” Cluttered homes can cause more stress and discontent, she says. “In a time where so much is out of our control, it’s a way to take that control back.”
The book will be released on April 28, 2020 and will be sold by major book retailers. •
