The R.E.S.E.T Method: A Simple Approach to Conquering Clutter

Drowning in clutter? Feeling stuck in a cycle of overwhelm? You're not alone and it's not just about having too much stuff.

Most decluttering approaches miss the crucial truth: clutter represents delayed decisions, weighing heavily on both your physical space AND mental wellbeing. When your nervous system goes into protective mode, even small organizational tasks can feel impossible, creating a paralyzing cycle that's difficult to break.

In this illuminating episode, I share my proven R.E.S.E.T method (Reclaim Space, Eliminate Clutter, Simplify Life, Elevate Mindset, and Take Action) designed specifically for those feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Unlike other decluttering frameworks, this approach acknowledges both the practical and emotional dimensions of organization.

We explore common emotional barriers like the "I might need it someday" mindset and guilt associated with inherited or sentimental items. I offer practical guidance on when to let go of items you've been trying to sell, how to preserve memories without keeping every physical object, and why setting a timer for just 10-15 minutes can create remarkable momentum.

The R.E.S.E.T method isn't about achieving a picture-perfect home. It's about creating breathing room for what matters most, transforming your relationship with your possessions and breaking free from the paralysis of overwhelm. Whether you're struggling with inherited items, children's belongings or simply too much stuff, this episode provides actionable strategies to move forward one small step at a time.

Ready to reclaim your space and mental energy? Listen now, and discover how small, intentional changes can create powerful transformation in both your home and mindset. Don't forget to subscribe.

No more access to the R.E.S.E.T Challenge - stay tuned for future rounds!

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Beyond Organised
• 1:38 The R.E.S.E.T Method Explained
• 4:06 Eliminating Clutter and Selling Items
• 7:38 Simplifying Life With Systems
• 9:30 The Emotional Side of Decluttering
• 13:45 Taking Action in Small Steps
• 17:18 R.E.S.E.T Challenge Announcement

Transcript

Mel: 0:18

Welcome to Beyond Organised, a podcast that helps you simplify your life and amplify your purpose. I'm Mel Schenker life coach, speaker, founder of She's Organised and, more importantly, a wife and mom of four little kids. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, like you're constantly juggling everything but never quite catching up, this is the place for you. Here we go beyond just the tidying up and creating systems. We're talking about real life strategies that bring order to your life, but also we talk about the things beyond the organising, the things that really matter, like your parenting relationships and so much more. So grab your coffee and let's dive in.

Mel: 0:59

In today's episode, I wanted to talk about decluttering episode. I wanted to talk about decluttering, so these kind of questions I get asked all the time. So getting on top of the home is a really big focus for a lot of my clients, because that is a physical thing that they can see as adding to their stress and their overwhelm. So by dealing with things in the home, they can start to reclaim a little bit of themselves. So I wanted to focus a bit on decluttering, but I also wanted to focus on the way that I go about it. So my method is the R. E. S. E. T method. For me, reset stands for Reclaim Space. Eliminate Clutter, simplify Life, elevate Mindset and take action. So I'm going to go through that today because ultimately, clutter isn't just stuff, it's delayed decisions and there's a lot that goes on mentally as to how things are going physically. So the more you have, the more it weighs on your energy and your focus and your mood. And decluttering doesn't have to be your massive overhauls, as much as I like that. It really is just making small, intentional steps that really add up over time. So I did create a reset challenge that is coming up, which I'll mention a bit more at the end, but I wanted to touch on reset and how you can apply this to where you're at today.

Mel: 2:33

So the first letter is R reclaim space. So every item you own takes up physical and mental space. You want to be asking yourself what's actually serving me and what's just taking up room. So we want to start simple. Maybe start with one surface or one drawer or just one space that you can actually see and feel and get tangible results quickly. See and feel and get tangible results quickly. That helps with building a bit of momentum and creating that motivation that you need to keep going. So a lot of people that come to me are not very motivated. They procrastinate a lot, and it's not because they don't want to change. It's because they're so overwhelmed that they are literally paralyzed. Their nervous system is shutting down and literally going into some backup, protective mode, and that survival mode doesn't allow for things like decluttering and actually getting on top of your life again. So the method that I've got and this challenge that I've created is created specifically for people who are overwhelmed and who are really stuck in this cycle that doesn't allow for growth and moving forward. So we want to reclaim both your physical and mental space both your physical and mental space.

Mel: 4:06

The second one is E eliminate clutter. Now, a big part of being able to do that is to actually remove what doesn't serve you. So ask yourself and be honest do I need this? Do I use this? Do I love this? If you answer no to any of those things, well, they're generally the simplest things to get rid of. First, you can either donate it, recycle it, throw it away.

Mel: 4:31

I like to be mindful. I try to avoid throwing things away and have it really as a last resort, unless, of course, it's broken or it's rubbish and no one else is ever going to want it anyway. But I do get a common question where people have maybe started the decluttering process and have put things aside to sell on marketplace or wherever you sell things. That can be good. It can be good to get some money, but keep in mind that a lot of the things that you find value in and the prices you might set it for, other people don't value it. So if you list things for a certain price, I would encourage you, after even a few days and that, to reduce the price and if it's still there after a week or two, you set a realistic timeframe depending on the item. But if it's still there after a little while, then you actually need to pull it down and donate it.

Mel: 5:30

Get rid of it Because, trust me, you could still be holding onto it a year later trying to get 20 bucks for something, and it's just not worth your space, your time and your energy for what it is. So I mean I had something where I was trying to sell these eight dining chairs and I had it listed for maybe two years. Yeah, ridiculous, right. I wanted to just get rid of it, but my husband kept wanting to get money for it because each chair was worth like 400 bucks. I couldn't even sell eight of them for 400 bucks or 200 bucks or 100 bucks. I reduced it and after a while obviously kept coming back to it because it was just in the garage and every few months kept coming back Okay, can we get rid of it now? And it's like no, we need money for it. They're good chairs. But after a while we ended up putting it on hard rubbish. It got picked up, somebody wanted it and taken it, which was good, because I was scared that it was literally going to end up in landfill. And they were really good, really really good chairs. But no, somebody else picked it up and took it away, which was great.

Mel: 6:40

But you need to put a set time frame on it and it's a lot easier when it's just your stuff. If it's you and your partner or someone else, it can be a little bit harder to deal with that. But I would encourage both of you to set a proper time frame and not just hold on to things because you think you can get money for it, because even though you might have spent a lot of money on it, you might feel it's worth a lot. Other people just don't value it the way that you do. So getting rid of the clutter and actually reclaiming that space back is so much more important, and if something is really cheap and easy to replace, then let it go, because you know if you need it down the track which rarely happens by. You know if you need it down the track, which rarely happens, by the way if you need it down the track and it's easily sourceable, then just get it then, but save yourself the space and the headaches and everything else in the meantime.

Mel: 7:38

The third one is S, and that one is simplify life. So systems are generally what helps with simplifying. I mean, I have got a 4D filter and I go through all of that. We can hear it elsewhere, but in this case I want to talk about systems that make your life a little bit easier. You want to be able to have a place for everything in your home. So if you have the toaster out on the bench, you're making breakfast, all of that that when you're done there's a spot back in the cupboard or drawer or however you have it. There's a space for it to go back, so it doesn't need to live on the bench because there's nowhere else for it. We want to have a home for everything. We want to simplify in making the process as easy as possible in as fewer steps as possible.

Mel: 8:27

One big one that I come across a lot is the washing. Everybody hates washing. We like clean clothes but we don't like how we get them, and a big part of the process is the sorting sorting through the different clothes and what goes where and to whom, and all of that. And so even just eliminating the sorting process by washing, in particular batches and things like that, can already help simplify that process and save a bit of energy, both physically and mentally. Some other examples might even be, you know, having a basket at the door for the shoes, or just chucking all the kids' snacks in one big tub and container and they will sift through it and sort through it. You don't need to have each individual snack in different containers and things like that. Maybe it's having a tray for your paper bills to go in to collect all in one spot instead of having it spread out everywhere. It's having systems that make things easier for you that you can maintain for the long term. That will stick really.

Mel: 9:30

And now the fourth one is E elevate mindset, so decluttering isn't just physical. In fact, the physical side is almost the smaller portion of it. It really is an emotional and mental challenge, probably even more than the physical. So it can even be like, how did it get like this in the first place? And sometimes it's just being mindful. Maybe we just aren't mindful on how we're spending our money or how we're organizing things around the home, not realizing we already had three of the same thing already and we've just bought another one. And to do that a bit with a tomato sauce, but it also could be what does that stuff mean to you?

Mel: 10:18

So a couple of big ones that I come across. A lot is this fear of I might need it someday, which tends to happen more with my parents' generation, because they grew up with very little and now they have a lot really. But that's also because they've held onto a lot, because they learned not to be wasteful when they were little. But it's a very different world and a very different livelihood now from when they were little. So it's that fear of I might need it someday that really holds onto what is now clutter and the things that are important end up getting swallowed up by all the things that aren't. So that can be a really tough one.

Mel: 11:01

But another one is guilt. So I see this a bit when it comes to inheritance. So maybe you've lost a grandparent or a parent or even a child, and that one's really tough and there's this guilt of letting go because it was important to that person or it's really got strong emotional ties to you and reminder of what you've lost really. But there's memories kept in these items that can be a really, really tough one and that's something when it comes to sentimental items, I tend to leave last. And in this particular challenge I've got coming up. We're not even going to touch the sentimental stuff. We're going to have quick and easy stuff this time around. But even with the sentimental items, there are ways that you can reduce the actual items and still hold on to the memories, like taking photos or videos. You can even film yourself with that particular item, talking through what that memory means to you. Even that is something you can still pass down to your kids and beyond and having that actual memory saved for you.

Mel: 12:18

So it can be about reframing your mindset as well that letting go is an act of self-care and intention. It's not failing, it's not about not caring, it's actually an intentional, purposeful process to really treasure and enjoy the things that you do have. We're not talking about getting rid of every single thing in your home or everything. That means something not at all. It's about holding onto the things that mean the most to you so you can really be able to enjoy those things in the time you've got with it. So after a while going through this process, it can either get easier or harder, and for me I found it gets easier in the fact that I can get rid of things a lot easier than I did 10 years ago. But in some ways there are more emotional attachments that I have to things now than I did 10 years ago, things that I have inherited, but also my children that have grown up and no longer fit in those pair of shoes or anything yeah, just all the stuff that goes with it. But we want to not just focus on the physical side of things but also deal with the emotional and mental part, because, if anything, that is probably even a bigger reason as to why there's clutter in the first place.

Mel: 13:45

Now, the fifth one T is take action, don't overthink it. Start small, start today, so you might be waiting for these big pockets of time, massive overhauls, that's great if you can make it work, but for most people life is way too busy and before you realize that, months have disappeared and you're still drowning in the same clutter that you had before. So we want to start at small at least, and it and particularly if overwhelm is something that impacts you this can help in pushing past it enough to not add to the overwhelm and burnout, but to actually provide a bit of relief to the stress you're carrying. So one way you can do it is you could set a timer and do 10 to 15 minutes. So I like a timer to count down when you just want to do a small pocket of like 10 minutes per thing, but I also like a stopwatch when there might be particular tasks you're putting off because you think it takes too long. But you actually time yourself and you realize it takes a fraction of that time. So you might have been putting off even making your bed because you think, oh, it's going to take 15 minutes, I've got to do this, got to do that, and you actually time yourself and it takes you a minute and a half. I know if you've got a lot of cushions and a lot of pillows. Maybe it takes you three minutes, but it still won't take you 15. So it's good to actually get some data around how long things take you realistically, but also to give yourself just a small pocket of windows, and I know when I have 10 minutes to quickly clean up and get on top of things, I can actually get a lot done in 10 minutes. It's kind of like, especially when you know that someone's about to come over and you've got 10 minutes to quickly clean up, it's amazing how much you can get done in that time. So just treat it like that 10 minutes quick. What's the word? Scurry funds or something like that. So, yeah, that's a good one.

Mel: 15:46

We want to take action, and action helps create the momentum and the momentum builds on the motivation and it keeps you going. So I did an episode a little while back talking about how motivation is overrated, and a big part of it is because people rely on motivation to kick in first when it works for some people or for some things. But action needs to come first and then that helps eventually get to that motivation that you're after and just be consistent. It's easy to do sporadic bits here and there, but if we can find ways, like the systems I was talking about, to help us be consistent in not just decluttering but in being able to maybe reduce the load that's coming in, simplify the way that we do life so we can actually focus on the things that are more important to us, then that also helps in the long run. And it's not about leading a perfect life that is the envy of everyone. It's about just having more time and energy and focus on the things that are just way more important than dealing with stuff. So my main takeaways that I'm hoping that you get out of this is reclaim space, eliminate clutter, simplify life, elevate mindset, take action. That reset process is a good stepping stone to getting you moving forward in reclaiming your home and creating that peace and freedom in your home, and it's just really about creating that breathing room for what matters to you.

Mel: 17:23

Now I did mention before about the reset challenge that I've got coming up. So I've got the challenge starting on September 20th that I've got coming up. So I've got the challenge starting on September 20th, melbourne time of 7am, so September 19th for some of you. So if you're listening to this after the fact, that's fine. I'll let you know how you can maybe come across the challenge details, but if you're yet to reach September 20 and you want to be part of this reset challenge, then head over to the beyondorganizedcom slash toolkit and I'll have the details in there for you. And I want to encourage you that if you've been feeling overwhelmed and stretched in every possible way and the thought of doing a declutter challenge is just overwhelming even more, then I encourage you to actually check this out, because this is what is different to all the other challenges out there.

Mel: 18:18

I have created something specifically for those that are literally having the nervous breakdown, having the burnout, can't move because of task paralysis and all that kind of stuff. I have created this for you. I know what it's like to be you and I don't rely on motivation or how I feel anymore. I just get on with it. I just do it, and so I want to pass a lot of that knowledge and experience onto you as well and help you move forward, even if it's just a tiny bit.

Mel: 18:51

So just to give you a little bit more information, with this Reset Challenge we do have it going over six weeks. They're live coaching sessions, but you can have access to the recordings as well. You get all the workbooks and cheat sheets and you get a group support chat and there's a whole lot of stuff in there and I encourage you to check it out. But with this challenge it really meets you where you're at. You don't have to try and do these big overhauls and big wins. You just have to take even one step forward and that's going to be better than where you are now.

Mel: 19:27

The price is ridiculously good and it probably won't be this cheap again because this is a beta round. It is the first time doing it and I would love to get your feedback for future rounds as well on it. But with this it's only $97 and you will get access to all the coaching and everything I just mentioned for the six weeks, plus the group support and direct support from me. I'm going to be very active in there. People are going to have their personalized goals, personalized challenges, and I'm going to be able to help with as much as I possibly can in that six-week period. So I do encourage you to join if you are part of the she's Organized Hub Now I have talked about it a lot before and the details are in the description but if you are part of the she's Organized Hub and that's pretty cheap monthly at the moment as well.

Mel: 20:20

You get access to this for $47, not $97. So if you aren't in the hub already and you want to get this for $50 off, then head over to the she's Organized hub Again, the link is in the description and you can actually join there and then sign up through the challenge, through the hub there, and get it at the discounted rate. Plus, you get everything else that's inside the hub all the group coaching and the previous recordings and trainings and everything. You get access to everything in there as well. So it's a really good deal.

Mel: 20:52

But I want to encourage you that even if you feel like, oh, now's not a good time, then when is when is going to be a good time for you? Because three months from now, even 12 months from now, things can be looking really different to how they are today. And if that means that you get to move forward, even if you're just dealing with a whole lot of mental load and you don't even get through as much physically, that is still a massive win and I really want that win for you. So reach out.

Mel: 21:23

If you've got any questions, you can actually send me a text message. The link is in the description there and I'm happy to respond. If you've got specific questions on the R. E. S. E. T Challenge or anything that I talked about today, I'd love to be able to help you with that and I look forward to seeing you on this challenge starting September 20, 2025. If you loved this episode, don't forget to hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And if you want to continue the conversation, you can connect with me on Instagram at @shes. organised, or, for some free resources, head over to beyondorganised. com/ toolkit. Remember, organising is a tool to live the purposeful life beyond it. See you next time.