Vocal Verified—Decluttering and Staying Organized

Okay, I'll say it. Marie Kondo has changed my life. Or, at least, she's changed my life for the next two or three weeks until I inevitably sink back into my old, quicksand-y habits of throwing things on the floor and promising myself that I'll deal with them later, or deep-cleaning my apartment every weekend and then getting so stressed out about the state it's in by Friday night that I'm near-tears and ready to rip out my hair one strand at a time, asking myself if each individual piece sparks joy. Happy January, everyone.

If you've already seen the Netflix sensation Tidying Up, then you're probably in the same briefly-inspired boat as me. But this time, I'm really going to try. I'm going to try so hard to find a routine that fits in to my very hectic schedule that I won't abandon by February. Will I be successful? Who knows. But I can dream.

And I know exactly where to start. As the head of content curation here at Vocal, I see every single story that our creators submit, and let me tell you: They seem to have it all figured out. From organizing stressful kitchens to setting up day planners, our creators have tons of tricks to declutter your home, your closet, your workspace, and your schedule, along with some great tips to help you stick to your new lifestyle. I've rounded up the best of their advice to help us all embrace a clutter-free life.

Try out some of their tricks; leave a tip for anyone who's helped you tidy up your life, or share a few organization hacks—or struggles—of your own.

If you're not already a creator, you can sign up here to get started.

And if you aren't yet familiar with the absolute gem that is Marie Kondo, you can check out Tidying Up here:

Or, you can find her similarly titled book here:

"For many, staying organised is a chore that requires effort that leaves them with a heart rate over 200 as they run frantically around their house looking for their keys and phone to find them in their bag." —Evie Galvin

"My life now consists of diapers (36 a day to be exact), nine or ten bottles, 12 sippy cups, and lots of naps. It can be easy to let yourself become overwhelmed if you have one kid, let alone three, so here's how this momma survives." —Jessica Hamel

"Whether you’ve been working from home for a while and just can’t seem to stay organized, or you’ve just started your home business and you want some tips for getting started, here are a few ideas that might help you find more organization in your home office, more focus on the job, and less clutter in your life." —Yvonne Glasgow

"Whether you work in a cubicle or have a home office, your workspace is extremely important. It could provide you with the flow you need to be happy and productive, or its chaos could cause you frustration and the inability to focus. Or heck, maybe you just want a revamp because you’ve had the same set-up for 10 years and you're bored." —Patty Ramsen

"I'm definitely at that part of my life where so much is happening and my living space says it all. I'm misplacing certain things, my clothing is either all over the floor or lost, I have a ton of unopened emails, and have letters that are stacked on top of each other. After realizing my situation, I really wanted to get my life in order and be more organized." —Jacqueline Hanikeh

"The preparing and eating of meals is a worldwide ritual of unity for families of any size. With so much happening in one room, it's important for a kitchen to be well-organized with as little clutter as possible. This is especially true for homes with a small kitchen, as storage space and counter space become even more precious." —Joseph D. N. Kendrick

"Kitchens can be some of the hardest places to organize in the house, but don't worry. There are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the space you already have, and create more proactive, functional places." —Kelsey Lange

"Travelers, parents, or just plain ole car owners are always looking for car organization hacks, and will all love the amount of car organizers at hand to keep their vehicle clean." —James Lizowski

" If you own a home with a garage, you have an extra opportunity for storage and design. With a few simple tips, you can turn your garage from an un-utilized mess into an ordered, attractive addition to the rest of your house." —Seller's Choice

"A garage is one of the places in your home which can have multiple purposes, and while it sounds like a really desirable quality which will help you organize your life better, in practice that usually means your garage is heavily cluttered." —Susan Josh

"Home organization aficionados know that there are many easy DIY art projects that use these little tools for display purposes — and that there are also plenty of ways to make your home easier to sort through using them, too." —Ossiana Tepfenhart

"Poshmark is the app that has been making waves in the thrift-shopping community. For those who don't know, it's an app that allows you to buy pre-owned clothes and, for those looking to clean out their closets, sell your own clothes in a simple and easy process."—Gitana Deneff

"I learned through trial and error that being minimalist did not mean being bland or boring—it just meant putting a focus on things you actually thoroughly enjoy, and getting rid of all the junk that got in the way of that." —Marina Santarossa

"You don't need a huge walk-in closet to feel organized. And with these tips, you will be able to clean up with ease, find your items in seconds, and just feel more put together in general." —Leanna Davis

"Your bullet journal can be as complicated or as simple as you want. You could include ultra-organized trackers and weekly spreads, or you could maybe make a weekly spread for one week a month. As long as it helps you reach a goal, be it staying organized, being artistic, or tracking memories, it’s a win for you!" —Grace E

"What if you want your agenda to keep track of more than just appointments and events? What if you wanted to keep track of your habits, your mood, and even your sleep? That's where the "Bullet Journal" comes in."—Emery Rider

"It's all about your personal style and your blog. Here I've given you lots of ideas (and many other bloggers could give you totally different advice!). So get yourself a binder, figure out everything you need to organize, and get down to it!" —Sarah Russell

"Over the last few years, I have been on a mission to organize my life. Whether or not I have been successful in this attempt, though, is up for grabs. Life doesn't always play by the rules, but I'm determined to do my best to inspire the lives of others while organizing my own."—Ashley Smith

"We all know someone who is NEVER late to an appointment or meeting, but instead they're 15 minutes ahead and brought everyone donuts. We also all know someone who is literally always at least five minutes late to everything. So how do you become someone who is 15 minutes ahead and bring donuts?" —Jocilynn Craig

"After my umpteenth trip up to an arts and craft store to buy planner supplies, I realized that I had become a planner girl. I also realized that I was throwing my budget off balance. However, there are ways to indulge this hobby like the numerous planner girls who have channels on YouTube without breaking the bank." —Hillari Hunter

"When I discovered the planner community, or in particular the bullet journal community, I was instantly interested. It boasted a simple and easy way of staying on top of my life. I can see everything for the week, month and year ahead all displayed in one place. Setting up a planner gave me the motivation and drive to keep my life on track." —Kate Watkins

"I began to realize and consider what it was I wanted to journal. Was it just what I needed to do that day? What I needed to take care of that week? Or did I need a place to at least try and be creative on the page and allow myself a way to draw those cool arrows you find on things like doormats at Urban Outfitters?" —Mars A.M.

"Clutter is unnecessary and can stifle our ability to function at our highest capacity. Clutter is chaos and disorganization. It is what happens when there is mindless and continual accumulation without making room or organizing things in a way that adds value to our lives." —Nekisha McLeod

"Most organizing techniques teach you how to put things into nice piles. Even if they don't, they might not help YOU, like really help you, improve your life and internal state of being." —Savannah Grant

"It’s that time of year where everyone's talking about “new year, new me!” and “out with the old, in with the new.” For some people, decluttering and downsizing is a huge part of that process. There are plenty of articles out there that give you tips and tricks on how to do this properly, but very few articles take into consideration the effect that being transgender has on the decluttering process." —Max Fisher

"Minimalism is about being conscious of the items we own—does it serve a purpose, does it bring us joy? It is about stepping away from the consumerism that has been drowning us and focusing on our life, on our choices and our decisions." —Alanis Sophia

"If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been writing, “clean your room” on your to-do list for weeks now. I always intend to set out on a grand de-cluttering mission, but one thing leads to another and before I know it I'm waist-deep in junk, reminiscing over high school yearbooks." —Amber Van Wort

"Everyone is unique. You know which belongings bring you joy, which objects you do and do not need. Never feel like you have to adhere to an invisible, unspoken standard. Minimalism is different for everyone." —Lily Charles

"I have always admired people who could live off very little or people who could backpack travel for months. I always wondered how people were able to do such things. I lived vicariously through them and I had the desire to do it myself."—Karina Nistal