Why You're Always Decluttering & Organising—But Your Home Still Feels Chaotic

The Truth About Feeling Disorganised

Emma stared at the overflowing laundry basket, the kitchen counters buried under school papers, and the toys scattered across the floor. She had spent all weekend tidying and organising, yet her home felt just as chaotic as before. If you’ve ever felt like Emma, know this: it’s not your fault. The problem isn’t that you’re lazy, messy, or "just not an organised person." Ah how we do love to give ourselves a label - or embody the ones someone else gave us along the way (thanks Mum & Dad). 

The real issue? You’ve been taught that decluttering is about getting rid of things and organising is about having the right storage solutions (and lots of trips to Kmart)—when in reality to have a clutter-free life, they must work together alongside having a clear vision for your home and aligning your habits and behaviours. My guess is you don’t have an organising problem. You have a clarity problem. And chances are it's not just your clarity problem - it's the whole family's - particularly if somehow you've taken on the role of Household Manager. But let's not start beating ourselves up again -  You’re not alone, and there’s a way forward that doesn’t involve feeling defeated by clutter or disorganisation.

Before you start decluttering, ask yourself:

✔ What actually matters to me? 

✔  Where am I spending time and energy that isn’t aligned with my values?

✔  What am I holding onto—physically and mentally—that I don’t even need?

 Without this clarity, you’re just shuffling clutter around—not solving the problem. The best part? Once you shift your focus to what truly matters, decluttering and organising become easier, faster, and way less stressful. And let’s not forget one of the biggest contributors to feeling overwhelmed at home—when too much of the workload falls on one person. Managing the home should not be your sole responsibility. The more we create systems that work for the whole family, the less stress and resentment build up (n.b if you want your partner to step up and share the load - check out the share the load guide here) 

Working out what's important to you and your family isn't always easy - that's why we have an entire module dedicated to it inside the Intentional Home Program.

Why Decluttering and Organising Feels So Exhausting (And Why It’s Not Working for You)

Most people believe the solution to a messy home is more decluttering and organising. But if you’ve ever spent an entire weekend sorting through piles of stuff, labelling bins, or rearranging your closet—only to have it all fall apart a week later—you already know:

✔ Decluttering alone doesn’t fix the problem if you don’t address what’s coming into your home.

✔ Organising alone doesn’t create lasting change if you still have too much stuff.

✔ A cluttered home isn’t a result of you not trying hard enough—it’s a result of too many things and too few systems.

✔ And most importantly, if you’re the only one managing everything, it will never feel sustainable.

The good news? You don’t have to stay stuck in this cycle. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the thought of starting, my guide on how to begin decluttering when it feels like too much offers practical steps to ease the process. Imagine waking up to a clutter-free home where everything has a place—and you didn’t spend all weekend tidying. That’s the kind of home we create in The Intentional Home Programme.

The “Perfectly Organised” Myth

Social media has convinced us that a perfectly organised home equals a perfectly run life. But let’s be honest: most of those homes you see online are staged for a photo. Real homes get messy. Real homes are lived in. Instead of chasing perfection, shift your focus to decluttering and organising systems that are easy to maintain for you—even on your busiest days. I've worked with a few clients in the past who struggled with perfectionism - they hired me to make their home even more perfect than it was already (I was opening empty cupboards going "where is the clutter"?) . Were they relaxed, happy, calm? No in all honesty keeping up the level of perfection they aspired to,  was exhausting and expensive - their homes felt more like museums - and I saw the visible stress when a child happened to drop crumbs on the floor! Perfectionism often makes home organisation harder. My blog post on why chasing perfection makes your home and life more cluttered explains why letting go of perfection leads to lasting change. The problem isn’t your ability to organise—it’s that you’re organising the wrong things. But once you know where to focus, everything changes.

The Shift—Focus on What Actually Matters

The real solution isn’t better organisation—it’s decluttering first and simplifying what remains. Instead of trying to keep up with every new decluttering challenge, ask yourself:

1. What is actually worth keeping?

Not everything in your home needs to be managed. The more you remove, the less you have to organise—and that means more time and energy for the things you actually love.

2. What’s taking up space—physically, mentally, emotionally—that I don’t need?

❌ Clothes you haven’t worn in years? ❌ A junk drawer full of “just in case” items? ❌ Guilt over not using that expensive appliance? ❌ The expectation that you must be the one managing everything in your home? Let it go. And let in the relief, clarity, and freedom that comes with it.

3. How do I want my home and life to feel?

✔ A home that’s easy to maintain? ✔ A schedule that leaves time for you? ✔ Systems that your whole family can follow?

You deserve a home that works with you, not against you. And the good news? It’s 100% possible.

The Real Skill Isn’t Organising—It’s Knowing What’s Worth Decluttering

So many people spend a huge amount of time, money, and energy organising things that don’t even matter. I once had a client pay $2,000 to me to declutter and organise her kitchen and pantry. There were so many foodstuffs that she wanted decanting in matching jars as she said loved cooking. Just a few months later she called me up to tell me she realised she didn't actually enjoy cooking anymore as she just wanted to spend more time with the kids. She had realised that she had been using the excuse of a disorganised kitchen as a reason why she wasn't cooking anymore. 

Intentionalism plays a big role in this transformation. Read more about why now is the time to embrace simplicity to shift your mindset. The goal isn’t to be better at organising. The goal is to declutter first, simplify what’s left, and create a home that works for you.

When you focus on decluttering and clarity first, everything changes:

✔ Your home feels lighter.

✔ You stop wasting time constantly reorganising.

✔ You free up mental space for things that actually matter.

✔ You create a system where everyone shares the load.

And suddenly? You’re no longer "bad at organising." You’re just living intentionally. And that’s an incredible shift.

This Is Exactly What We Do in The Intentional Home Programme

You don’t need more storage bins. You don’t need a better tidying routine. You don’t need to work harder to keep everything organised. You just need a clear system for decluttering what doesn’t serve you—and a simple way to maintain what’s left. That’s exactly what we do inside

The Intentional Home Programme:

✔ Create a vision and get clarity on what matters

✔ Strip away the clutter - mental and physical

✔ Build simple, sustainable home systems that work for the whole family.

And the best part? You don’t have to do it alone. We’re in this together.

🎯 If you’re ready for a home that feels light, peaceful, and easy to maintain,  learn more here 👉🏻  Intentional Home Programme.