Journaling prompts for Spring Cleaning AND New Conversation Series featuring Professional Organizer Aurelia Duke!

Writing Prompts to begin, learn what's holding you back, find intrinsic motivation and get clearer about how you want your space to be:).

This week’s newsletter begins with a new conversation series. I speak with experts in their field covering suggestions, tips and examples from their life/with their clients regarding a universal topic many can relate to. Following our chat, you’ll find the usual journaling prompts and offerings related to our conversation.

As it’s spring and starting to feel like it too (Yay!), I was thrilled to speak with Professional Organizer and declutter extraordinaire, Aurelia Duke, founder of Clutter Cutter. (I know I’m not the only one thinking of spring cleaning this time of year.)

Aurelia has helped my family and I make our smallish one-bedroom apartment still possible even with a growing toddler. One thing I really appreciate about Aurelia is her attunement throughout the decluttering process. She didn’t just say it all has to go, but really listened to our concerns and helped gently nudge toward what’s emotionally healthiest and what’s needed for our space. She asked both specific and open-ended questions, leading us to make choices we felt good about (no regrets).

There’s so much more I could say about working with Aurelia and how the process actually became enjoyable for us but let’s get to our conversation (and email exchange) and some key points from it.

Jennifer Zarin (JZ): Aurelia, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. Why is decluttering and making space important?

Aurelia Duke (AD): It’s important because it’s not just about clearing your physical space but helps people declutter their mental space too.

A lot of people associate decluttering with minimalism, but it’s not about getting rid of everything. It’s about knowing what you have, understanding what you need, and letting go of what no longer serves you. It’s about reducing the noise in your life and allowing the things you do keep to have a purpose and getting rid of what could have a better (second) life somewhere else.

The goal is to create space, be intentional, and assign a home for what you have- that’s really the whole process of decluttering.

JZ: Before I started the process with you, I felt overwhelmed whenever I even thought about decluttering and organizing. How can one get started?

AD: One of the best ways to start is to declutter by category. You gather all similar items together to see how much you have. I once worked with a client who found 75 pairs of socks tucked away in different spots! Decluttering by category gives you perspective and teaches you how to approach the process more systematically.

The hardest part is figuring out what’s no longer needed for your life today. It comes down to asking yourself:

Do I want to keep giving life to this object? Or am I ready to part with the object but sustain the memories attached to it?

One thing I always remind clients is: "The more you have, the more you have to manage."

JZ: How can a client keep it up after the initial purge? What else is needed?

AD: Once you’ve done the initial purge, organized and put everything away, you need to be able to maintain it.

And that’s where good habits come in, which, let’s be honest, are really hard to build!

One of the most important habits is becoming more intentional about what you bring into your home. Before anything new crosses your doorstep, ask yourself:

-Do I truly want this?
-Do I truly need this?
-Where will it live once I bring it home?

Ideally, if you bring something new in, you also let something else go. We all have finite space, and as an organizer I can’t magically stretch your closet overnight.

There’s also a growing conversation around sustainability and consumerism—how much we buy, how much we waste, and how it all adds up.

Another piece of maintaining is being realistic. I even have “floordrobe” moments when life gets really hectic, and clothes end up on the floor instead of making it into the wardrobe or closet! It's about building habits that decrease the chances of that happening again and again.

JZ: I really appreciate you said that- being realistic. It helped me to be kind to myself and honest throughout the process- going into it with care and consideration and being open to change and what’s really needed. It also brings up this: What about the clients who have a lot of things they enjoy and want in their lives, but are also struggling with how to organize it?

AD: Decluttering isn’t about stripping away joy. Whether you lean minimalist or maximalist (I had a client who artfully displayed her tin collection in a cabinet, and a colleague who showcases her dolls and doll house and it’s fabulous!), it’s about curating your space so that everything you choose to keep brings you joy or has a purpose.

JZ: This reminds me of the different styles and preferences my husband and I have. How do you work with conflicting styles within a family or couple?

AD: It always starts with exploration and honest conversation. I’ll often ask each person:

- How much anxiety does having a lot of things around create for you?

- How much does it bother you to have less?

It’s about finding a balance that respects both people’s needs. Sometimes it means creating dedicated spaces: maybe a curated shelf for one partner’s collection or a minimalist corner for the other. It’s about thoughtful compromise.

Decluttering is making decisions about what no longer fits your life. Organizing is finding a way to honor the different styles that do.

It’s also about facing the “what ifs” honestly.

What if I need this one day?
Well, sometimes the answer is: You probably won’t. And if you do, you’ll figure it out.

It’s eye-opening to realize: Oh, I didn’t know I had five bottle openers! Do I really need five? Moments like these help clients realize they’re ready to let some things go.

Look for Part 2 of our conversation - in which Aurelia covers sentimental objects - in our next newsletter (with more questions for reflection).

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Journaling Prompts:

*The first two prompts are inspired by my conversation with Aurelia. The prompts after these first two come from Aurelia, informed by her years as a Professional Organizer.

-When you think about your current physical space (home, office or both, one at a time please!), what brings you the most joy and/or calm now? What brings up the most stress or challenges in the physical layout and organization? If it’s many things, make a list.

After you’ve finished your list/write, take note of that which brings you joy/calm vs what brings up stress and anxiety.

For example, my desk drawers need decluttering. (This is not something Aurelia and I worked on together). I have a sense of what’s in them but it’s time to go through these drawers. In contrast, the top of my desk where I write is an open and welcoming space I love writing and creating from.

Allow the information you receive from these prompts to serve as a jumping off point to action. From my quick write in response to the first prompt, I feel more motivation to go through my desk drawers, one at a time.

Before moving to action:

This next piece is important! Write about how you’ll feel AFTER you declutter/organize the area(s) you’ve identified as one of stress. Write about what feelings you’ll have after you do this for yourself (and your spouse/roommates/family, etc).

**You can write this is the present, in which you write about going through the process of decluttering, and how you feel now.**

- If you’ve identified several areas within your home that you’d like to declutter and/or organize, write about the area you feel the most intrinsic motivation toward and why.

You can also choose a category as Aurelia mentions the decluttering process unfolds by category. This is a great place to start, a place to move from writing to the physical action of decluttering this category or area of your space.

After any of the above writes, read over what you wrote and write a reflection. Answer any (or all) of the following sentence starters:

As I read this, I notice…I feel…I’m curious about…surprised by…my questions (if any) are…the next step for me is. With this next step, schedule blocks of time in your calendar to declutter, one category at a time.

Prompts from Aurelia Duke (lightly edited):

To explore what matters most AND what you might be ready to let go of:

-If you had to pack up your life in one weekend, what would you bring?

To let go of high expectations and perfectionism that could thwart you getting started:

-What does your ideal version of “organized” look like (not what you think it should look like or what you see on Pinterest, Instagram, etc)?

To “unpack” items you’re holding on to for “someday:”

-What story have you told yourself about “someday” that’s keeping clutter in your life today?

This could include, “I might fit into that again,” “I’ll fix that one day,” “I’ll use that when I host…”, "I'll keep that for when we get a weekend home.”

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I (Jennifer) love this last prompt because we get a sense of what’s holding us back (or could be). With that awareness, we can begin to move forward.

I can’t wait to bring you more from our conversation in the next Journal Your Path post. To learn more about Aurelia Duke, check out her website here: www.cluttercutter.space

Which prompt(s) do you feel moved to answer? Please share part of what you wrote and/or your reflection. If you’d like accountability around beginning (or continuing) to declutter/organize, you can ask for that in the comments too. Naming something and carving out time in your schedule can make a big difference when it comes to decluttering. I’d love to hear how it goes for you!

Every time you like (click the heart), comment or share this post, you help others find Journal Your Path AND all the prompts within. Thanks for helping to grow this community:).

May your space be filled with what brings you joy and reflective of you!

Till next time,

Jennifer