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In search of ideas for decluttering your home? One you may stumble across is the 12-12-12 Challenge. What is the 12-12-12 Challenge, and how can it help you accomplish your decluttering and organizing goals? Let’s check it out.

The 12-12-12 Challenge involves doing the following:

• Throw away 12 items in your household.
• Find 12 items which you can donate.
• Get 12 items which are in the wrong place and move them to the right one.

Get other people in the household involved. Make it a competition. See who can achieve the 12-12-12 Challenge first, and then reward that person in some way (this is a great way to get kids onboard with decluttering and organizing).

Why is it 12-12-12 and not some other number? I don’t know. I’m not even sure who originally came up with the idea. If you want, you can always raise or lower the number to something else you are more comfortable with, like 8-8-8 or 20-20-20. It is completely up to you.

What I like about the 12-12-12 system for decluttering:

• It is a simple concept which you can easily customize to your needs.
• Because it is phrased as a “challenge,” it is a great way to get everyone in your home involved with your decluttering efforts.
• It gives you practice making organizing decisions. You have to think about whether it is best to throw out, donate, or relocate an item.

What I don’t like about the 12-12-12 decluttering and organizing idea:

• You are encouraged by this system to throw items away. Do you likely have some trash in your house? Sure, but you might be tempted to toss items you should be donating to meet the challenge requirements. And you should never throw away anything someone else can use.

To fix the problem above, I would recommend a simple modification to the 12-12-12 challenge:

• Relocate 12 items in your home to better spots, as is stipulated by the original challenge.
• Donate at least 12 items.
• Throw out or donate an additional 12 items.

Doing it this way prevents you from feeling like you are obligated to throw stuff out. There is already too much waste in the world, and you should not feel compelled to add to it if you don’t have to.

A lot of items which end up in the trash every day could be sent to a thrift store. Even though it may seem like a pain, it is worth it to know you are doing something good. You also can even ask for documentation to make it a tax write-off since it is a donation.

Before you begin with the 12-12-12 challenge, make sure that you have the home organizing supplies you need. I recommend that you pick up a few large plastic tubs for sorting the items you are going to be donating, relocating, or throwing away. This will make the entire process faster and easier, making it more likely you will succeed. Good luck, and enjoy a clutter-free, organized home!