January always puts me in a reset the vibes kind of mood. New year, fresh start, let’s clean out some chaos. But instead of tackling one giant, overwhelming declutter project, I decided to gamify it.

Enter: a spinning wheel.

I found an iPhone app that lets you create customized spinning wheels and I thought that would be fun to use. Every day in January, I spin the wheel. Whatever number it lands on is how many items I have to get rid of that day. Once a number is used, it’s removed from the wheel. No repeats. No bargaining. Just spin, declutter, repeat.

By the end of the month, I’ll have tossed, donated, or passed along 496 items.
(Yes, I did the math. No, I did not want to see that number before starting.)

What Am I Getting Rid Of?

This isn’t a full Marie Kondo, “touch every object you own and thank it” situation. This is a practical, realistic declutter focused on the places that quietly collect clutter without us noticing.

I’m zeroing in on:

• Cabinets, closets, and drawers
• Old nail polish and expired cosmetics
• Clothes I don’t wear (and realistically won’t again)
• Books I’m never going to read, or ones I don’t need to keep on my shelves anymore

That said, I am taking joy into consideration. If something earns its space and still makes me happy, it stays. The goal isn’t emptiness. It’s breathing room.

Trash, Donate, Repeat

Yes, some of this stuff is getting thrown away. Old cosmetics and dried-up nail polish have reached the end of the road, and that’s okay.

But a surprising amount of it is finding new homes instead. I’m passing along usable items through my local Buy Nothing group and donating what makes sense to a local organization.

Books are getting a special treatment in this declutter. Any titles I’m ready to let go of are being donated to the library, where they can find new readers and help support the library’s all-important programming through book sales. Libraries give so much to a community—resources, space, access, and connection—and this feels like a small, tangible way I can give something back while clearing my shelves.

Clearing space for myself feels even better when I know those things might be useful, loved, or helpful somewhere else.

Why This Is Working (So Far)

The spinning wheel is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Some days it’s merciful. Some days it chooses chaos. But because the number is random and non-negotiable, I don’t overthink it. I just do it.

A little every day feels manageable. Even the big numbers get easier once you realize how much low-effort clutter exists in your life.

January isn’t about becoming a new person. It’s about making space for the one you already are. And right now, that starts with 496 fewer things.

At the end of the month, I’m planning to do a full declutter wrap-up to share how this actually went—what worked, what surprised me, and whether the spinning wheel was a brilliant idea or pure chaos. Mostly, though, it’s a way to keep myself accountable. If I say it out loud (and on the internet), I’m much more likely to follow through. So stay tuned for the final tally, a few lessons learned, and proof that January really did leave me with a little more space to breathe.