With a closet that wouldn’t close and a desk full of ‘I’ll deal with that later’, I tried the 12:12:12 method, which is a simple trick that promises big results quickly. After an hour and a lot of arguing with myself, my bedroom looked almost completely different.
What the 12:12:12 method really is
Minimalist writer Joshua Becker came up with the 12:12:12 method, which is a rule for decluttering based on numbers. It is very easy:
- 12 things you get rid of
- 12 things you give away
- 12 things you put back where they belong
The goal is to handle all three categories in a single focused session. You should not spend endless time sorting through items. You should not write emotional stories about everything you own. Instead you need clear goals and quick decisions. This approach works because it removes the overthinking that usually slows people down. When you set a time limit & stick to specific categories you create boundaries that help you move forward. Most people get stuck because they treat every item like it deserves a long consideration. That mindset turns a simple task into an exhausting project that never ends. The three category system gives you a framework that makes sense. You look at each item & decide which group it belongs to without second guessing yourself. The first category includes things you use regularly and need to keep close. The second category covers items that have value but do not need immediate access. The third category is for things that no longer serve a purpose in your life. When you work through items quickly you rely on instinct rather than endless deliberation. Your first reaction to an object usually tells you what you need to know. If you have to convince yourself that something is useful then it probably is not. If you have not touched something in months or years then you already know it does not fit your current life. The session should feel productive rather than draining. You make decisions and move items into their designated areas without stopping to reminisce about each one. Memories are important but they do not require you to keep every physical reminder. You can appreciate what something meant to you while still recognizing that it no longer needs space in your home.
You have a fixed number of containers that forces you to stop collecting more stuff and start making real choices about what should stay in your house.
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That number—12 for each category—is meant to be hard to deal with. You can probably think of five easy things to throw away, but twelve? That’s when you start to see things like half-used products, gifts that were never opened, and “just in case” things that never get used.
How I used it to clean up my messy bedroom
I set a timer for one hour and promised myself that I would follow the rules, even if it hurt. The bedroom was the worst: clothes all over the floor, books piled up on every surface, and a bunch of mugs circling the bed.
Step one: Get rid of 12 things
It may sound dramatic to throw things away, but this group is really for things that are clearly at the end of their life, like broken, expired, or unusable items.
My “I swear I’ll revive them” houseplants were the first to die. Four of them were on my desk, holding on to life in dry soil. I finally admitted that they were over. The desk stopped looking like a plant hospital and started looking like a place to work once the dead plants were gone.
The next stop was the graveyard for beauty and skin care products. I pulled out old mascara that had dried up completely. There were foundations that never matched my skin tone properly. I found lip gloss tubes that I had squeezed dry months earlier. Most of these items were hidden in the back of drawers where they created the illusion of abundance. But none of them were actually useful to me anymore.
I made a rule that I would throw away anything empty or past its expiration date. After that it became surprisingly simple to reach 12 items and I learned something about my habits in the process. Getting rid of those things required almost no effort and showed me how much unnecessary stuff I had been keeping around.
If you want to do this yourself, look for items to throw away in these bedroom spots:
**Closets and wardrobes** – Check for old clothes that no longer fit or that you have not worn in over a year. Also look for damaged shoes and accessories you never use.
**Under the bed** – This space often becomes a dumping ground for random items. Pull everything out & decide what actually needs to stay.
**Drawers and nightstands** – Go through each drawer and remove expired medications old receipts, broken items and things you forgot you even owned.
**Shelves and surfaces** – Remove decorative items that just collect dust old books you will not read again & knickknacks that have no real meaning to you.
**Storage boxes** – Open every box and sort through the contents. Many people store things they think they might need someday but never actually use. The goal is to be honest about what you really need and use. If something has been sitting untouched for months or years, it probably does not deserve space in your bedroom. Keep only items that serve a clear purpose or bring you genuine happiness. Everything else should go. Start with one small area rather than trying to tackle the entire room at once. This makes the task less overwhelming and helps you build momentum. Set aside three categories as you work: keep, donate & trash. Be decisive & avoid the temptation to create a fourth category for items you are unsure about.
- Makeup that has dried out and old beauty products
- Jewellery that is broken and can’t be fixed
- One sock and old tights
- Chargers, earphones, and cables that don’t work are dead tech.
Step two: 12 things to give away
Giving is where the method begins to work. You are not simply creating space in your home. You are returning unused value back into the world where others can benefit from it. When you donate items you no longer need those possessions gain new purpose. Someone else will use what has been sitting idle in your closet or garage. The things that no longer serve you can now serve someone else. This step transforms decluttering from a selfish act into something meaningful. Your excess becomes another person’s necessity. A coat you never wear keeps someone warm. Books you finished reading educate a new reader. Kitchen tools you replaced help someone prepare meals. The process also feels different than throwing things away. Disposal creates waste and often brings guilt. Donation creates opportunity and brings satisfaction. You know your belongings will continue to be useful rather than filling a landfill. Many organizations make giving easy. Charity shops accept clothing and household goods. Libraries take books and media. Shelters need blankets & toiletries. Schools use art supplies & equipment. You can find the right home for almost anything you own. The act of giving also reinforces your decluttering progress. Once you hand items to someone else, they are truly gone. You cannot change your mind later and retrieve them from a donation bin. This finality helps you move forward without second-guessing your decisions. Giving completes the cycle that began when you first acquired these items. They entered your life with purpose & now exit with purpose. Nothing is wasted. The value continues in a different form with a different owner.
My wardrobe seemed like the best place to begin. Things had gotten so bad that clothes would tumble out whenever I opened the door. I created a straightforward rule for myself: anything I had not worn during the current season would be thrown away. The decision was harder to follow through with than I expected. I stood there looking at shirts and dresses that I kept telling myself I would wear someday. But that someday never actually arrived. I pulled out a blue sweater that still had the price tag attached. I had bought it two years ago and convinced myself it would be perfect for some future occasion. I filled three large bags with clothes. Some items went to charity and others went straight into the trash. The wardrobe looked empty at first. I could actually see the back wall. But this emptiness felt liberating rather than sad. Getting dressed each morning became easier because I only kept things I actually wore and enjoyed.
I gathered three sweaters into a pile within minutes. The sweaters seemed nice enough but winter was already half over & I had not put any of them on even once. This fact made my decision clear.
I moved on to the bookcase next. Books make good decorations but shelves often turn into storage spots for stories that will never get opened again. With the 12-item donation limit in mind I looked at each book and wondered if it belonged there for a real reason or if it was just sitting there because I had never bothered to move it.
I felt more confident when I had a specific target number in mind. Rather than wondering if I disliked something I changed my question to whether the item truly earned the room it occupied.
Here are some common bedroom items that make great donations:
| Category | Good candidates for donations |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Books that are the wrong size, duplicates, or “one-day” outfits that you never wear |
| Things to wear | Bags, scarves, and belts you haven’t used in a year |
| Things for the home | Extra pillows, bedding you don’t use, and decorative items that don’t fit your style anymore |
Step three: 12 things to find new homes for
The final twelve items turned out to be the hardest ones to deal with when everything was finished. Finding new homes for your belongings does not mean you are simply getting rid of them or tossing them in the trash. It means you are placing each item in a location where it will be more useful and appreciated.
I started with the easy things. I grabbed the mugs from the bedside table & the bowls by the bed. There was also a glass that had been sitting on my desk for days. I took everything back to the kitchen where it belonged.
After that things became more interesting. I questioned whether certain items actually belonged in the bedroom. I had been keeping heavy winter coats in my closet despite having a functional coat rack in the hallway. Removing them immediately created space for hanging other clothes.
I moved on to organizing my skincare products next. Many of the items I used daily were scattered throughout the room in various drawers and on different shelves. I decided to relocate everything to the bathroom. This simple change streamlined my evening routine & eliminated the clutter that had been accumulating around my bedroom. The bathroom now served as a dedicated space for all my skincare essentials. No longer did I need to search through multiple locations to find what I needed. Everything had its proper place in one convenient area. This reorganization reduced the visual distractions in my sleeping space & made the entire process more efficient.
This step made the room feel calmer without removing anything. It shows that clutter is usually more about placement than quantity.
Re-homing revealed some odd patterns in how I had been living. I kept cleaning supplies under the bed simply because space was available there. When I moved them to the kitchen and laundry area where they belonged the space under the bed stopped being a strange makeshift storage spot for household products.
Did it really cut the clutter in my bedroom in half?
I didn’t count everything in the room but there was definitely a difference. The wardrobe doors closed easily now. The surfaces looked intentional rather than chaotic. Walking into the space felt lighter and quieter than before.
The hardest part was getting 12 items in each group. At one point I stood in the middle of the room & thought I was done and there was nothing else left. The change happened when I pushed through that resistance. I started to think about things I had been ignoring for a long time.
The method also changed how I buy things. I was more careful about what I brought in because I knew how easy it is for “just one more” item to turn into a drawer full of junk. The biggest benefit of the whole thing might be the mental reset.
How to make the method work in your own home
You can adjust the original 12:12:12 rule based on your available energy or the size of the area you need to cover. The standard approach uses equal twelve-minute intervals but this can be modified to suit your personal stamina levels or the dimensions of the space you are working with.
- Try 6:6:6 for a small room or your first try.
- Do 12:12:12 in each main room over the weekend for a whole flat.
- For upkeep, do a 5:5:5 once a month to keep things from getting too messy.
# Organizing Your Space Through Three Simple Methods
The key to effective decluttering lies in maintaining three distinct categories. When you throw items away you eliminate genuine trash from your living space. Donating unwanted belongings allows them to serve a useful purpose for someone else. Rehoming items within your house means placing them where they actually belong and where you will use them regularly. Each method addresses a specific type of clutter problem. Trash removal handles broken or worthless items that serve no function. Donations deal with possessions that still have value but no longer fit your lifestyle or needs. Rehoming solves the problem of useful items that create mess simply because they lack a proper storage location. These three approaches work together to create a comprehensive organizing system. You cannot rely on just one method and expect lasting results. Some items genuinely need to go in the garbage. Other belongings deserve a second life with new owners who will appreciate them. Still other possessions should stay in your home but need a designated spot where they make sense. The beauty of this system is its simplicity. You pick up an item and ask yourself a straightforward question about its future. Does it belong in the trash? Should someone else own it? Does it need a better location in my house? Once you answer that question the item moves into the appropriate category & you move forward. This approach prevents the common mistake of simply shuffling clutter from one room to another without making real progress. It also stops you from keeping broken items out of guilt or obligation. By using all three categories consistently you address every type of clutter that accumulates in a home over time.
How the method works on your brain
Part of the appeal is in the mind. When we have unclear goals like “clean the bedroom,” many of us freeze. The 12:12:12 structure gives you a goal to reach. That makes decluttering a quick job instead of a never-ending one.
Professional organisers mention something they call decision fatigue. When you need to make too many choices about your belongings you tend to quit. Each decision about whether to toss an item or save it or postpone the choice drains your energy. This method works better because it limits your options to just a few clear choices for every item. You also avoid the trap of trying to make everything perfect.
This method works well if you deal with sentimental items. It gives you a clear boundary to work within. You only need to handle 36 things in one session. This makes the task feel manageable instead of overwhelming. It becomes a simple reset rather than reviewing your entire life.
What to expect when you try it
Imagine this: you walk into your bedroom with three bags or a laundry basket. One bag is for trash, one is for donations, and one is for re-homing. You set a timer for 45 minutes. You move fast and don’t stop for long.
By the time the alarm goes off you have put old clothes in a bag for charity and thrown away dried-up makeup. You have brought a small stack of books to the hallway where they wait for a friend or a donation bin. You can see your bed now. Your floor is mostly clean. The top of your dresser is visible.
You do not need your space to look perfect like a show home. What matters more is that you keep moving forward. When you make quick decisions about small things your brain gets better at it. This means the next time you spot a mug you do not use or a sweater you never wear it will be easier to get rid of it.
The 12:12:12 method offers a fast solution for dealing with an overly cluttered room. When you practice this technique regularly it transforms into an effortless routine that prevents mess from reaching the stage where you feel compelled to close the door and pretend the problem does not exist. This approach works by breaking down the overwhelming task of decluttering into manageable actions. Instead of facing an entire chaotic space at once you focus on specific categories of items. The method gets its name from the three sets of twelve items you identify during each session. Start by locating twelve things to throw away. These might include broken objects expired products or items that no longer serve any purpose in your life. Next find twelve things to donate or give away. These are possessions that still have value but no longer fit your needs or lifestyle. Finally identify twelve items to return to their proper places around your home. The beauty of this system lies in its simplicity and speed. You can complete an entire round in just fifteen to twenty minutes depending on how cluttered the space has become. There is no need for elaborate planning or setting aside an entire weekend for organization projects. Regular practice makes the biggest difference. When you implement this method weekly or even a few times per month you maintain control over your environment. Clutter never accumulates to unmanageable levels because you address it consistently before it spirals out of control. This technique also removes the emotional burden that often accompanies decluttering. The specific number creates a clear goal that feels achievable rather than endless. You know exactly when you have finished rather than wondering if you have done enough.
