Decluttering and organizing is hard. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with decisions about what to keep, what to discard, and how to organize the things we keep.

Dana K White, author and decluttering expert, is the creator of this process – the Container Concept.

Understanding the Container Concept

The Container Concept is a simple but powerful principle that shifts the way we think about our belongings. I typically try to fit the most I can into a space. It doesn’t work. At least, not in the long run.

Instead, think about every space in your home as a container that has a limit.

Whether it’s a drawer, a shelf, or a whole room, each container is limited in the space it provides. In fact, your entire home is a container. It can only hold so much stuff.

The key is to recognize that the container is the decision-maker—it dictates how much we can keep. This is one of the most important principles that I had to understand and accept when decluttering and organizing my own home. Shifting the decision-making process to the container also removed my emotional involvement.

Working the Container Concept

Here’s how the Container Concept can transform your approach to decluttering and organizing:

• Identify the Container
  • Start by identifying the space you’re working with. This could be a single drawer, a bookshelf, your entire closet, or even an entire room.
  • The physical boundaries of this space are the limits of the container.
• Choose the stuff you want and need to keep
  • Sort like stuff together so you can see the quantity you own of each item and make decisions about what you want to keep and what to discard.
  • Next, go through your items and pick out the ones you want to keep or use regularly. Organize these in your container first.
  • Place like items together in a container.
• Respect the Boundaries
  • Once the container is full, the hard part begins—everything that doesn’t fit must go. It’s all about recognizing that the container has done its job.
  • If you’ve chosen what you want and need and the container is full, then anything extra is excess and needs to be donated, discarded, or relocated.
• Leave Space to Expand
  • If you fill a container until it’s completely full, you have nowhere to put additional like purchases.
  • Leaving extra space not only looks better, but it also gives you the option of adding items in the future.
  • If you don’t leave space for expansion, you may need to adopt the “one in – one out” rule. For every item you want to add to the space, an item needs to be removed to make room for it.
• Apply It Everywhere
  • The genius of the Container Concept is its versatility.
  • It works everywhere in your home, from your pantry to your garage.
  • It even applies to less tangible “containers” like your schedule or your mental energy. They have limits too and recognizing that improves your chances of making good decisions in these areas.
  • By understanding and respecting the limits of your containers, you naturally begin to declutter and prioritize what’s most important to you.

Embracing the Effectiveness of the Container Concept

The Container Concept is effective because it removes the emotional burden of decision-making.

Instead of agonizing over what to keep and what to let go, the container’s physical boundaries guide your choices. Instead of trying to justify keeping items, your focus becomes making space for the things that add value to your life.

This mindset also helps prevent future clutter.

When you bring something new into your home, you’re more likely to consider where it will go and whether it will fit within your existing containers. If it doesn’t, you need to make a conscious choice about what to remove to make room for it.

By viewing your spaces as containers with fixed limits, you can simplify the decluttering and organizing process. It also reduces stress and helps you create a home that reflects what matters most to you.

The Container Concept is your ultimate decluttering and organizing decision-making tool!

Watch the Container Concept put into action in my video “30 Minutes to an Organized Freezer and How to Keep it That Way”. 

Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, go to my website (address below) and sign up for my newsletter.  I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything!

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