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If you found your way here, it’s because you’re interested in a minimalist lifestyle, or at the very least tips for how to declutter your home. A lot of people are attracted to this philosophy, but we all have different motivations when it comes to adopting a minimalist lifestyle. Searching for decluttering tips online will come up with a variety of recommendations from various bloggers and authors, but you’ll find that what works for one person will not necessarily work for another. You may have even tried decluttering tips you found online and discovered that they just did not apply to you.
So how do you know what will work for you? Well, personality typology can be an incredibly helpful tool – for this question and for many others.
If you don’t already know your Myers Briggs personality type, read about the types here. You can even take an online quiz. But remember that quizzes are not 100% accurate. Read about the types to see which one seems like the best fit for you.
Then, read the advice below for how to declutter for your personality type. We’ll talk about why minimalism is attractive to you, what you’ll struggle with when it comes to decluttering, and finally some concrete advice that will help you overcome those blocks to get it done.
INFJs and INTJs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
I’m starting with the INxJs because they’re the types that are perhaps most likely to lean towards minimalism. These types are easily stressed by their external environments and crave outer peace to allow for their minds to wander. INxJs, due to their strong Introverted Intuition, naturally try to streamline things. They seek to eliminate distractions and focus on what’s most important in life. That goes for ideas, goals, and even pieces of your wardrobe. If you’re an INFJ or INTJ, you want to create a peaceful and uncluttered sanctuary where you can retreat from the chaos of the world.
What You’ll Struggle With
INFJs and INTJs are…not the most energetic types. They’re not lazy by any means, but they’re slow to get into action and will spend a lot of time thinking through their strategy and before they implement it. Perfectionism can therefore get in the way of even starting the project. Beyond that, while decluttering, these future-focused types will tend to think through how items could potentially be useful in the future. That habit leads them to keep clutter “just in case.”
Decluttering Tips for INTJs and INFJs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Envision what you want your home to look like. Maybe even create a little vision board on Pinterest. You’re a visual type, and this will motivate you to make it a reality.
- Don’t think about future possibilities. Think about now and the immediate future. Anything that doesn’t have an immediate use goes.
- Find the meaning behind your decluttering. For you, it’s likely not just a house project. For example, you may be embracing a minimalist lifestyle as a means of implementing the essentialist philosophy throughout your life. As an INxJ, you focus on meaning, and having that in mind will inspire you to take action.
- Focus on how you want your outer environment to reflect inner calm. Allow that to guide your decluttering efforts and override any urges to keep things for an unknown future.
ISFPs and INFPs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
As perceivers, IxFPs are not naturally the most organized types. However, there are a few reasons they may have an interest in minimalism. The first reason focuses on aesthetics – creating a certain look in your home. That’s especially relevant for ISFPs, who are usually artistic and skilled in cultivating beautiful spaces. Because of their dominant Introverted Feeling, these types are also very motivated by their values. For many, a key value is caring for the environment and living a sustainable lifestyle. If you care about these topics, you’ll want to commit to those values in your everyday life by reducing your consumption of material goods. Finally, minimalism can be an answer to these types’ struggle with organization. Having less stuff will eliminate the need to constantly organize or search for things.
What You’ll Struggle With
INFPs and ISFPs find joy in expressing their authentic selves. Possessions, especially clothes and accessories, are one of the main ways people do that. Home decor and displays of your various hobbies and interests (art supplies, books, etc.) are another way. Seeing things as reflections of their identity can make it hard to get rid of them. For similar reasons, these types aren’t likely to enjoy a capsule wardrobe centered on neutrals or a basic, one-note makeup routine. Those will seem to limit the IxFP’s ability to truly express themselves.
Decluttering Tips for INFPs and ISFPs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Keep your values in mind – remember why you’re decluttering or embracing a minimalist lifestyle. You’re benefiting the entire planet and living more authentically by your values.
- Don’t force yourself to stick to a monotone capsule wardrobe. Allow some flexibility with things like clothes but set a limit for yourself. Whereas another type might want a 10- or 20-piece capsule wardrobe, you may want 50. But that’s still a reasonable limit that will keep your closet from getting out of hand.
- Think carefully about each item. Decide which ones truly reflect you and which are just…things.
ISFJs and ISTJs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
ISxJs love when things are tidy and organized. They enjoy creating a clean, comfortable home. And it’s hard to do that with a ton of clutter. With the clutter, they likely spend too much time each day tidying. Think of the mom who tirelessly tidies the entire house each night after her kids go to bed. Putting the same toys back on shelves over and over. Minimalism can free them from this never-ending cycle of picking up messes. Also, because of their powerful Introverted Sensing, these types are detail-oriented and the most likely types to notice and be annoyed by little pockets of clutter.
What You’ll Struggle With
They won’t want to get rid of things that have sentimental value. This is truer of the ISFJs than ISTJs, but both types can have strong attachments to objects that spark memories. While decluttering, they’ll probably look at each and every one of their belongings to decide if they want to keep or discard them. So, decluttering will be a long process.
Decluttering Tips for ISTJs and ISFJs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Remember that possessions aren’t truly representative of your memories. You’ll still have the memories even if you get rid of things.
- Take photos of things that have sentimental value but no use. You’ll feel better parting with things if you know there’s still a reminder left behind.
- Don’t insist on extreme minimalism; just place limits. For example, you may choose to keep sentimental items but only those that can hang on a wall. That way they’re still in sight as happy reminders, but they’re not cluttering your space.
- Get in the right mental state before starting. Focus on how much you enjoy organization and how much more organized you’ll be once you declutter.
- You, unlike most other types, actually have the patience to sort through your things one by one. That’s fine – just make sure you’ve carved out a good chunk of time to complete your declutter. You may even schedule a time each week for several weeks to tackle one room at a time. While some other types would never stick to a routine like this, your superpower is following through on plans. And the process will feel easier if there’s no rush.
ISTPs and INTPs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
IxTPs often like the idea of only having what they need and adopting a spartan lifestyle. They don’t enjoy being tied down, so the idea of having fewer possessions and the potential to move in a heartbeat can be appealing. These types lead with strong logic-focused Introverted Thinking, so they’re not easily taken in by advertising to make impulse purchases. They focus on utility and are more likely than other types to keep only what is useful to them. In fact, if you’re an INTP or an ISTP, you may already be living a more minimalist lifestyle than your peers without even trying.
What You’ll Struggle With
While they have some natural advantages when it comes to minimalism, these types can struggle with implementation. They may consider decluttering a waste of time and can’t convince themselves that it’s worth the effort. They’re also probably not particularly concerned about what others think about their homes’ appearance or tidiness, for example. They may also have a lot of odds and ends from hobbies such as DIY projects or PC building.
Decluttering Tips for INTPs and ISTPs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Logically think through how your life will benefit from decluttering.
- With each object, consider if it is truly useful and practical to have it, or if you’re actually better off without it.
- You can also make a project of selling your stuff so you’ll have a monetary incentive to declutter.
- Create a capsule wardrobe and even a personal uniform. You’ll enjoy the “set it and forget it” approach to clothes and clear out a lot of space in your closet.
ENFPs and ENTPs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
ENxPs are…not the most organized types. Due to their creative and unrestrained Extroverted Intuition, they have an inherently chaotic energy. This makes them a lot of fun to be around, but organizing and keeping track of possessions is not their strong suit. For these types, minimalism can be a solution to the fruitless exercise of attempting to tidy only for entropy to win out yet again within days – a process they truly hate. ENTPs and ENFPs generally long for some kind of automated system that would effortlessly keep track of all their stuff – and even ideas – for them. That’s where minimalism comes in. If you don’t have a lot of stuff, there’s no reason to tidy, organize, or go searching for your things.
What You’ll Struggle With
I won’t sugarcoat it – decluttering will be hard for ENFPs and ENTPs. They’ll struggle to prioritize one thing over another, preferring to keep everything in order to keep their options open. As they declutter, they’ll imagine potential future uses for each. Given that their unique skill is coming up with out-of-the-box ideas, it will be easy to convince themselves that each item is vital for 50 potential future scenarios. The options will become overwhelming, and they may give up before completing the project.
Decluttering Tips for ENTPs and ENFPs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Watch videos and read articles related to minimalism for inspiration and then get to work on decluttering right away before you lose momentum.
- Focus on how easy your life will be when you don’t need to clean, organize, or search for things you need.
- Don’t listen to the common advice to create a schedule for regular decluttering. That idea alone will paralyze you with dread. Just do one huge declutter and then stop buying useless stuff.
- Throw things out en masse. Don’t try to look at every item in your home and determine if you really need or want it. That will crush your momentum and leave you with decision paralysis.
- Ask a more organized friend (ideally an ISFJ if you can find one) to come help you at a specific time and date. You’ll likely try to get out of the task when the time comes, but your friend will keep to the schedule. They can also keep you on track while you declutter, so you don’t get distracted.
ESTJs and ENTJs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
ExTJs will like the idea of decluttering because they love order and efficiency. Their strong Extraverted Thinking leads them to naturally streamline processes and create structure. And what is minimalism if not streamlining? These types also tend not to be overly sentimental about their possessions. Once they decide that decluttering makes sense, they’ll be more equipped than other types to ruthlessly clean things out.
What You’ll Struggle With
What I’ve seen ENTJs and ESTJs struggle with is overthinking the home organization process and trying to create the perfect system. While organizing is a strength for them, they can end up being so intimidated by the work it would take to perfectly organize your home that they never actually start.
Decluttering Tips for ENTJs and ESTJs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Don’t overthink or strategize. To borrow a phrase from corporate culture, avoid making the perfect the enemy of the good. Just get to work. Once you start, your immense drive and momentum will carry you through to the end.
- As an ExTJ, you’re highly motivated by objective measures. Set a specific goal like “get rid of 150 things by lunchtime” and then get to work.
- Enlist others to help you. Because you’re not particularly sentimental about possessions, you don’t need to personally evaluate every item to decide what you’ll keep. The work will be more efficient if you involve other members of your household.
- Consider hiring a professional organizer. Since you’re not that attached to your things, it will be even more efficient to have an expert declutter for you.
ESFJs and ENFJs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
ENFJs and ESFJs may enjoy the idea of minimalism because it will make their homes more comfortable, inviting spaces to host friends and family. These types lead with Extraverted Feeling, meaning they value and excel at connecting with others. ExFJs aren’t likely to opt for extreme minimalism. They usually want their spaces to be a bit cozier than a stark ultra-minimalist style. But reducing your clutter will save them from the hectic cleaning they do every time they host friends.
What You’ll Struggle With
Unlike the ExTJs above, ESFJs and ENFJs probably do have some sentimental attachments to their possessions. They’ll especially struggle with things like gifts given by someone close to them and sentimental items, such as things that belonged to a loved one who has passed on. Those feelings can make it seem impossible to simply discard certain things.
Decluttering Tips for ENFJs and ESFJs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Focus on your goal. Think of how comfortable and inviting your space will be without the clutter
- Remember that you don’t need to keep a gift forever just because someone gave it to you. That person almost certainly doesn’t remember giving to you and is not checking to see if you have it prominently displayed when they visit.
- Remind yourself that objects that someone you love owned or gifted to you are not truly representative of that person. Your relationship with them is much bigger than a trinket or even an heirloom.
- Invite other members of your household – or even just friends – to help you. If you’re able to chat and socialize while you’re decluttering, the time will pass much more quickly. While many other types would never succeed in convincing their friends to help them with a house cleaning project, these charismatic types can absolutely pull it off.
ESFPs and ESTPs
Why You’re Attracted to Minimalism
ESTPs and ESFPs are less likely than other types to take interest in minimalism and decluttering. They’re not sweating the small stuff like tidiness and what goes where. Like their ExxP counterparts, the ENTPs and ENFPs, they thrive on a bit of chaos. In fact, I’m assuming that if you’re reading this, you’re more likely a family member of an ESxP that’s looking for tips to get them on board with a decluttering project than an ESxP yourself! However, many ESxPs I’ve talked to love the sleek minimalist aesthetic. Their dominant Extraverted Sensing makes them highly attuned to the details of their environments. They’ll appreciate the polished look of a minimalist home even more than many other types.
What You’ll Struggle With
To put it frankly, decluttering is a bit boring, and ESxPs – more than any other type – really hate to be bored. For similar reasons, they like to have a variety of options – such as an extensive wardrobe – to keep things interesting. They tend to be attuned to what is trendy and often want to update their clothes and other possessions to keep up with the times.
Decluttering Tips for ESTPs and ESFPs – How to Declutter Your Home
- Put on music while you declutter and invite friends or family to help you out. Make it an event rather than a solitary project.
- Focus the end goal. If you get rid of your clutter and become a minimalist, you’ll spend much less time daily looking for matching socks, figuring out what dish goes where, and so on.
- These types love aesthetics. As motivation, think about how cool and sleek your home will look when you’ve eliminated clutter and streamlined your possessions.
- As entrepreneurial types, you may like the idea of making some extra cash from selling your clutter. However, I don’t really recommend going that route for this type. As I explained in another post, it can take a long time to list and sell things. That’s going to drag you down and make you lose your momentum.
Wrapping Up – How to Declutter Your Home
Hopefully this quick overview gave you some inspiration and a road map to what will work for you personally when it comes to decluttering.
If you know your type, I’d love to hear what you’ve struggled with and any tips you discovered about how to declutter your home in the comments!
