How To Stay Organized And Declutter Based On Your MBTI Type

As we live our lives, most of us accumulate stuff — and sometimes a lot of it. However careful we are about what we buy, however clever we are in evading unwanted gifts, sooner or later it’s time to declutter. This does, however, come easier for some people than it does for others. You might be someone who gets irritated, upset, or can’t relax when your home or work environment is cluttered and untidy, or maybe you just don’t notice until someone else points it out.

MBTI personality type plays a part in this; for example, in research that my organization carried out, people with a Judging personality preference were far more likely to agree to the statement “It annoys me when people have messy, cluttered desks” than were people with a Perceiving preference.

But whatever our type, sooner or later it’s going to be a good idea to declutter — otherwise we could be swamped and overwhelmed. Instead of bugging out about it, here are some suggestions for each of the 16 MBTI types for how to declutter their space.

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ISTJ

Create a schedule and a routine for decluttering, set aside a regular time, and use a checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything out. It will probably help to set yourself goals. Organize areas for practical use, ensuring that items are easy to find and access.

ISFJ

Some material things will be important to you, with a sentimental value. Make a list of these so you can decide which items to keep, and do not get rid of them accidentally, Aim to create a calm, comfortable environment with these personally important items displayed, or stored where they can be accessed easily. Create a schedule and a routine for decluttering, with a regular timeslot.

INFJ

Try creating a minimalist environment, with items stored away out of sight, to reduce distractions and allow you to focus on what’s important in life. Create your own system for storage; it needs to make sense to you but doesn’t necessarily have to work for other people. Find ways to store items in an environmentally friendly way.

INTJ

You may want to create a grand plan for decluttering but remember that you can start small if you need to. However you do decide to organize things, periodically review this to ensure that this still works for you. Create a schedule for this, including a regular declutter.

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ISTP

You may become bored or demotivated if you spend too long tidying, so declutter in short bursts — short, intensive sessions will probably work better for you than long periods. Set a calendar alert or other reminder so that you don’t forget. Invest in storage solutions that are practical and give you quick access to items, but that are adaptable, perhaps modular, in case you want to change things.

ISFP

Declutter in a way that works for you. Think about how important items are to you, how you feel about them, and keep the ones that matter; get rid of the ones that don’t. Set a reminder so that you don’t forget to tidy and declutter, but try not to make it into a chore, else you might not get round to it. Perhaps try to make it into a game?

INFP

There will be some items that you want to keep, come what may; decide on these and be prepared to get rid of others. Having a fixed routine for decluttering may not work for you, but typing it into another event, such as a friend coming to stay, may help to motivate you. Try using a journal or planner to organize tasks and your reflections, or taking before and after photos to remind you how much you’ve done.

INTP

You may not always see the clutter around you, so try looking at your house or apartment through someone else’s eyes. Ask a friend, or step back and think what it would be like if you had seen it for the first time. Then approach decluttering as a problem to be solved, work out an efficient way to do it – and then don’t forget to carry through and actually tidy up.

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ESTP

Start off with a triage of your home. Focus on quick wins to get immediate, tangible results and use these to motivate you to keep going. The more active and hands on, the better. Don’t invest in complicated storage systems; use practical, no-nonsense solutions that make accessing items easy.

ESFP

Make decluttering fun. Do it with friends, make it a game, or pump up the volume and go for it to music. To motivate you to get started, think about how much more friends and family will enjoy being round once your home is more inviting.

ENFP

Decluttering doesn’t have to be dull. Involve friends, or develop different, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly ways to store items. Be a trendsetter!

ENTP

Set yourself a challenge; find inventive and unconventional ways to declutter and stay organized. Use apps or other technology to help. And if you don’t think your home is untidy or cluttered, then ask a friend for their honest opinion – you may find that it is.

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ESTJ

You probably like organizing things, so decluttering may be second nature to you. Create a schedule, set aside a regular time, and use a checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything out. If you are helping a friend to declutter, remember that they are in charge, not you, and that some things may have more sentimental value for them than you realise.

ESFJ

Involve family or friends in tidying and decluttering to make it a social activity. But before you start, make a list of those items that have a sentimental value for you, so that these are not thrown out by accident. Put in place a routine to keep your home tidy and organized.

ENFJ

It’s likely that things need to feel right for you. When you are decluttering, consider how items fit with the environment that you are aiming for. This may take longer, but you are more likely to be happy with the result. If you have not sufficiently decluttered your environment, take a second pass; remember that by donating items, you can give them a second life.

ENTJ

Take a moment before you start to decide on your overall goals and plan. Why are you decluttering? Are there specific reasons or objectives? How much do you need to declutter by? Think also about how this decluttering session fits with any long-term goals you have. Then create your plan and execute it.

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Header image via DNE Stock project/PEXELS