What's the Next Baby Step?

This is part of Stewie's Guide to Ruthlessly Declutter Your Clothes Today.

I’ve spent years working as a software engineer, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that complex projects have a way of feeling impossible at first. You get handed something massive—layers of problems, unclear requirements, a mountain of work—and for a moment, it feels like too much. Like you don’t even know where to start.

But I’ve also learned that the way forward is always the same.

Take a baby step.

When I feel overwhelmed, I don’t try to solve the whole problem at once. I break it down. First, I make a to-do list. Then, I take one item from that list and break it down further. Then, I find the smallest, easiest step, and I do just that.

Tiny progress. No pressure. No perfection. Just forward movement.

And when it comes to decluttering—when your closet feels overstuffed, your drawers won’t close, and you don’t know where to begin—the same strategy applies.

Start small.

Don’t think about every item you need to get rid of. That’s overwhelming. Instead, narrow your focus to one thing. Pick up a single shirt. Or a single sock.

Feel the fabric. Notice the weight of it in your hands. Does it feel like you? Do you love wearing it? Does it serve you?

If the answer is yes, keep it.

If the answer is no, let it go.

That’s it. No need to overcomplicate things. No need to make a grand plan or tackle the whole closet at once. Just one item, one decision. And if you can do it once, you can do it again. And again. And again.

Little by little, the pile will shrink. The space will open. The weight will lift.

And one day—maybe sooner than you think—you’ll look around and realize you’ve created something new: a home that holds only what you love, a space that feels lighter, a life with less clutter and more clarity.

Because progress isn’t about doing everything all at once. It’s about taking the next step.

And you can always take one more step.

Next steps…