How decluttering is like exercising

5 October 2026

I first published this post on May 16, 2014, when I belonged to a gym. After leaving the gym a few years later, I had quite a few years without a solid exercise routine, primarily doing at-home yoga. But in January 2025 I started working out with a trainer weekly and that’s been the key to getting me to exercise. The benefits have been huge. A dozen years later, this post still resonates with me!

I’ve had my struggles with getting myself to exercise over the years and I’ve detailed some of them on this blog. The bottom line for me is that I’m pretty fit and pretty slender without going to the gym, so getting myself to go has been challenging, since I don’t enjoy it that much.

But now that I’m past 50, it feels like more of an imperative. I know that regular exercise will help me age more gracefully and healthily. I know that it will help stave off osteoporosis, which runs in my family. I know that it might help with the fact that my stomach is no longer perfectly flat. (Certainly, not exercising isn’t going to help with that!)

So I’m trying to make exercise a priority. But it’s not easy because I’m very busy with work. And did I mention I don’t enjoy it that much?

Back in October 2013 I joined a gym, the tiny exercise studio called Take Action just a couple of blocks from my home. The membership and some personal training sessions with Take Action owner Jeanna Jackson were a (requested) 50th birthday gift from my husband. At that time, I discovered the similarities between personal trainers and professional organizers.

So the other day, as I was going through my exercise routine—created for me by Jeanna—I got to thinking once again about how exercising for people like me is like decluttering for folks struggling with clutter. I’ve already mused here about the how both decluttering and exercising get easier with practice. But more recently, I’ve been thinking about these similarities:

You might not feel like doing it, but afterward you’re glad you did
It can be hard to find the time
Both decluttering and exercising can be easier to do when you have company (and/or guidance)
You may not see instant results, but little by little you see progress
Any effort at all is worthwhile
You’re frequently struck by inspiration while exercising and while decluttering/organizing
Both can become habits

When I look around my house and see the progress I’ve made over the years in keeping order despite being a naturally messy person, I know I can make progress in with exercise. I’m working on focusing on the benefits and making it a priority. I hope one day soon to make exercising a natural part of my day just as certain habits for keeping order (like clearing off my desk every day) have become habits.

Photo by Andrew Kayani on Unsplash.

Tagged with: decluttering, exercise, habits, take action, worth repeating