The Purposeful Purge

The garage door groans open on a Saturday morning, revealing a familiar scene: a mountain of tangled holiday lights, stacks of “someday” lumber, and outgrown soccer cleats from three seasons ago. For many, this sight bears a heavy psychological weight. Amid the excitement of spring, a cluttered garage becomes
a daunting barrier to enjoying the season.

“Overwhelm thrives in ambiguity,” explains Bohne Leah, founder of the Denver-based Be Organized Method.

Leah, an award-winning professional organizer whose expertise has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, notes that over 95% of her clients use the words “overwhelmed” or “stressed.” Undefined environments activate the brain’s stress response, compromising executive function. Her solution for the spring reset isn’t to start tossing things blindly, but to pause and create a roadmap.

“Clarity reverses that stress,” she says. “When we define the scope, identify ‘hot spots,’ and break a project down space by space, the emotional weight begins to lift. It’s about a shift in focus from the mess to the plan.”

The Art of Decluttering

The traditional weekend purge often leads to project burnout. We’ve all been there: The entire contents of a closet strewn across the floor by noon, and by 3 p.m., we are exhausted and living in a space that looks worse than when we started. To combat this seasonal fatigue, Leah suggests a counterintuitive approach: lower the bar. If you believe you have two hours of energy, commit to only one. Finishing before you reach the point of exhaustion builds the consistency needed to complete the project; sustainable progress always outperforms short-lived intensity.

At the heart of her philosophy is the “Belong Phase.” Rather than asking if an item is “good,” Leah asks her clients to consider if it truly belongs in their current life. This discovery process examines why an item is taking up space. If an item supports your daily workflow, it stays. However, if it lingers out of habit, sentimentality, or an aspirational version of yourself that no longer exists, it is likely time to let go. Function also determines placement; Leah advises that frequently used items should live within the natural flow of the home, while less-used items should be pushed further from daily reach.

Leah applies these principles to both major residential transitions and high-volume corporate environments. The ideas in her method can be life-changing for individuals and businesses alike who feel held back by spatial and behavioral disorganization. Because physical clutter often mirrors emotional weight, her method is designed to relieve both.

“Creating order becomes a step toward regaining stability and agency,” says Leah. “It is an honor to witness the transformation that happens when someone begins to feel empowered again in their own space.”

To keep that empowerment from fading, Leah suggests habit stacking. Instead of waiting for another massive annual clean, anchor a five-minute organizing session to an existing routine, like waiting for the morning coffee to brew. For families, she recommends a containment-first strategy: assign a designated basket or bin to each family member in high-traffic “sticky” areas—like a kitchen island. Once a basket reaches capacity, that individual is responsible for resetting their items back to their proper homes.

Donating with a Deeper Purpose

Once you have navigated the Belong Phase and identified the items ready to leave your home, the question becomes: where do they go? In our corner of Denver, spring cleaning is a massive recycling effort. Maggie Scivicque and Marty Schmitt from arc Thrift Stores refer to April as their “Green Month,” a peak season where the community’s desire to refresh aligns with arc Thrift Stores’ mission of sustainability.

“It’s a pretty big operation,” Scivicque says of the warehouse where mountains of donations are processed. “People don’t always realize what happens to all this stuff. We take the recycling of it all very seriously.”

arc Thrift Stores doesn’t just sell clothes; they manage a sophisticated system where items that can’t be sold in-store are ethically recycled, keeping massive amounts of textiles out of Colorado landfills. Beyond the environmental impact, donating to arc Thrift Stores supports Coloradans with intellectual and developmental disabilities by funding 15 advocacy chapters across the state.

While arc Thrift Stores is a cornerstone for local donations, Denver offers a wealth of specialized options.

If your cleaning reveals professional attire that no longer fits your style, Dress for Success can put those suits to work for women entering the workforce. For building materials or furniture, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore is an excellent alternative. The goal is to give your items a second life while contributing to a local ecosystem that supports your neighbors.

The Repair Mindset

In our modern buy-and-replace culture, it is easy to assume a wobbly chair or inoperable tool belongs in the bin. Garrett Carr from the Denver Tool Library (DTL) suggests a different path: the repair mindset. Choosing to fix something is a radical act of sustainability that reduces demand for new manufacturing.

Beyond the environmental perks, repair offers psychological benefits. Fixing a family heirloom or a trusted appliance creates self-sufficiency and preserves the stories embedded in our possessions.

“Don’t throw away that really cool old thing you have that was your grandpa’s,” Carr urges. “It can be fixed, I promise.”

The DTL acts as a community resource that makes this mindset accessible, regardless of your skill level. For those who want to learn, Carr highlights the Mending Circle—a free community event for repairing clothes. If your favorite jacket has a tear or a missing button, this is the place to learn garment care. For bigger projects, the DTL will host its next Repair Fair on May 17 from 2 to 6 p.m. Registration is free, and it is an ideal opportunity to bring in small appliances or electronics that need an expert’s eye.

Even if you fix something at your own kitchen table with help from a YouTube video, the goal is to reclaim agency over your environment. When you know how to maintain your items, you are less likely to fall back into a state of overwhelming ambiguity.

The Seasonal Reset

As the spring flowers begin to peek out, the effort of a spring reset pays dividends in peace of mind. By moving from chaos to a plan, we reclaim our homes as sanctuaries. Organizing, as Leah points out, shouldn’t feel like a punishment—it can be a grounding activity that creates a sense of control and calm.

Clear the physical and mental space to host that first neighborhood barbecue of the year, start a new project, or simply enjoy a quiet evening on the patio without the nagging thought of the “mountain” in the garage. This spring, let the reset be about more than just cleaning; let it be about creating a home that truly reflects the life you want to live.

Seth Davis is the local editor of MyDenver and lives in Denver with his wife and two children.