I have lots of them--it depends on my mood. And on what sort of organizing or decluttering i need to do.

If it's simple decluttering--stuff that has a home (even if that home is the garbage) is now in the wrong place--I have one approach--not the one you describe.

Sometimes I use "tunnel vision"--I pick up one thing, and put it away, before I touch anything else. This is for when I'm feeling too scattered or too overwhelmed.

Sometimes I sweep everything off a surface into a laundry basket, and put them away.

If it's HUGE project, in which I have lots of stuff to evaluate, and I need to find new storage solutions and new positions on shelves, like DD's closet, I'll pull everything out and sort (or I'll pull them out one-at-a-time, and sort, then put back in)

I'd tell you my organising technique if I could find it. No, seriously, years ago when I was working I was good at organising things. I don't know what happened. Well, I have a few ideas about what contributed to it but it seems incomprehensible that I could make such an 180 degree turn.

I'm a bit like Talley Sue, depends, but these days I guess the "huge project" technique is the most common. Worked well for the garage recently. If only I could get motivated to do the next one. A couple of silly problems have knocked the wind out of me. (BTW, has anyone ever had an unpleasant experience when washing a vellux blanket? Never owned one before so I'm not sure what's reasonable the first time you wash it.)