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Unfortunately, it’s not just about letting go of your stuff.
Decluttering is more often than not a time consuming, overwhelming, and emotionally exhausting experience. Despite our deep desire to live clutter free, getting rid of all our unnecessary belongings is not so simple.
If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to get organized, I just want to tell you I know you can do it. It may not be easy, decluttering in a week or a weekend is possible although I suspect it will take you longer, but it is possible to reclaim your home. All you need to do is to take the first step and overcome the paralysis.
One of the ways you can accomplish this is by signing up for my 10 Things To Declutter in 10 Minutes A Day Plan. All you have to do is sign up below, and I’ll send you suggestions of 10 different ways you can rid yourself of clutter starting today!
If you’re dead serious about decluttering right now and don’t want to do a little a day, check out my Weekend Solution To Decluttering Your Entire Home. This program is perfect if you want to purge as much from your house as possible.
In just three days you’ll tackle every room in your home from top to bottom.
It’s radical, but it works.
Read about what’s included in the Weekend Solution To Decluttering Your Entire Home.
THE JOURNEY
This year just like every year, I vow to declutter more items from my home. This past weekend I worked on my closet, jewelry, and shoes. I tossed out two bags of clothing consigned a few things and sold some items through my local Facebook Marketplace.
This week I’m working on the kitchen cupboards and purging many pots and pans that we just don’t use. I mean how many frying pans can one household have?
Although the process of decluttering has been a journey, it’s one that has gotten easier each year.
Decluttering is all about getting rid of what you no longer need, use or love.
It’s about letting go of the past and making room for the present.
Besides the obvious benefits of a less cluttered space, it clears your mind too. You have less to care for, less to worry about, and less searching for items. Overall, what you gain – more time to spend on what’s important – is worth anything you toss.
IF IT’S SO GREAT TO DECLUTTER – WHY IS IT SO HARD TO DECLUTTER?
If you spent money on something you never used (clothes, shoes, games, kitchen gadgets), it might be hard to get rid of it. Sometimes this guilt shows up in two ways. First, you feel guilty you wasted the cash, and second, you just feel wasteful in general. But the money is already gone, and you can’t get it back. It’s already been spent! You’ve already spend it on something that’s just taking up space. Let it go. Letting it go is better for you than continuing to look at it and be reminded of the guilt. Once you part with it, you’re parting with the guilt too.
If it’s still in good condition, it’s not doing you or anyone else any good by just sitting in a box. Donate it. Give it to a friend. Sell it online or at a yard sale. Let someone else put it to good use. This helps to assuage your guilt because you can focus your attention on the fact someone is getting use it, and that’s a good thing!Thinking of having a yard sale? Check out my comprehensive list of tips and tricks that netted me over 2K at my last garage sale!
People give gifts to make the receiver feel good. If you’re truly not enjoying the gift, it’s okay to let it go in the hopes that wherever it lands, it will make that person feel good too.Regift it to someone who would enjoy it or donate it. Trust me; most people are not coming to your home and searching to see if you’re using the gift they gave you. Truth be told can you even remember the last gift you gave your Aunt? Neither does she.
Plus regifting is not as taboo as it once was as long as you follow the rules in my regifting guide which you can find here.
I MIGHT REGRET IT
The “just in case” mentality is causing you to hold on to things you don’t need and probably don’t even like!
It’s a waste of space and money to keep holding onto things you just don’t need just because you MIGHT regret it.
If you’re not sure about something, put it in a box and set it aside for a few months. If at the end of that time, you haven’t taken it out even once, it’s time to let it go. The trick here is to give yourself the time you need to truly see if you need the item.
Now, you can’t do that with all the clutter, but for really big items or sentimental items give yourself the time you need and make sure you’re not going to regret something you should have kept.
Sentimental objects should be the last things you even consider parting with. Start with objects like clothes or kitchen gadgets – things you don’t have much attachment to first.
And, might I add try to ban “regret” from the process. By focusing on the regret, you might feel you almost create a self-fulfilling prophecy of actually regretting anything you part with. Try to separate your emotions.
Not sure you can? My list of tips and tricks will really help you let go of the regret and guilt associated with decluttering.
IT HOLDS TOO MANY MEMORIES
If we held on to everything that had sentimental value, we’d all need much bigger houses than we currently live in, and this isn’t the solution to the problem.
Try this out and see if this doesn’t help with sentimental objects.
For those few small items and trinkets, you want to keep, place them in a memory box. You can even include photos of larger items before you get rid of them. Display your memory box and let go of everything else. It’s not serving you any purpose just taking up space.
I know for many of us whose parents have died. This is one of the hardest things to do. It was for me when my mother passed away, and truth be told, I still have not parted with any of her jewelry, not one single piece.
Be gentle with yourself and give yourself the time you need. If you’ve got a house full of clutter, make the sentimental things the LAST thing you’ll go through not the first, or it will probably derail all the rest of your efforts.
Sentimental objects take time to go through and shouldn’t be rushed. It doesn’t mean you make the process last a lifetime just that you don’t start your decluttering process with objects that are tied to sentimental memories.
If you need some advice on how to best accomplish this task, read this article where I take you step by step through the process of letting go of your possessions with as little trauma as possible.
CONCLUSION
Our stuff is our stuff, and our emotions are all tied up in it whether we like it or not. Give yourself time and grace you need to start the decluttering process.
If you’re wracked with decluttering paralysis, take a moment and think about what area might be holding you back. Then take a deep breath, see the result of your decluttered home, and as you let go of that breath believe you can overcome your paralysis.
I’m here for you friend, and I know you can do it. I know you can get rid of your possessions – at least the ones you no longer need. Let me know how I can help you move forward this year with decluttering your home so you can make way for the things that REALLY matter in your life.
Check out this video and see how much clutter is costing us as a society!
