I am not a lover of clutter. It seems the older I get the more suffocated I feel when things start to accumulate. I crave space, breathing room, and love knowing exactly where everything is. Don’t get me wrong. My house is not always clean and I’m not anywhere near OCD, but opening a closet or cupboard and being able to see each item clearly with plenty of open space feels peaceful to me.
Now that I have lived in my house a few years I can feel the clutter slipping in again. Some of my clients are wanting to declutter, too. That makes this the perfect time to review the questions that have worked best in the past to help my decluttering process go smoothly.
Marie Kondo inspired a trend of tidying up with one simple question – “Does this spark joy?” It’s a good question, but, if you are like me, it sometimes feels silly and is just not enough to get me where I want to be. There are other clutter clearing questions recommended regularly.
- Have I used it in the last year?
- Does it still fit?
- Is it still in good condition?
- Do I have duplicates of the same item?
These questions are a great start, but some of our cluttery things have a strong hold on us. We can find ourselves clinging to some of these extra things with a death grip that just won’t let go. At least until we find the questions that will help us see them more clearly. Questions like:
If I was out shopping today, would I buy it again? Most of us have stuff that is no longer a fit for our life. Our personal style and needs evolve and it may be hard to let go of items that are perfectly good, but we probably will never use again.
Would it be more meaningful to someone else? There are many people in need who would love to have some of our old stuff. There is a good chance it will enhance their lives a lot more than it does ours. I sometimes feel sad for things sitting unused in the corner of a closet. It’s as if I feel they will be happiest when being loved and used, instead of hidden away in the dark. It’s time to free them so they can find new homes and fulfill their intended purpose.
If I moved cross country, would I take it with me? When I moved from California to a small town in Missouri it was clear to me that I wanted to use the move as an opportunity to let stuff go. Not that it was bad stuff. I just wasn’t sure it was worth paying to ship it or giving up valuable space in my car.
I rented one small shipping pod and limited myself to what I could fit in it. This made each decision more clear because whatever I took would use up precious space. In the end, I sold or gave away more than half of what I owned and I haven’t missed things at all. My life feels more peaceful without them.
How do I feel when I look at it? Our subconscious mind is constantly providing clues that we can use in this process. When you look at each item does the energy of it feel heavy or light? Keep the light things and let the heavy ones go. Just imagine how good your life would feel if you did this all the time.
Is it worth the maintenance and cleaning it will require? For example, I don’t have a lot of knickknacks or keep sweaters that pill. Owning them is not worth the time and energy it takes to take care of them. I don’t need unnecessary chores and would rather spend my time on more meaningful things.
On a scale of 1-10 how valuable is it to me? Choose a number as the cut off point. My clients usually say 7 or 8. Anything that is rated at that number or above is a keeper and the rest goes.
The idea here is not to overload you with questions (that would be mental clutter), but to give you more options to choose from. Try them out and focus on the ones that work best for you.
Decluttering can be a joyful process and the end result can bring more peace into your life. I hope these questions support you in getting started and creating a home that feels like your own personal sanctuary.
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For me, the most important question is: If I moved across country, would I take it with me? I used to have an addiction to shopping. I was never a hoarder, or anything extreme but I loved getting new stuff. These days, I get more of a thrill when I get rid of stuff! I feel so free 🙂
Funny how that shifts in us… I still like to buy clothes a little bit, but now that I’m using what I call a peaceful wardrobe system that is very simple that doesn’t come us as often. After a summer of only about 15 items in my entire closet I hate fill it up with more things. I think the key for me is having a plan and getting things that go together instead of buying haphazardly.
I need to declutter for sure! I am moving into a smaller apartment! Helpful tips 🙂
It will feel good once you are done. Let me know if you have any questions…
I’ll print this out in big type for my father-in-law (age 96 and a hoarder); hope it does some good! Thanks, Linda!
We can always hope for the best. If not now, when the timing is right.
Good questions to ask. I find I get attached to things – mostly because of the memories they hold for me. Even clothing can trigger great memories.That’s why I find it so hard to let go of some things. Yet, like you, having too much stuff seems to add an element of stress due to managing the stuff.
Sometimes when we want to hold onto memories we try to hold on to all of the things that remind us of that time. I usually pick the one that memorializes the moment best to keep for sure and then some of the others are easier to let go of. I ask myself – how much do I need to remember this? Sometimes taking pics of things like the clothes (or other items) is a way to keep them without the bulk of keeping them.
I totally agree with the idea that the older we get the more we feel like decluttering! At least that’s been my experience! I’m going through a “need to get rid of everything I own” phase and your questions are really helpful. I WANT to declutter but then I start with the old “what if…” questions and it makes it hard. Thanks for the help though:)
Glad to help. You”just need to find the questions that feel right for you or go totally by intuition and momentum. I ask my clients if they could replace the item or find another solution in those future “what if” moments. They usually can.
“Stuffocated”…best word ever!!! 😀
Great and helpful article, Linda. As I am looking to move to a new place and relinquish my 2-year storage unit soon, my goal is downsizing my stuff by a LOT!
Blessings, Teri
You will be so glad you did! I hardly remember the things I let go of before my move and my new house feels much more peaceful.
I love decluttering! I’m actually living a minimal life and I love it!
Congrats! I equate minimalism with peace and hope that is what you feel.
I have gotten rid of many things throughout the years. I wish I had this list for one of my decluttering sessions. There are a couple of items that I miss!
Sorry to hear that. Sometimes we can go a little too far. I went to paint my deck and had no old pants I was willing to get paint on. But overall, decluttering mostly results in feeling good.
I am trying to get better at this. I think the one thing that is so hard for me is that I have trouble letting go of things like writings and stuff. Now I’ve started to move to digital but as some one who has written short stories and poems most of my life. It has been the hardest part to getting my energy unblocked.
It took me awhile to go digital and I still do my morning journaling in notebooks, but it’s amazing how much really can be put in the cloud or in your computer.
I love the heavy light note! Such a great way to think about things. I want to apply all these tips to the kids toys in my home! Help!!!!
http://Www.tonyamezrich.com
I actually use heavy vs. light in most areas of my life. It’s a good all around tool.
How do you apply those questions to paperwork? That’s the stuff I find hardest to deal with. Often I won’t love it but will need to keep it for some reason.
Another question for paperwork might be: If I really feel a need to keep this can it be scanned and saved online? One of my paperwork issues is tearing out articles or things that spark ideas in me. So, I created a document to write the ideas in on my computer and have a notebook on my desk where I can store new ones quickly as I see them. The notebook is a lot better than a bunch of paper and the doc in my computer is even better.
Unstoppable info on decluttering! Thanks for this post.
Thank you.
This is so good. I also feel better when there is space and room to breathe. I have been going through items like crazy getting ready to be rid of it all. Meanwhile, I am trying to get my 4 yo son and my husband to jump on the bandwagon with me. We will be moving again in 1.5 years and I don’t want to move so much junk (we just moved about 6 months ago).
Moving is a great opportunity to rethink your things and I love that you are planning ahead to make the transition easy. You will be so glad you did.