When decluttering your stuff, you probably have a list of things to let go of
I always recommend starting with the easy stuff like …
clothes that don’t fit
duplicates (How many spatulas and wooden spoons do you need?)
knick knacks and odds and ends with no meaning
almost everything in your junk drawer
books you’ve read and won’t read again
As you get to items that aren’t as easy, you may come up with excuses like, “I’ll keep this just in case.” or “I’ll keep this for my kids.” but what those excuses are telling you is that you aren’t quite ready to let go. That’s ok. Keep coming back to those items and for now, get excited because there are five things you never have to let go of. In fact, I recommend holding on tightly to these five things.
When Decluttering Your Stuff, Never Let Go of These 5 Things
In looking back at the decluttering articles I’ve written, I’ve realized that I’ve focused almost exclusively on what you should let go of and not much on what you should hold on to when decluttering.
Some things are meant to stay in your life forever including these 5 things.
The Five Things:
1. Humor
You must find a way to laugh while letting go. This strategy may help.
2. Intention
Always remember why you are letting go, why you are creating space and why you are simplifying your life. Letting go with this intention in mind will add clarity to your decisions and lightness to the process.
3. Rest
This is a marathon. You didn’t clutter up your life with stuff overnight and you aren’t going to declutter your stuff overnight. Choose consistency over intensity with tiny steps every day and lots of rest in between.
4. Grace
Letting go can bring up feelings of guilt around overspending, buying things you didn’t need and feeling wasteful by letting go. You might get frustrated that letting go is hard or that your family isn’t as excited as you are. When struggles come up (and they will), allow for grace. Extend that grace to yourself and others over and over again.
5. Joy
Decluttering your life with the idea that you’ll be happy when you are finished or that you will enjoy things when you have fewer things is robbing you of experiencing joy right now. There is no reason to delay joy. It’s not waiting for you, it’s within you.
Maybe these 5 things weren’t what you were expecting.
You may have been waiting for permission to hold on to journals and sentimental items, or clothes with tags still hanging on them, or things that were really cheap or really expensive, but the truth is … the only person who can make that decision is you.
You get to decide what matters most to you and what stuff you want to keep in your life. If you aren’t sure, one way to determine what matters most to you is to get rid of anything that doesn’t matter at all.
P.S. Summer School for Simplicity is OPEN for a few more days. Learn more here and join me for a live Q & A webinar on Tuesday, May 26th (sign up here) to see if you want to join more than 100 other people making positive changes to simplify their lives this summer.
The post When Decluttering Your Stuff Never Let Go of These 5 Things appeared first on Be More with Less.
#Clutter
clothes that don’t fit
duplicates (How many spatulas and wooden spoons do you need?)
knick knacks and odds and ends with no meaning
almost everything in your junk drawer
books you’ve read and won’t read again
As you get to items that aren’t as easy, you may come up with excuses like, “I’ll keep this just in case.” or “I’ll keep this for my kids.” but what those excuses are telling you is that you aren’t quite ready to let go. That’s ok. Keep coming back to those items and for now, get excited because there are five things you never have to let go of. In fact, I recommend holding on tightly to these five things.
When Decluttering Your Stuff, Never Let Go of These 5 Things
In looking back at the decluttering articles I’ve written, I’ve realized that I’ve focused almost exclusively on what you should let go of and not much on what you should hold on to when decluttering.
Some things are meant to stay in your life forever including these 5 things.
The Five Things:
1. Humor
You must find a way to laugh while letting go. This strategy may help.
2. Intention
Always remember why you are letting go, why you are creating space and why you are simplifying your life. Letting go with this intention in mind will add clarity to your decisions and lightness to the process.
3. Rest
This is a marathon. You didn’t clutter up your life with stuff overnight and you aren’t going to declutter your stuff overnight. Choose consistency over intensity with tiny steps every day and lots of rest in between.
4. Grace
Letting go can bring up feelings of guilt around overspending, buying things you didn’t need and feeling wasteful by letting go. You might get frustrated that letting go is hard or that your family isn’t as excited as you are. When struggles come up (and they will), allow for grace. Extend that grace to yourself and others over and over again.
5. Joy
Decluttering your life with the idea that you’ll be happy when you are finished or that you will enjoy things when you have fewer things is robbing you of experiencing joy right now. There is no reason to delay joy. It’s not waiting for you, it’s within you.
Maybe these 5 things weren’t what you were expecting.
You may have been waiting for permission to hold on to journals and sentimental items, or clothes with tags still hanging on them, or things that were really cheap or really expensive, but the truth is … the only person who can make that decision is you.
You get to decide what matters most to you and what stuff you want to keep in your life. If you aren’t sure, one way to determine what matters most to you is to get rid of anything that doesn’t matter at all.
P.S. Summer School for Simplicity is OPEN for a few more days. Learn more here and join me for a live Q & A webinar on Tuesday, May 26th (sign up here) to see if you want to join more than 100 other people making positive changes to simplify their lives this summer.
The post When Decluttering Your Stuff Never Let Go of These 5 Things appeared first on Be More with Less.
#Clutter