How to Tackle the Hardest Thing About Decluttering

Yes, decluttering can take a lot of time.  It can be physically taxing.  It can even be emotional.  But these aren't the hardest things about it.

The real challenge is the number of decisions that need to made, over and over, about everything you own.  You don't just need to handle all of your possessions – you need to decide what to keep and where to store it.  You need to decide what to discard, and how best to do that (sell, donate, recycle, trash).

We all know that decision-making is fraught with peril.  It's not just fatiguing.  You start worrying that you're missing something important, or you get trapped in overthinking.  That's why we so often avoid making decisions.  Our aversion causes us to procrastinate, which is at the root of our clutter problem.  It just seems easier to shove something into the back of a closet and leave the decision for later – or never.

Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.

Barbara Hemphill

The things we tell ourselves

Sometimes, to make these decisions, we have to admit the reason we accumulated the clutter in the first place.  Something made us keep things we don't need, use, or love.  Something has kept us from removing it before now.  Do any of these explanations sound familiar?

• This thing could be useful if I found a way to use it.
• This thing was a gift, so I need to keep it because the giver chose it/made it.
• When I have time, I'm going to get this thing fixed/altered/restored, and then I'll use it.
• This thing reminds me of a loved one who's gone.
• Someday this thing will be worth some serious money!
• Everyone I know has this thing, so I should have it too.
• These things stimulate my creativity.
• Someday this thing might come in handy.
• This thing is still good.
• This thing was a gift, so I need to keep it so the giver won't be offended.
• This thing goes with these other things, so I have to keep the set.
• I can't make a decision about this thing without consulting family/friends/experts.
• If I get rid of all these things, my house will be too bare/boring.
• They don't make this thing any more.
• I'm storing this thing in case my kids want it.
• People might judge me/think less of me if I don't have this thing.
• I haven't used this thing for a long time, but I might want to again someday.
• I spent a lot of money for this thing, and feel guilty that I haven't used it.
• I've had this thing for so long I can't imagine not having it.
• I don't know where to put this thing, so I'll have to deal with it later.
• I forgot I even had this thing!

No wonder we can't decide!  We put up walls and excuses before we even begin.

Four questions

When you're rested, fed, and fortified with caffeine, grab some boxes, garbage bags, packing tape, scissors, a permanent marker, perhaps some plastic gloves and cleaning supplies, and ask these questions about your belongings:

• Do I need this?  (Follow-up question: Do I need more than one of this thing?)
• Do I use it?
• Do I love it?

Sometimes, you use something even though you wouldn't say you "love" it, or you need something even though you use it only once a year.  Or maybe you love something that doesn't qualify as "useful."  That's okay.  But if you can't answer yes to any of these questions, you should probably get rid of the item.

If the item passes scrutiny, as one more question:

• Where does it belong?

Every item needs a place to call home.  That's how you're going to find it and put it away again with ease, which is going to add so much benefit to your daily life.

Choose destinations.

It can be easier to get rid of something when you imagine others using and appreciating it, so consider how to make that possible.  Yes, you might decide to sell some things, but that process will take your time and energy, and in the meantime, you'll have to store the items until they're sold.  It can be faster and easier – and possibly more satisfying – to donate.

Identify:

• an organization that accepts furniture and housewares (try a Habitat for Humanity ReStore)
• an organization that accepts clothing (try Goodwill or Oxfam)
• an organization that accepts books and/or video discs (try your local library or a school)
• an organization that accepts toys (try a daycare or preschool)
• an organization that accepts unopened personal care items (try a homeless shelter or a women's shelter)
• an organization that accepts unopened packages of food (try The Salvation Army)
• a drugstore or sheriff's department that disposes of unused prescription medications

Does it move?

Possessions that stay in one place for a long time might be clutter.

Unneeded items are inert.  Think about it.  Items that are used move from one place to another.  Dishes or cookware are used, become dirty, get washed, and are returned to the cupboard.  Clothing and linens are used, dirtied, laundered, folded or hung, and returned to the closet.  These items flow through our homes; they possess energy which enables us to do the things we need for everyday life.

Does your home contain shelves, drawers, closets, maybe even entire rooms where nothing comes or goes?  This is the very definition of clutter – something that simply lies dormant and takes up space.  All of that staleness needs to be cleared away.

Be a stranger.

Walk around your house as if you were a real estate agent preparing to put it on the market.  Be as detached as you can be.  What do you see that would reduce your home's value on the market, and what changes could be made that would make it more attractive to a buyer?  If all the boxes and bags piled in the spare bedroom were cleared out so it could be turned into an office, would that help it command a higher price?  What if you cleared the clutter in your bedroom and made space for a reading nook?  What if the piles of stuff that collect on your dining table were removed so it could be staged for a nice meal?

Or imagine you're looking at photos of your place on the Airbnb website.  Would you be happy to reserve it for a short-term stay?

What if you were a professional cleaner called in to make a bid on the job?

By adopting the fresh, unemotional view of a stranger, you may be able to decide on your goals and go after them with new resolve.

The many benefits of decluttering

Decluttering your home and creating a cleaner, tidier living environment is empowering.  Your energy and optimism may soar because you're no longer overwhelmed by your surroundings.  As you practice making the many decisions that decluttering requires, you gain clarity and focus, and become better and better at seeing clutter for what it is and removing it from your life.  The process actually improves your planning and organizational skills.

Imagine how much stress you remove along with your clutter, and how that beneficially impacts your physical and emotional health.  You can't help but move through your days with more serenity and confidence.

And it all began with decluttering!

Related article:  The Essential Decluttering Decision: Keep or Toss?

If you found this article helpful, I know you'll love my newest book, The 4-Hour Declutter, available now on Amazon.  These insights and more will help you get a jumpstart on putting your home in order so you can reap all the benefits of more space, more energy, more confidence, and more time for what you care about most!