You’ve decided to de-clutter and get organized. You feel like you have “too much stuff” and are ready to make some room. But lo and behold – 15 minutes go by, you’ve lost your steam, you’re overwhelmed, and you can’t make decisions about what to keep and what to let go. 

What now? 

Be Clear on Your WHY

When setting the task of what to keep and what to let go, sometimes it’s helpful to take a minute to reflect honestly about your WHY… get clear about your motivation to declutter and purge. You’ll need to remind yourself of your WHY when the emotions kick in and decision making gets tough.

For instance: 

• Do you need to make space for a new family member?
• Are you tripping over books on the floor and surfaces?
• Would you like to have guests over more often?

Questions to ask yourself

Once you’re clear on your motivation, use these questions to guide you through your decision making:

• What’s it for?
• How often do you use it?
• Is there room for It?
• Would you cry if it went away? (And how quickly would you get over it?)
• What’s the chance of it being used again?

Real Life Story – travel books

A recent client wanted more room on a bookshelf for her partner to be able to use one of the 4 shelves. The bookshelf was in a prime location of the house. One of the shelves contained all travel books – all at least 15 years old.  Purging these wasn’t so easy! By establishing her WHY – to make space for her partner – she had clarity on how many books she could keep. That helped guide her through the tough decisions. 

Here’s what happened: 

• She was able to let go of some of the books on countries she thought she’d never return to and the AAA books because they could be replaced for free.
• She kept the local hiking books in the prime bookshelf.
• She moved the less valued travel books to a storage area with other travel books and travel memorabilia to be considered later.

Next time you feel motivated to declutter, start with the question, “What is your WHY?”

What does it mean to you to keep things? What is your motivation to let things go?