"To every thing there is a season...a time to keep, and a time to cast away." Ecclesiastes 3:1;6

As an American, “we were born into a problem -- constant over-consumption of an abundance of resources.” (McDaniel, Robin). Yet according to the National Association of Professional Organizers, “80% of what we keep we never use.” (Source: NAPO) Simply put, we have Too Much Stuff. So, why not declutter?

First, let us talk about clutter. Dictionary.com defines clutter as "a disorderly heap or assemblage". Merriam-Webster puts clutter as "a crowded or confused mass or collection" or "things that clutter a place".  While I will agree these definitions are true, clutter cannot be defined as just that. Clutter is anything taking up space that does not serve it's purpose. You can have the cleanest and tidiest home, yet still have a cluttered home. Decluttering -- removing clutter -- is not a one-time experience, but a life-time habit. Designer Jane Hamilton of JAC Interiors says, "The biggest issue is people don't edit." Just as a book has chapters, our lives have chapters. We cannot simply just edit one chapter and leave the rest. A new chapter can bring a change in priorities; therefore, we must edit and make change in our homes and schedules to suit our new chapter. "To every thing there is a season...a time to keep, and a time to cast away." (Ecclesiastes 3:1;6) Just as changes occur in the world's seasons, changes happen in our seasons of life. Even as a professional organizer, I must step back from time to time to re-evaluate and reflect if it is time to keep or time to cast away. When an item no longer serves it's purpose for my current chapter/season's priorities, it is simply just clutter taking up space. With all of this, I believe it is fair to say that decluttering is for everyone.

Decluttering is less about stuff and so much more about YOU. A well-established professional organizer and writer, Peter Walsh says rather than asking yourself what you "want for a space," you should ask what you "want from the space. What is the vision for that space? And then you start asking yourself, “Will this object move us closer to or farther from the vision we have for this space?” These questions will help you determine what you consider your life's priorities. Though decluttering is the act of removing items, you should be focusing more so on what should stay in your home. Belongings should serve you, not the other way around. Focusing on your life's priorities allows you to see the belongings that are not serving their purpose for you and just taking up your space.

When should you declutter? How about now?! There is no magic number of years when one should declutter. But, you will have a inkling when it is time for you. Some moments when I would suggest it may be time includes: if you constantly feel overwhelmed and stressed while at home, a big life change (eg. new job, marriage, new baby, new home), or when you notice your life's priorities have changed. Now, you may be thinking, this all makes sense, but it is simply too overwhelming to jump in and start the process. ​
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​Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant and author shares in one of her books the reasons behind why we allow clutter. ”There are only two reasons we can't let go of something: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.” (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) How true that really is! We fear letting go of something from our past because of sentimental attachment and memories. Otherwise, we fear letting go of something because of the 2 word question we come to ask, “What if?” In reality, letting go of things will not end in tragedy. Memories cannot disappear once items are gone. And, most things can be replaced. Maybe not an exact twin of the item, but about anything can be easily be found, if it is truly needed. I would say that pictures would be the about the only item that could be difficult to substitute; however, with technology today even pictures can easily be found once whether you choose to post them on social media or save them with an online cloud storage or website. A good chances are if the pictures were taken at a family/friend event, someone else captured the moment too. 

There is nothing inherently wrong with keeping things from the past or for the future; however, I recommend applying the 2P approach when going through all belongings in your home.  If you were to want one question to assist you in decluttering, I would suggest it to be, Do your belongings actually serve a purpose that helps you to live out your life's priorities? There are couple key things to consider when deciding whether to keep or discard something you consider that you may be holding onto because of an attachment to your past or a fear for the future.
 
PULL OUT THE BELONGINGS FROM THE PAST:
Does it bring you joy NOW? Has the belonging hid away deep in the closet/under your bed or is it in reach to enjoy? If you consider it a priority to be able to look back and enjoy/share past good memories, I would recommend limiting to 2 average sized boxes for mementos. And, if these belongings have been hidden, I would say it is safe to say, you have made your home their residence because of an attachment to the past rather than for them to serve you with enjoyment.
 
PULL OUT THE BELONGINGS FOR THE FUTURE:
Is it something you are holding onto it because you MAY use it later down the road? But, are those MAY days this year? If so, set a plan during this year when/how you're going to use it. If you cannot, do not, or your set plan falls thru, then you can let go of the item AND you can let go of any fear for the future. In doing so, you not only let go but you let in the possibility for the item to serve its true purpose in another person's life. For example, I held onto 2 large storage containers of children's books from my past classroom library. First, I held onto them for my future classroom. Eventually, I realized my future does not include a classroom. Yet, as I searched through my parent's basement going through my belongings I had left there, I came to realize I had kept them regardless of my once future need. Then, I thought about how I want children one day. I considered keeping them for my one day future children. Though my future certainly is considered as one of my life's priorities, I realized having THAT many children's books stored up in my parents' basement does not benefit my future because I can easily buy books for my children when needed, my children may not even like those books, and the books were not allowed to serve their purpose in the moment -- to be read and enjoyed -- because I was just holding onto them. One of my priorities when I do become a parent is to share select things that were special to me as a child; therefore, when going through the children's books, I decided to keep a handful of them while I donated the rest to a local after school program. I let go of the fear of maybe needing ALL of those books and felt a wave of peace and happiness knowing those books can now be loved. Also, with future purchases, consider making sure the item has a definite purpose that EITHER serves your current life priorities or if it is for "one day" make sure you have a set plan how/when it will be used. For instance, I did purchase an Easter basket a couple years ago that I found for my "one day" daughter I will be adopting. Though I do not have an exact when, I do know that the process can start once this business is full-time or after a few years of being married. Until then, I am using it to store those select few books I mentioned keeping.

Still, before you consider decluttering, you may prefer to know the pros and cons before you start. Letting go of the things that no longer serve your life has a variety of pros including: 

• you take back your space,
• you save money,
• you free up time,
• you can organize easily, 
• you gain joy,
• you gain peace and calmness -- in and out of your home--,  
• you are releasing unneeded physical and emotional stress,
• you are freed from distraction, 
• your drive and focus improves -- you become more productive --,
• you get better sleep,
• you have less to clean and less to maintain,
• you learn how to be mindful in future purchasing -- you are better at analyzing whether the item truly is something you should purchase --, 
• you begin focusing so much more on people and experiences rather than things,
• you improve your environment, and
• you find the motivation to declutter unhealthy habits.
• YOUR LIFE IS IMPROVED. YOUR LIFE IS TRANSFORMED. YOUR LIFE BECOMES BALANCED.

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Now, you may have noticed I have not mentioned the cons of decluttering. Maybe the fear of letting go is still echoing through your mind and stinging your heart. That fear may have you focusing on what you would be “losing,” but in reality you would be gaining so much more. Just carelessly tossing away things will provide a list of cons; however, if you truly define your life's priorities first and then assess whether your belongings help you to live out your life's priorities, you should not find any cons or negatives from decluttering in this way. Once you remove the clutter, you are not just letting go of things, but you are letting in the belongings you truly cherish and you can actually live out what you consider as your life's priorities.

So, are you ready to jump in to start your decluttering journey and live out your life's priorities?
Are you ready to bring your dream into reality and live life to the fullest? Got a question about decluttering? Just ask below!