Minimalism encompasses a lot of things—often issues that come and go. Whether we’re talking about the physical or not-so-physical stuff, minimalism always seems to include decluttering and ditching things we don’t want in our lives. Here are some tips and questions you can ask yourself to make ditching and decluttering just a little easier.
Listen to the episode by hitting the play button or read the highlights below:
Women of the Woods—the anthology that includes my story, “Alina’s Well”
You can now purchase my book, How to be a Minimalist — A Beginner’s Guide! Click HERE to see the details. I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and thanks for supporting me/my family/my work! The ebook is out now and the paperback will be out in the next month or two.
Letting go of stuff and decluttering feels great…usually. Sometimes the thought of it is downright terrifying. Here are some questions that will hopefully help you to be confident as you say adios to those things that are holding you back.
1. Is this item helping me to have the home I want? A lot of times, the answer is no. When we think about the way we want our lives to function and the important role our homes have in that, we usually don’t imagine clutter and useless objects filling a lot of our space. If the answer to the question is no, it’s time to consider saying goodbye.
2. What is the positive vs. negative value of the item? Positive value can include things like beauty, functionality, usefulness. Negative value can include things like the amount of space an item takes, bad vibes it brings, and not being to your taste. If you don’t like the way something works for you and it also happens to have come from your ex you broke up with on bad terms, it has a LOT of negative value and little to no positive value. This tip comes with a bonus question—why on earth is it still in your home?
3. Is there another item you own that can fill this item’s purpose? If you look around—especially in the kitchen—it’s likely you’ll find a lot of single-purpose items. Multi-purpose items are often our friends. Open your cabinets and drawers; you’ll likely find you don’t need various items. Others can work just as well for the intended purpose as well as function as the item you’re considering ditching.
4. How difficult is it to replace this item? Usually, it’s pretty easy to replace the items we’d like to ditch and declutter. Assuring ourselves that if we REALLY need the item we can get it again is absolutely OK and often helps us to continue progressing on our minimalist journeys. Saying goodbye doesn’t have to be forever, but if we give ourselves the freedom to bring an item back into our life, we often don’t want to.
5. How often do I use this? If you can’t remember the last time you used something, it’s likely it’s been months or years and can probably be let go of. Sometimes I wish items like this would just disappear from my possessions because it’s likely I’d never miss them and would forget I ever owned them.
I hope these tips help you! I’m always decluttering and these questions have helped me more than once. What helps you to declutter? I’d love to read in the comments below.
Remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.
Your support of the show is so very appreciated! Ratings, reviews, and Patreon patronage all sustain this show. Don’t forget that Patrons now get bonus episodes! Thanks so much!
Want to leave a tip in my virtual tip jar? You can Venmo me @HowtobeaMinimalist Thank you so much for your support!
My book, How to be a Minimalist with Kids: Finding YOUR Kind of Minimalism
Broden and the Shark-Toothed Chicken — Book 1 of this chapter book series (should be marked as free)
My latest videos on YouTube:
Simple Crunchy Granola Recipe
Vegan Cheesy Fry Sauce
How to Make Cashew Yogurt
Sushi Bowl Salad
My Website: KatieCoughran.com — check here for my free books and to keep up to date