Sometimes it’s really difficult to evaluate our possessions and determine whether something has earned its place in our home. I hope my take helps!
Watch by hitting the play button or read the recap by scrolling down.
There was a time when I didn’t understand when or why I should keep or ditch something. As soon as I realized that each item I own has both positive and negative value and vibes, it became so much more clear what I wanted to have around me. Things with bad vibes? Absolutely not! Beautiful, space-efficient things I love? Heck yes!
Here are just a couple of tips for determining negative and positive value:
How much space does it take? Items can be useful and wonderful but still have a lot of negative value if they take up too much space. This is where you have to decide if an item is worth the space or not. If it’s not worth the space but you still want that type of functional tool in your life, look for a similar item that is space-efficient.
Do negative memories surround an item? I’ve used this example many times in my books and podcast, but it’s the example that cemented negative value in for me. I had a blouse that was beautiful and looked great on me…but when I purchased it, somebody said something incredibly rude to me. I kept the shirt but hated wearing it and I tried to avert my eyes when I opened the closet because every time I saw the blouse, I couldn’t help but remember that comment. Ditching that shirt was like ditching that comment. Now when I use it as an example and remember it, I see that comment as that person’s character issue and not mine. Even though it stung at the time, I’m grateful for the lesson I—eventually—learned.
If you have items that bring back terrible memories and make you feel bad about yourself, why are you keeping them? Is there enough negative value there that you can let those items go?
The same goes for the opposite—if you have something functional and to your taste with great memories attached, try to make space for it in your home.
Is it adding to the style you want to achieve in your home/wardrobe? If you have something that doesn’t add to the vibes you’re trying to achieve in your space, why are you keeping it? The negative value is that you have something that isn’t making your home/wardrobe feel the way you want, therefore taking up space you could be using for something that would make your home exactly the way you want it to be.
When I bring something into my home/wardrobe now, I’m hyper aware of style, quality, and space. I never want something that won’t be well-loved and used in our home again. Of course, I know I’ll fail at this task at many points, but I find myself succeeding more and more often.
Whatever you need to declutter, I hope these tips help you make decisions about what earns a place in your home and what needs to find a home elsewhere. After all, if you have to spend your precious time and resources housing it, shouldn’t you make sure it’s truly worth the effort?
Good luck with your ditching and declutter and remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.
Want to listen to the How to be a Minimalist podcast? You can find it here
Want to become a patron to the show? Get two bonus exclusive podcast episodes each month by signing up for just $3 a month at the link below. Thanks for considering!
https://www.patreon.com/Katiecoughran