Decluttering is A Lifelong Pursuit

Making the decision to declutter our belongings requires a lot of willpower. Setting clear goals based on the questions we ask ourselves can ensure that the road to a more minimalist lifestyle is paved with good intentions.

While it may seem like a once-and-done routine, decluttering is a lifelong pursuit built upon better habits. It’s necessary to understand the reasons behind why you want to declutter, and which habits you wish to change. Sometimes we make impulse purchases we regret that create clutter; other times it might be to make major life changes (such as moving) much easier. Here are some questions to help you get started with your decluttering journey.

1. What am I trying to change about myself or my environment?

2. What do I find most frustrating, or are certain things causing anxiety?

3. What are my long-term goals? Do my environment and my belongings contribute to the success of those goals?

4. How much time does it take to take care of my belongings?

5. Do I have impulsive purchasing habits? Am I taking time to make decisions on purchases?

6. What relationship do I have with my belongings? Are my belongings truly serving a purpose in my life?

If you’re feeling stuck, let me provide a personal example of my own journey decluttering. I stay stressed about money all the time. When I was working in my high-stress corporate job, I would take breaks and browse retail sites to daydream about the life I thought I wanted to live - and then buy things to “help fulfill” the daydream. It was quite literally retail therapy, but it wasn’t solving my problems.

Once I quit my job, I realized that the things I purchased weren’t really what I wanted or needed. It was a faulty coping mechanism to try and handle the amount of stress I was experiencing. I regret most of the purchases I made, and most of them ended up being given away. In retrospect, I would have much rather saved my money to put towards travel or books.

Learn to be Selective

Knowing yourself and the things you tend to choose is critical in changing your habits, and it’s important to take note of what you’re choosing in order to effectively declutter. Pay attention to what you choose, even things as commonplace as utensils or clothing. Here’s an exercise to help you identify the things that matter the most.

1. Which activities would I choose to do if I had free time? How many items are associated with this activity or hobby? What about the things I’m choosing not to do?

2. When I’m completing daily tasks (cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, etc.), what items am I using? Am I deliberately choosing not to use certain items? Are there items getting in the way of me using the items I prefer to use?

3. If something catastrophic happened and I had to leave my home, what would I take with me if I had the time? Would I choose not to replace certain things?

The last question might seem unrealistic or extreme, but people have to face this reality more often that you might realize. Severe weather and wildfires displace thousands of people every year, and not everyone has the opportunity to prepare to leave. I’m not posing this question to cause anxiety, but instead I want it to allow for a deeper understanding of what matters most.

Parting Advice

Now that you have some questions and examples to jumpstart your decluttering, keep these things in mind:

You need to be honest and a bit harsh with yourself,

but learn to forgive yourself and improve yourself through better habits.

Be prepared to let a lot of things go,

but keep the things that truly matter to you and make you happy.

Don’t make your belongings someone else’s problem,

but have open conversations about how you feel about certain items or interests. You might learn new things about yourself.

Realize that decluttering never truly ends,

but realize it’s because we all change throughout our lives.

It’s difficult in the beginning,

but it gets easier with time.

I hope this helps you get started with your decluttering journey. Leave a comment with any other questions you might have or share your experiences with how you’ve started.