Most of us have more stuff than we need. We know it. But that doesn’t make dealing with it any easier. Here is a simple strategy to help you decide what stuff belongs in your house and what doesn’t.
A simple but powerful question for dealing with our stuff. Ask: Why am I keeping this?
Possible answers to “why am I keeping this?” include:
- I actually use it
- I love the way it looks in this house
- it was a gift that reminds me of someone I love
- it sparks joy
- it is an important part of my family history or heritage
- I might need it someday
- I hope I will have a reason to use it someday
- it’s too expensive to throw out
- my ideal self would want to use it
- I thought my kids/spouse/pet would like it
- I haven’t gotten my money’s worth out of it yet
- It was a really good deal
- you can never have too many ___
- it’s trendy
- I’ve had it forever
- It lives in an out-of-the-way corner so I forget I have it
Clarifying why you are keeping your stuff will help you see which items are worth keeping and which might not be.
Now here comes the harder question: Is my answer to Question One a valid reason to keep this item?
Everything you have in your house is there for a reason, but not everything is there for a good reason. The answers in the list above are honest, but not all of them are rational reasons to hold onto stuff. Once we see that, it’s easier to say good bye to the stuff we don’t really need anymore.
Yeah, it’s hard to part with our stuff. Knowing why we keep certain things helps us decide which items have the right to remain and which should be shown the door.
Bonus Question: Are there objects in the house that really bother me?
There was a picture in my grandmother’s house that gave me the creeps. I don’t know why it disturbed me so much, but it did. Perfectly innocent objects can elicit negative emotions for reasons we can’t understand and can’t explain.
I bet you have at least one or two items in your house that bother you. Maybe you hate how it looks. (Even if you once loved it.) Maybe it brings up bad memories. Maybe it just gives you negative vibes.
Any item that is laden with negative emotions doesn’t belong in the house, no matter how trendy, expensive, or seemingly innocent it may be.
I usually think the answer is #6 but it’s probably more often #5. (Especially for books – put “re-read” in place of “need.”)
SUVs are #9 for sure: “Yeah, I’m going to take it off-road – when I find the time. And a good place. And I need the 4-wheel drive anyway for when I go to a remote cabin in winter – which I’ve always wanted to do. Next year, maybe.”
(P.S. Hi, Lisa!)
Exactly! We all have our reasons but rarely do we look them in the eye. (Although the remote cabin sounds perfectly reasonable to me.)