By Martha Tobin
Have you ever felt deflated after you have gotten up the energy to tackle some decluttering? You’re not alone. Getting motivated to declutter is one thing but the emotional weight of making decisions about your items can be exhausting.
Here are 5 questions to help you with your decisions:
1. Does this item reflect who you are now or who you want to be?
–Holding onto too many items from your past can prevent you from moving forwards by taking up not only physical space in your home but also mental and emotional space.
2. How often have you used this item in the past year?
–Keeping some items that aren’t used often is not a problem but holding onto too many of them can be limiting. Ask yourself about their frequency of use.
3. Would you buy this item again today?
–Determining if you would repurchase this item now can be an objective way of deciding if the item is worth keeping.
4. Are you holding onto this item out of guilt?
–Holding on to items (i.e. gifts) because of a sense of obligation has a negative effect on our well-being. Keep the memory by taking a photo and let the item go so it can have a great second life with someone else.
5. What is the true value of this item in your life?
–Regardless of an item’s monetary value, every item comes with a cost (i.e. maintenance, space it takes up, emotional). True value is determined by an item’s usefulness, appreciation and the joy it brings you.
Looking backwards to move forwards limits personal growth while letting go of items that drain you is liberating and frees up space for joy, creativing and unclutters the path ahead of you.
“The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.” (Marie Kondo)