When you think of decluttering, the most challenging part is to decide what stays and what goes.
I see most of my clients struggling to let go of their possessions, either due to emotional attachment or wanting to be prepared for anything, resulting in them being over-prepared. Sometimes, they just have purchased or received items they want to save for a special occasion.
If you think that there is too much clutter around in your home, then it’s time to go through the items and make the right decluttering decisions by asking yourself these 10 questions. These questions will help you gain clarity and determine what’s clutter so that you can more confidently decide what items to keep and what to get rid of. You may do this exercise yourself or choose a friend or another family member to help you answer these questions.
10 Decluttering questions to ask yourself
Here are 10 decluttering questions I always ask my clients when guiding and assisting them in deciding what to keep, donate, sell, or throw away:
1. Do you use the item regularly?
Don’t just say ‘yes’. Try to think of the time when you last used it. If you cannot recall, then the chances are that you don’t really use the item as you initially thought. I recommend letting go of anything you haven’t used in 6 or 12 months.
2. Do you love this item?
Ask yourself, ‘Do I still love this item today?’
Ask again, ‘Do I truly love this item? Is it really good?’
If your answer is ‘no’, you need to let it go. If you cannot answer this question, go back in time and ask yourself, ‘Will I buy this item again?’
If your answer is ‘no’, then chances are that you don’t love the item.
3. Do you have more than one of the same or similar items?
It’s very common to accidentally purchase similar items without realising we have one of its kind at home. Well, duplicates lead to extra clutter. So get rid of duplicates.
4. If you didn’t have this item, could you use something else in its place?
If you have multiple items that serve the same purpose, then it’s time to let go of other items.
5. Can you survive without this item?
Imagine living without the item and ask yourself, ‘Can I survive?’ ‘Will this impact my life?’
If you aren’t sure, remove the item and keep it in a separate storage space to see if the removal of the item is bothering you or impacting you in any way. If it didn’t make any difference, then it’s definitely something that needs to go away.
6. Do you love looking at or using this item?
Priorities changes. Lifestyle changes. Habit changes. Ask yourself if you still love looking or using that item. Let go of things that do not fit with your current priorities, lifestyle and habits.
7. Are you struggling to let go of the item because you feel guilty about wasting money after buying it and no longer want or use it?
If you feel that you aren’t letting go of an item because you spent money on it, consider either reselling it or donating it. By reselling, you can recover part of the money you spent, or you can get rid of the guilt by donating as the item will go to someone deserving.
9. Does the item have a lot of sentimental value and is hard to let go of?
If the answer is yes, then consider taking photos of sentimental items you wish to keep the memory of, allowing you to throw away or donate the original.
10. Are you saving the item “just in case”?
As much as it is great to be prepared, there is such thing as being “over-prepared”, which can create both physical and mental clutter and anxiety.
In case of documents, take photos and store them in the cloud. Use the web to review instruction manuals. Let go of other items you no longer use in normal everyday life.
I hope these questions will help you gain clarity and declutter your home effectively.
Are you looking for extra help?
Ducks in a Row Home Organisation is here to help you declutter and organise your beautiful home if that sounds too complicated to handle alone.
Whether you need to declutter your home or want a complete organisational overhaul, we’ve got you!
We can help you tackle your overflowing bedroom closet, daunting pantry, overflowing craft space and overrun kids play area.
Check out our home organisation page today to see how we can help you find the organisation you need!
