Learn what decluttering excuses we tell ourselves not not the declutter process, why the excuses are wrong and how to overcome decluttering paralysis.
Have you looked around your house to see the amount of things you have?
There is a change that for every useful thing you have in your house you have something that never gets used or has no longer any purpose.
But why are you keeping all that stuff?
The reason is because we get used to having things and we don’t even realize that it is a bad thing.
Holding onto clutter is a very common thing.
In fact we must get into the habit of getting rid of things often otherwise we will just accumulate things and never start decluttering. The more stuff we have the more intimidating the decluttering process becomes.
And even when we do decide to declutter we sometimes keep things that are totally useless and irrelevant to our lives just because we think we might need it someday.
We make excuses but we should not let these excuses stop us!!
Having these excuses is part of the problem and today I am going to show you why these are all wrong.
5 excuses to hold onto clutter
Many people ask me how they can get more organized. They want tips and tricks to be more organized at home and with their lives.
I tell them the answer is simple: you struggle to get organized because you have too much.
It is either too much stuff at home or things going on in your life that stops you from achieving that level of organization that you seek.
But why do we keep all the things when getting rid of stuff feels good?
We keep stuff because we think there is a good reason for keeping them!
And make excuses is so much easier for us than take actions! For some people it might be harder than for others but we all struggle a little and sometimes it is really hard to let go of our stuff (decluttering paralysis).
So here are the top 5 excuses we tell ourselves to hold onto clutter.
1. “You never know when you need it”
We all keep stuff because we think that we might need it someday. And yes, sometimes a little tool that you never use come in handy eventually.
In fact I have had moments in life where I needed something just a few days after I decided to get rid of it. And while I might have experienced a second of regret I also know that there is no point in keeping something that may or may not have an utility in your home – like ever!
Let’s give it a thought: If something is so redundant that you cannot possibly foreseen its use in the near future, then it is likely to be an item that is easily replaceable when needed.
Or if it is so rare that you must keep it then you will find something else to work around that problem – like most people would have to.
Plus, there is nothing worse than keeping an item because you “might need it some dayy” and not find it when that day comes because the mess is so big! it will feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
So my advice is to save yourself some stress and house space by working through this clutter and be realistic in thinking whether you will ever need that item.
Alternatively, if you find it really hard throwing away things you don’t need, you could keep the item after the first declutter (declutter keepsakes) and if you haven’ t used it by the next declutter process then get rid of it!
2. I paid good money for this “insert clutter name here!”
This is one excuse that happens a lot in my house.
My husband likes to keep stuff just because we spent money getting it!
And don’t get me wrong; I also hate waste. But things that we spent (good) money on won’t necessarily be useful for us forever!
We didn’t keep the nursery furniture after the kids got older or made the kids wear smaller shoes when their feet grew.
So I try to tell him that there is no value in keeping a “ valuable item” when it no longer has any use for us.
Enjoying a decluttered house, a clean and relaxed space where my family’s happiness can shine through is more valuable than a piece of anything.
3. “A special someone gave it to me”
Sentimental items are some of the hardest things to let go because we might feel guilty throwing those things away.
Emotional attachment to items is something that can bring a lot to your life and not necessarily need to be classified as clutter.
However, what good does an item do being shoved inside a box or junk drawer where you never look at it again?
If someone you love gave you something that is worth keeping to remind us of them or have the memories of precious moments then it is perhaps a better idea to make sure it is doing what it is supposed to do.
Display it in a nice part of the house. This way you can enjoy it and have a story to tell when a visit notices the item.
4. I don’t know exactly what to do with it, I am trying to figure it out for now…
Sometimes we have those items we love but we don’t need anymore. However, we are not exactly sure whom to give it to.
These items normally hold some sentimental value too or are unique in some way that you want to make sure they end up in the right hands.
Like a piece of antique furniture you inherited from your grandma – it is nice and has value to you but it does not belong with your home decor.
Most of the times these items only have a “ value” to you but are seen as everyday junk to everyone else.
It is very unlikely somebody else will feel the same way about that item so overthinking when, where and who is going to end up having it is not the most useful use of your time.
My suggestion is that you enjoy that item one more time, use it, show it to somebody and once you are absolutely sure there is no space in your life for such thing anymore, just let it go.
It is a safe bet that you won’t miss this item much when you are no longer looking at it daily.
Remember that there is a lot more value enjoying your home and family and the present day than the stuff you have from the past.
5. “I’m going to lose some weight and start wearing this again.”
This is a classic and something I struggle with because I have put up weight in recent years and some of my favorite clothes were just too small.
I did keep them for a while but when the weightloss results didn’t come in fast enough, I just had to let it go.
The good thing about giving stuff away is that you make space for new stuff to come into your life.
I hope you follow your plan and lose that weight and when it happens, give yourself permission to go get some brand new clothes. You also deserve a little reward.
What other decluttering excuses are you telling yourself to not go through your clutter?
Let me know in comments below.
Some day I might need it, turned into … Some day might never come ……. All plastic items might collect germs 😷 and should be gotten rid of (aka toys from kids for grandkids, even if you felt your kids didn’t have enough)
Very true…we often keep things “just in case”!