SO HOW TO DECIDE WHAT TO DECLUTTER?
The simple answer is that you ask yourself 3 easy questions each time you come to an item you’re thinking of decluttering.
1. Do I love it?
Maybe it’s something you love to look at, or it reminds you of something that you love to do, a place you love to be or someone you used to love. Or it could be something that you love to use or to wear.
If you LOVE it, then keep it. Liking something isn’t good enough. You have to LOVE it.
2. Do I need it?
Is the item useful? Does it have a purpose and do you use it often enough to justify keeping it? If it’s a high value item that you use, but not very often, and would be expensive to replace, then keep it. If the item’s not useful, doesn’t serve a purpose or you can easily buy, borrow or rent a replacement, then let it go.
Think carefully about how many items you keep back ‘just in case’ and work out whether you have enough of those ‘just in case’ moments to justify having to look after the item for the rest of the time.
3. Do I want it?
This last question is about whether the item adds value to your life. It might not be something that you love, or you need, but it’s something that you really, really WANT.
Ask yourself whether your life is enhanced by having this item in your life and would your life be any less if this item wasn’t in it?
If you really WANT it, then keep it. Just be mindful that you can’t want everything!
If you find yourself with this dilemma then sort out your WANT pile and prioritise it. Keep the three most important things and let the rest go. You don’t WANT them badly enough or you’d have put them at the top of the list!
AND LASTLY…
Remember that whatever item you keep, it requires you to look after it, clean it, store it. Do you LOVE it, NEED it or WANT it enough to justify the effort and expense it takes to keep it?