Margot Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you get rid of some of your “stuff.”
In my last post, I talked about some specific and useful questions that can help you decide what you want to get rid of. Here are the top 2 that were mentioned:
Questions:
- Have you used this item in the last 365 days? – 99% of the time, this will help you decide whether or not it’s worth keeping. Sure, we have some things that we want to hold onto like equipment that is meant for some activity, we are holding onto something for someone else, or perhaps we really do want to use it soon. This question helps us ask the sub-question though, which is “why haven’t we used it?”
- Would you re-buy this item? – This really helps me view the item in a new perspective. It might not change how I feel about the item fully, but in some cases it will and it helps me get rid of it. If I wouldn’t buy it again, why should I keep it?
Further assessment questions to ask:
3. Are you just holding onto this item to prevent money from being wasted? – Sub-questions: Is this a good enough reason? Can you afford to buy it again if in the future you happen to need it? Are you just afraid that you are being wasteful by getting rid of it? Is there someone else who would benefit from using this item if you aren’t using it?
4. Is this item sentimental? – Sub-questions: If you didn’t have it anymore how would you feel? If you just forgot about it and didn’t find it for 30 years, would you have felt bad that you weren’t using it? Would you really care? Are you afraid of offending someone by not keeping it? Was it a gift? Do you believe that gifts should come without stings and that the gift should not have expectations? Would taking a photo of the item and only keeping that make you feel better/lighter than holding onto the item itself indefinitely?
5. Do you already have something that fulfills the purpose of this item? – Sub-questions: What else can I use instead of this? Does this item make me happy and have purpose? Is this item more like clutter to you or a useful device? If you didn’t have this item, would you be fine? If you needed something like it, could you borrow it from someone or buy something else at an affordable price to you?
6. Do you have a “real” plan to use this item that’s actually realistic? – Sub-questions: Is it just a seasonal item that you plan to use yearly? Is it something that you are holding on for “one day” that never comes? Is the item clothes that you don’t fit into “yet?” Do you have plans, real plans, to do something with this? Do you want to make some plans? Do you want to let it go?
7. Does the item actually suit you, or your home? – Sub-questions: Do you have a theme or style, and does it match it? Do you feel like it stands out, in a bad way? Do you feel like it feels like the “old you” and not the current you or desired version of you that you want to become? Do you feel like there is no place for it in your home, or you only feel like it holds a place in storage? Does the item bring you joy? Or does it hold sad or negative memories? If the memories are negative, it might not healthy to hold onto and think about every time you see the item.
8. Are you just holding onto the item in order to fix it? – Sub-questions: Why haven’t you fixed it already? What real plans can you make RIGHT NOW regarding fixing it? Don’t let your clutter become another decision that’s put off for later…
Whichever way your thought processing goes, these are great questions to ask. Sometimes just bringing light to the issue can create change. I believe in the saying that giving your attention to an issue is the first step to change.
If you liked this post, please feel free to read more of mine.
Sincerely,
-Margot
