Effortless De-Cluttering – Will You Miss It?

I have read many organizational articles about de-cluttering that are too convoluted or complicated. Many people who want to de-clutter are already overwhelmed with all the items they have, or they would not be de-cluttering. So, I decided to start making simple rules for myself that I have learned while de-cluttering. Often, we hold on to things because we think we will need it or want it in the future. I have discarded some items that I thought I would need, and it made me realize that is not our fear of need that holds us back, but rather our fear of missing the item. After owning an object, we come to place more value on it due to our attachment to it. Many studies have shown that people value an object more the moment they own it than a few minutes before purchase. So, this ties in to why we hold on to objects. My husband told me that you should be able to make a decision in 30 seconds. That sounds crazy to me because I deliberate on objects for hours (though not continuously) sometimes.

 However, I decided to try to challenge myself and make a decision about every object that I pick up in a minute. Often times, I am unsure, and I create scenarios in my head for whether I would need the object, such as DIY projects I can do with it, etc. From today, I am trying something new and that is to ask myself on these unsure decisions whether I would truly miss the object. In the past, I have not missed these objects, save for ones that I discarded haphazardly in an effort to just de-clutter in lightening speed. (De-cluttering or making decisions without truly thinking them through are not wise, either). So, next time that you de-clutter, before you create scenarios in your head about what you can do with the object, ask yourself if you love the object and will miss it. If not, even if you may need it in the future, chances are, you will find an even better object that you truly enjoy to replace it.