My clutter includes endless unopened mail, clothes, beauty supplies, pictures, stuff from my mom (who passed away), and art supplies. I try to declutter every day. This video was very helpful and informative.
Same here! And lots and lots of toys. My kids bring in an endless source of clutter that I don’t even purchase 🤦🏼♀️ toys and gifts and art projects and knickknacks all from family and school. I rarely if ever buy anything like that but it’s all over my house!
I am pretty young, not even 20. Always loved to try new things. My clutter is all the hobbies I tried and loved. Unfortunately a day has only 24h and with adult duties there's not that much space for fun. What I needed to hear was : You can do whatever you want, but you cannot do everything you want. And even though there are great memories attached to all the equipment, I need to focus on what I'm really good at and what is important to me. Let go of my fantasy self. Good luck everybody!
My roommate who is also my ex-spouse just died and so I'm going through a massive decluttering, not just of my stuff but of his stuff too. I really needed to hear this because sometimes I find myself breaking down into tears when I'm in the midst of this task. And I'm moving at the end of the month so I really must keep my head up and keep moving forward. Wish me luck.
You’ve just lost an ex partner so you’re grieving - that’s huge! All those things that belonged to him will trigger all sorts of emotions, good, bad, happy, sad and everything in between. That’s so difficult so be kind and understanding to yourself 🙏 💕
True. And I know people who go on a WEEKLY buying spree for more and more And then come home and hoard it until it fills their apartment so they can hardly walk. Clutter can become a hazard.
My basement would tell you I excel at procrastinating and have more interests than time! After my hubby passed away I slowly decluttered 70% of our belongings and moved into a much smaller home. (596 square feet). My basement holds the excess. I recently started working on decluttering it, then got injured and can't lift. But the progress I've made has already made a huge difference in how I view the basement. I'm excited and can't wait to get back to work on it.
Daily use, how you get going for the day, keep your presentation of yourself simple, and you day will begin with a pep, instead of a burden of 50 decisions, and wher is x or y. Keep it simple, and getting ready becomes much easier. Decision fatigue is real, and can start with too many soap selections , make up options, clothing options, tripping over dirty clothes on the bathroom floor, etc.
@@kimeikoraevision5446 if my comfort zone is gathering trash and arranging the before/after laundry, what should be the next step in ur opinion? (Big but small like how u implied)
Bathrooms and kitchens are where I start in hoarder houses. After that it all falls into place. Oh and congratulations! Good job on that clean bathroom ✨🥰✨
@@xxsnow_angelxx3953You said it yourself - it’s trash - get rid of it - straight in the bin where it belongs - and out of your house! That rubbish is preventing you from having a nice comfortable life. Good luck and well done for starting 👍
My clutter holds on to growing up and not being able to have my own things. My Sister always wore my clothes. Everything was shared. Things I loved were given away. Now I love and keep everything when I should donate. I don’t need everything, but I love a lot of it. My Mum’s clothes… even though, on her deathbed, she said to “throw everything away”. Its also a Barricade. Failed relationships. If I make my bedroom as horrible as possible, It won’t make it easy to invite another bad relationship in.
Yes. It's a shield. But it probably interferes with good sleep. When other people controlled us, we seek to control our environment. Our food intake, our clothing, etc. They are now discovering that people with clutter have been traumatized. Not just any trauma. But specifically the kind of trauma that occurs after being abused by a narcissist
@@recoveringsoul755 Can you please share where you learnt that? My understanding is that poverty and conditions like adhd can be factors so I’m curious if it’s as specific as you say? It’s also very narrow to specify that the abuser was a narcissist so I’m especially surprised to hear this. When you’re being abused it’s true that everything revolves around the abuser, and because of that we often experience them as narcissistic. But abusive behaviour (no matter how bad) doesn’t make a personality disorder, at least not on its own. Additionally any traits also have to be clinically significant. For a true narcissist those traits affect their whole psychology and impact every area of life - whether they’re abusive or not - meanwhile most abusers are only self-centred in relation to certain people
I admire your self-awareness. With love and gentle compassion, let go of "stuff" (without replacing it) a little every single day. Not shift it from one room to another but out of your house completely. Leave something on a park bench every day for someone to find and appreciate. ♡
I really just came to the realization that I think the reason the person I was with before still comes on my mind heavy is because I still have some of his gifts. I’m getting rid of those now and anything else that reminds me of him. It feels really good to let go.
What does my clutter say about me? I've been many versions of me. My partner of nearly 19 years died unexpextedly in April. Now that all the rituals of death are completed, the big question is what do I want my life without him to be. Who do I want to be now? Will my current stuff support this new me? I don't have the answers yet. Grief still takes up a considerable portion of my time. This is a huge change and I agree with you to take one's time with decluttering. I am extremely gratefull to the previous me that started the my decluttering journey a year ago March. Otherwise I would not have the well developed decluttering muscles to cope with clearing out not just my things but, an entire household (maybe even the house itself.) At 68, the what am I going to do with the rest of my life question has a rider of, "what time I have left." My goal for the the rest of this year is to declutter enough stuff to be able to comfortably move if I find handling this house too much for me to handle. Thank you Ron for your thoughtful presentation. It made me think happy thoughts about my friends and my stuff. My friends are keepers. My stuff not so much. Peace and love.
Wow. I never considered getting help with my horrible clutter issue from YT, duh! I'm not sure how you came on my feed, but I like to think it is divine intervention. You are so well spoken and provide great value. I will pray for the strength to begin with your plan. Thank you very much sir.
I know this is completely irrelevant to the conversation but I have to say as someone who works professionally in the photo industry, the image quality on this video is absolutely incredible. I haven’t seen an image these crisp and clear on any other TH-camrs page. I also really like the lighting for your minimal aesthetic. I can tell a lot of thought has gone into this even though from the content (sitting in front of a camera with a mic) you wouldn’t acknowledge this.
I agree... the video popped up in my feed, I thought, let me hear what he had to say. I found the setting to be very disarming. I have a borderline genius offspring, he has a knack with understanding the human mind. I pictured him in a similar setting to this young man's studio. I've also found the content to be insightful. I can also see the flip side to clutter... those who are so minimalist, they have lost touch and have become hermits, even cold to others around them. This world is filled with polar opposites and we all have to dwell here...some folks go to extremes to function. The aim is to strike a balance. Blessings
Mine is definitely a symptom of growing up poor, keeping every little thing because a thing you have is better than a thing you can’t have. As opposed to having learned as a child that you can have the things you like and there is no need to hold onto things that you don’t really want or need or use.
Something many people may neglect in decluttering, is cleaning out your purse or wallet. I used to do this every friday. All the little receipts and scraps of paper that accumulate. Coupons, business cards etc. I would clean it out weekly. Then I'd clean out my CAR. And finally taking the car through the car wash. It's somewhere I spent time in daily. Having these areas clean felt really good. Making it into a weekly habit meant that it never really got overwhelming .
Wow! This makes so much sense! I DID lose everything I’ve ever earned or owned in a bad breakup. Now I’m very choosy about buying and having ‘things’. I miss my art and music, clothes, books, movies. But I NEED my kitchen stuff. So… I’ve started replacing it. I’ll tell ya, start the decluttering journey NOW, by choice, so you don’t wind up in a situation like I did losing it ALL. I work as a caretaker and have tackled hoarder houses. You don’t want to be that person that winds up being a burden, whether by getting ill or passing and that mountain gets ruined or tossed. Decluttering also clears your mind.
After I retired, I decluttered work related items including clothing. After moving, the entire house underwent a realistic purge with items necessary and items loved remaining. Yes, I am not a minimalist but we use our entire home and continually evaluate what we use and what needs to go. Our home says we love books, music, and art. We are blessed.
Yeah but maybe you'll figure out that it's not ALL your clutter that has value. And if it really has value then maybe we should be selling some of it and trading it up to get even better stuff. I think it's about learning to trust and let go. And to realize that really, in the end, we can't take any of it with us.
I can relate! There’s probably some of my clutter I can legitimately get rid of. But other things I won’t. Prices have gone up on things in the last three years a lot, my income has gone down, substantially, health issues have changed my clothing size temporarily, other health issues have restricted the use of my hands, and I may be relocating at some point. So it’s a lot of complications. But I definitely have some stuff that I CAN streamline even though probably won’t impress anyone but myself lol
@@bestiefswlady5251YOU are the Only one that matters here....so get started to impress You!! Good luck. It's not easy for sure. But oh, so possible!!!
Sending you so much love, prayer, and kindness. I’ve never lost a partner but I’ve lost a child and grief is like the ocean. For years it will come and go, unexpectedly, in waves. My grandma lost my grandpa, her best friend, in her mid 60s. She eventually started dating but more importantly, she knew she had to keep on living. I wish you nothing but peace and grace in this next chapter of your life.
One dynamic I wish minimalists would address is that if you have varied interests or fix things yourself, minimalism is a detriment. To do your own repairs on clothes, cars, appliances, computers, etc. or to explore hobbies to their fullest, you must have money to pay for these services rather than have the materials/tools available to do the repair or take your hobby to the next level. Minimalism is for the financially abundant, which is a very small slice of the population nowadays. This doesn't mean you have to live in clutter. It does mean you have to have many items.
This is an excellent video. As I work through getting rid of the things that I inherited from a parent I was not close to, it really does hit home. Some of it I enjoy and want, but a lot of it represents guilt from a painful relationship, and it’s time to let that go. Much of the collection had value at the time, but things have changed,and what used to be valuable collectibles is now garage sale fodder. Like the relationship, I wish I had recognized the value at the time, but it’s time to move on.
Minimalism is not necessary. I honestly don’t get the obsession or the preachy mature others have about it. I think de-cluttering means you have a lot of junk not lits of things you love amd/or use.
My clutter is consistent with what used to belong to my mom, when she passed away 12yrs ago. But now my sister has a place of her own, I'm able to pass these things to her so I can make room for my space to start fresh on my journey. It has made a difference, even though there's more for me to condense, I'm happy to see the house looking better than it has in years.
I am reminded of Andrew Mellen's statement that it is important to remember that your grandmother's teacup is not your grandmother. And Fumio Sasaki's "the things we discard are the things we will remember forever"
Unsure if it is helpful, but I hear that with sentimental things it’s good to take pictures and store them in an album with descriptions. Then dispose of or get rid of the physical items. You can keep a meaningful few things protected away or displayed thoughtfully. Then the essence is still there, but the things are kept intentionally.
@cathycoryell2351 ,Cathy, the same thought immediately went through my mind. To me, I get the idea that she still wants to be connected to the things. Maybe to see, feel, use, reminisce etc. I mean, COULD she give all the things to a thrift store, sell them all, throw them all away??? I'm thinking that she is still hanging on. hanging
Thankyou. I have a clutter problem, and I can't stress enough howreassuring it feel to hear someone understand how very ingrained and complex thes stuff emeshments can be,and yet be so incredibly gentle and reassuring and kind and fair about it all and the since of innertia that comes with it. Maybe working continuously, while journaling every day about these things to keep myself interested in why this really is so hard and talking myself through solutions will focus me enough to help me prioritize and let go. I'm about halfway through this video right now, and it reallyfeels nurturing to hear Ronald communicate about it this way.
I’ve been a professional organizer for 25 years and I love listening to other peoples content to continue to expand what I’m able to bring to the table. Paradigm and perspective shifts creates possibilities and helps keep things relevant to the individuals I’m helping. Thank you for your amazing content. I applaud you for your service to the lives and the homes you are touching
I am in a phase of selling everything from vases, to gadgets basically anything that is not being used is being disposed of. Looking to simplify my life
I can see behind your eyes is a wealth and a depth of life experience. Like recognizes like. Thank you for bringing clarity to my stuff and encouragement on my journey of self discovery. You are heard and you are respected. Thank you. My stuff is telling me that I'm stuck, overwhelmed, afraid to let go of my old self and seasons and embrace my new self and seasons and to find clarity and strip away my masks and live authentically me (whatever and whoever that is). I also understand it is a process and watching and listening to those wiser and further along in this journey is a blessing of encouragement to keep going. So thank you for shining a light at the end of my tunnel and reminding me that it is ok, keep going.
Many times that’s what we say to ourselves that our clutter inspires us and it’s organized. Clutter is debilitating, period. I am married to an artist who is a clutterholic and I detest clutter. Now his unaddressed decluttering is diminishing 😮his health and wellbeing in his senior years.
No....for artists clutter often has categories.... that stuff is for still life set ups, that stuff is for upcycling, art supplies look like clutter to everyone else
My items actually do say a lot about me, and I like what it has to say. I've spent years curating my collection of eclectic treasures. I look around and am filled with happiness ❤
Authenticity is a beautiful thing because it strips away clutter from many things: Clutter from thoughts, clutter from physical space and clutter from life. Feels good. Good to see these videos again. Hope all is well!
You hit the nail on the head with this response. I’d sum up everything you said with one word: Clarity! All is well with the family and I. Hope things are going well for you also my friend! Looking forward to growing more on this journey with you!
Thank you Ronald. You have a way of sharing deep and profound insights in a kind and gentle way. You help me understand my clutter struggle without shame.🙏🏼
I've done a lot of work in myself around this topic over the last year and a half. After getting through the pandemic while working from home full time, going to grad school part time, and moving twice while dealing with undiagnosed ADHD...I had to work with various professionals to make sense of it all, lol. But now I'm at a point where all the big stuff is under control, I've been building systems that I can maintain while prioritizing my important belongings. Like I have impulsively gotten into a lot of hobbies over the years and I have a lot of unfinished projects, and basically every month I try to pick one and stick with it (so I finish the thing I wanted to do, then decide if the supplies are worth the space they require). Now I know still have a lot of stuff and I'll probably never be a real minimalist, but day by day, my space is matching the person that I am and helping me move in the direction I want to go in.
I have adhd too and I find hobbies so difficult!!! Sometimes after not touching a hobby for years I’ll come back to it and spend months devoting my spare time to it. It’s so unpredictable for me I’ve decided to keep supplies for new hobbies to a bare minimum because it got out of hand. E.g. I have a set of crochet hooks and a basket for wool (that’s not allowed to overflow) and that’s it, if I want to block a finished project I can diy some blocks and if I want patterns I can find them online or borrow a library book! But I still need to go through the boxes for my old hobbies and narrow things down…
Two minutes in and I'm loving this. The questions I need to ask myself and you formulated the type of questions that will get me to go deeper. Now back to your video.
I look around my room and see how much i value plushies, they’re everywhere! living the walls, the shelves, the desk, my bed and even in piles on the floor. I also care about art, i have tons of paintings and silly drawings i made. I don’t know what that means, but i know i love to hug my plushies, maybe i need hugs.
Holding on to stuff that haunts me, it’s like “ha ha, you still haven’t learned that language, look at you, you still haven’t meditated daily; loser, you still haven’t practiced yoga like you said you would, look at all these years that have passed”. The fear of letting it go and one day being like oh I should have kept that, I should have used that. It’s like I’m holding on to it in order to remind me to do it later but later never comes and every time I see these things I just feel like dang I’m still procrastinating or oh it’s so much stuff I don’t know where to focus or I think I need to clean and clear things up before I can focus. Huh thx for the insight and advice
Oh my, getting a glimpse of your internal dialogue was kind of brutal. And your name says you’re a nurse. Honor yourself, mama. I say mama bc nurses, in my experience, are angels on this earth. Don’t you give yourself away to everyone in their hardest times then mistreat yourself. You replenish yourself bc you are worthy. More than worthy. Cleanse yourself then cleanse your space. You deserve to be free. And you are NOT a loser for falling off from good intentions and new endeavors. You are an explorer and those things will always be there when you’re ready, even if you dispel them physically. You don’t deserve to be so hard on yourself.
Your stuff is so mean to you!! 😢 Hope you are able to surround yourself with things that are kind and supportive (or at least neutral!) soon. Perhaps in the meantime you can get your things to shift their tone a bit: more like, “Look what a curious and good-hearted individual this is” than put downs. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to try different things and there’s no such thing as “failure” for not following a particular path. It’s just a sign of an evolving human who probably has to wear a lot of hats, but, being human, cannot wear ALL the hats ❤❤❤
Getting rid of clutter has opened up my life to SO much more than clutter shifting, cleaning, dusting, etc for hours, over and over again. I now get up, fluff my small blanket, put my towel to dry, vacuum my bed, vacuum the floor, clean the litter box, and I'm done most days. Literally saving me hours of stuff I DON'T like doing. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Hello Ronald. I'm so glad you posted a new video. You are my number 1 decluttering youtuber and you always motivate me. But i was worried because you didn't post so long. Are you and your family alright? Kind greetings from Germany.
I was a bit concerned too. But its understandable honestly. He's a family-man and unlike most people on YT he lives by what he preaches. It was worth the wait♥
Hello my friend! Yes the family and I are great. We signed our son up for soccer and I've been enjoying the moment and watching him learn new skills. Secondly, thank you so much for asking and expressing concern. I promise all is well and I appreciate you for be such an amazing fan of my content. I'm looking forward to growing further on this journey with you!
I have a lot of things that attaches to ideas, hobbies, remembers (my mother died in her 52th year), books I want to read once, something you can use if times went bad and so on. Throwing something away hurts me deep inside. It is like I don't respect their worth. I feel sorry for those things if I throw them away. It is like I throw myself away. Weird, isn't it? But my husband can't stand this any more. He told me that I have to throw those things away. It is so hard you can't imagine. It feels that he loves me only if I throw those clutters away while I feel throwing them away is like throwing myself away. So he loves me only when I gave me up. I made a test and this told me that I have ADS. My brain is interesting in so much things that my life doesn't will be long enough to learn and try all. I am overwhelmed by the mass of ideas my brain creates. I hope I can learn to throw things away without being totally sad and melancholic. And without being totally weak after doing that.
This is very wise indeed. I too have canvasses and paints and charcoal and watercolours and pieces of stuff to make miniatures with and journals and workbooks and tools and music and spices and reference materials and seeds and catalogues and and and and AND... I am past the half century mark and still I have too many things to do and explore.
i used to have 11 ukuleles & now back to 1 after 6 years... it took my husband over and over telling me, "You barely use all of them. i only see you play these two or three." i kept on denying that truth for months, until i humbled myself & gave most of them freely away. always, think about others first. 5:00
I'm not done watching yet but can we all stop and appreciate how the core values worksheet doesn't require signing up for anything? You can just download it and go??? I deal with so much digital as well as physical clutter thank you
my three rules for success - 1) live a life of no excuses 2) accept that no task, however small, ever gets done unless a specific time and place are set to do it 3) acccomplishing one small task means saying no to the 50 other things I could be doing (which are probably more fun).
My clutter is telling me ”you aren’t taking well enough care of me.”. I’m a recovering maximalist who started out on my journey toward minimalism in 2017. What trips me up still is books (I went from 978 books to 153, to 52 in my original book declutter, but now the number has crept way back up again), kids stuff (both my husband and child err on the side of keep even if it hasn’t been used for the longest time), and random purchases ”stocking up”. Hard habits to break. Thank you for an awesome video. I concur. Throughout the years what strikes me most about you is the energy. Today you are really calm, clear, assured without preching. And the health and joy seems to radiate from you.
I lost all my possessions 3 seperate times in my life. It has certainly reflected in what I value in my possessions, personally I could lost everything again and not care too much asides from a small hand full of items that survived across losing everything else. If I lost them I would be devastated but unsure if they are similar to a shield or insecurity.
A very thoughtful, intelligent talk, thank you! There is so very much intersectionality to de-cluttering, one can't start on any corner of it without all the other issues getting dragged in...income vs. desire, disruptive circumstances and people, emotional attachments, gender-identity decisions, let alone sorting who one really is in the chaos of everything we have been taught to want and be... I am 57, and still trying to sort the internal mess along with the outer, and let me tell you, exhaustion plays a big part! That's when Simplification becomes a religion. ❤❤❤
Haven't watched you in a while and my space shows it. Thanks for the reminder to look at what my stuff says about me and to look at whether it is supporting, or hindering, what I really want and value.
My clutter is ready to go and have been for many years, I’m meant to sell it as I can make some good money from it but I just can’t get started even if I just say just a little at the time. It has become over whelming and it will take a long time to get rid, pray for me to get it done. Thank you all and good luck on your journeys to clearance and a more organised and peaceful life style. Isn’t it crazy how having so much can make you so unhappy,less is more.
I think it helps to ask the right question- it's not "I could make money selling this stuff" but rather, "do I want to do it?" Sometimes it's just easier to accept you aren't going to and let it go. The space stuff takes up in your house and mind is less valuable than your time and peace of mind.
5:55 Only 5min watching the video and it is resonating strong with me, as I am decluttering a old space of mine at my parents, plus kind of completely lost about who I am and what I want to do with my life going forward. Always such great contenton this channel (and the website), and the way you express and convey your experience and advice is so effective and in the same time generous. I can feel how you are here to just help people, and it is pure and beautiful! Thank you @Ronald L. Banks!
Thank you so much!! You are not wrong with anything you expressed. Also I’m thrilled that you are getting value from my website as well. There is much more coming so I’m happy to hear that what I have up so far is resonating!
I agree with you and thought similarly .I was opened minded as i already have my thoughts on the matter and i come to this video to see to hear your views and they aligned very well...I always thought you can say a lot of a person by seeing the "possessions" or what they have collected throughout their life.Each division in the house reflect aspects of ourselves that makes us who we are and show where we are in the present moment. Some people never bring or show others all the divisions in the house but specific ones while other parts remain hidden or we are quite ashamed of it... Your analogy of the friends are true and known as we would not hang around with people who do not share our true values and if we are, it also says about our will and or lack of it and how much out of alignment or detached we are from our selfs. I understood your implicit reference saying decluttering is not re-decorating or any other thing because it would defeat the very same purpose by facilitating and carry on the impulsive buying to fill up that emptiness which is still there and we choose not to deal with it. Imagine trying to start again having a fresh start with a new person new goals but yet wanting to keep and not letting go of some of the things you have or you were without letting go of things that no longer serve you just because it reminds you of a time in life that you are still attached? That would be a great contradiction and a sabotage because indeed you wish to be more yourself by still holding on to your past at the end you do not wish or are ready for a true change and there is no space for new people ... I have a phrase for you that you know but reflect much what you said ."Out of sight, out of mind"like having something in that part of your house or in your refrigerator at the back or in the cupboard that you bought left there and with time you end up buying more things put in front to the point you no longer have an idea or can see that you already have it and as such you keep buying again and as the time passes those things go out of date and slowly start to fester to smell but you cannot point from where or what is.... People who do that are like those who bury some memories or experiences in that deep place in them to the point of they cannot even recall it and because you cannot remember its there in the background festering rotting contaminating and directing all your actions and thoughts ..... your house will show those who cannot or have chosen not to deal with things and can barely breath...occasionally you find treasures or money or other valuable things or books that are there collecting dust lingering and it may come as a bonus or moments of happiness but soon the previous habits takes over. Interesting subject and thank you for this... what we can say about our belongings house and friends can also be applied to our phones inside our bags or wallets about the table we choose and about our children spouses or lack of it....all Psychology .
When I get the chance to view your content, I always enjoy your ideas. I appreciate the motivations and thought process behind your ideas. Even though I can't really identify with the clutter conversation, I do see that issue everywhere I go. Keep inspiring us on our path toward self awareness and a better self!
I've become a hoarder, I rarely leave the house and no one ever comes over. My son sees me sitting in the clutter, vacant. This was a bit of a wake up call.
I seem to be borderline. My mom is one. No one is allowed in her home, so we aren't sure how bad it is. I'm pepper motivated, and I love thrifting and yard sales.
Just came across your channel, I really like how well you articulate ideas, it's like even the way you structure your thoughts is minimalist. I really liked the low effort - high impact guideline, seems like a philosophy that could be applied to other areas of life as well
At first I thought this video would be helpful for my daughter and barely 2 minutes into it I’m bawling. Emotional clutter is a real thing too. Thank you for the video. Have to remind myself that it is a journey….a process.
I have paintings on the wall that I have painted, I have books on business, neuroscience, autism and economics. I tend to fill my garbages too much but keep most things organized even though I have a lot, like some art work from when I was a young teen of pyramids, detailed birds with Monaco’s and writings in some language I made up which is strange, a huge pile of papers of me writing about the nature of consciousness, and a lot of shirts and a sweaters I can’t seem to let go because I have never seen one exactly like it. I guess I still have to let go of that stuff. It is obsessively organized but cluttered at the same time.
I’m grateful to have come across this video as it is where I am at this stage in my life. There is much to do on my path to a truly minimalist lifestyle per the way I choose to live. It doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. I am on a journey & I’m Excited about it.
Thank you for this perspective! I think much of my clutter would say 'it's time / its okay to let go now'. Especially my clothes from decades of not having a style per se and trying to fit into the 'culture' at each workplace. Then I'm finding books, toys, etc that were definitely my siblings' that I've been the 'archivist' for, and when asked now, they're not interested in. I did do a small decorating step in working with my shelves of moving photos from being grouoed and super dense to more spread out on different shelves and it makes it less visually cluttered, while keeping them and almost honoring them better because each can be seen. 🎉
I love this candid dialogue, R! You are right on with your assessment…your things say more about you than you are conscious of, but that’s the awesome part…because it’s a great way to begin not only a declutterring practice, but to become more familiar with who you are…and where you are coming from…your perspective on life in general. To take it further, as with wealth, it’s not as much about what you spend as it is about what you keep. Both are valid, of course, but the results of your perspective on money is another great way to get to know yourself on a deeper level. Thanks for the inspiration…I’ve subscribed! Take care…😊
I've just read a book called #Now about people who have a Now-ist mindset being focused on movement and Then-ist mindset being focused on finding the right way to move forward. The latter tends to mean there is no movement at all, where as a Now-ist embraces that they will learn along the way as long as they keep moving. Personally, doing 'something' is movement and that means progresses. Whenever I tell my self to stop and think about the most effiecient or high impact way forward, I usually stop in my tracks because the additional decision gives me fatigue and the momentum to move passes. For some people stopping to find the lowest energy high impact way forward might be detrimental to movement. I'm pretty sure I'm ADHD and I've learnt when I have an impulse thats going in a good direction I have to ride that wave whilst it's there or I ain't moving till the next one comes along.
Thank you for your comment! This is so helpful to me. And it reminds me that over and over I only find out the BEST way by trying some way that seems reasonably a good idea, and then modify as I am doing it or when I see the result of my first try at solving the situation.
So glad I have found your channel, thank you for sharing. All your recommendations and suggested arr very much appreciated. You just gained a new subscriber here. Thank you so very much, now I understand what's been holding me back.
What you're saying is so heavy and true. My Closet is the closet of a regular "joe" aka "josephine". My Kitchen is organized and clean and I make sure no dirty dishes are in the sink when I start my day. The Garage now needs to be purged. It's not dirty but there are things that no longer are needed or wanted.
This video is so honest and thought-provoking, which is something I've always appreciated with your content, Ronald. I've gone through some changes in myself, and quite frankly, the reflections you shared are very relatable to my own personal journey in life. My inner peace, now more than ever, is becoming very important to me. I'm done with compromising my time and values for things that don't add value to my life. I'm also done with holding onto different relationships that either no longer serve me, or that hinder my own growth. Thank you for making this video!
Thank you for your beautiful insight and out clutter! I am renewed in my quest for peace! If I don’t have it, I don’t have to worry about it! I don’t need 75% of the things that I have!😃
I loved this video! Yes, it is a lot of info, but it is the perfect place to start! For anyone new to decluttering, this video is the perfect "Why and how to?" I have been decluttering and maintaining for 20 years, but we are now downsizing, and this was super helpful because I have to get rid of 700 Sq feet in order to fit in our smaller space. We are doing it on purpose, but it still is challenging to look at all the things have "made the cut" over the years simply because we had the space. Now I have to make really hard decisions! So, this video helped me a lot!
Thank you for sharing wisdom! Listening to you just made me realize that not only my clutter and things may be telling me something. I have the thought, that my way of eating (not so healthy at the moment) may be telling me something too. Worth exploring.. 🤔 Anyway, it’s a gift every time you upload something! 🥰🙏🏼
Thank you so much Susanne! Also the fact that you’re thinking meaning I’m done my job. My goal was to challenge your perspective so you can let go and adjust certain habits where needed. Love that your are beginning to explore this path. Keep growing!
I have decluttered car loads of “stuff.” Areas of my life are cleaned out and Im happy with it. When my daughter moved out… last of six kids I had a NEED. A true real need to nurture, so I got a few plants. Well my few plants grew and grew into a collection of over 200 and a small plant business. As I look around today I feel encroached upon. The last few weeks I’ve known I have to cut back on this “hobby”. Thank you for this video because it is giving me the push I need to downsize this “collection.”
Decluttering is not about subtraction, but about creating what you want your life to look like
Exactly!!
Thank you for that comment
20:26 "Its about creating space for the things that matter to be seen, used and appreciated by you"
I need this on my wall
My clutter includes endless unopened mail, clothes, beauty supplies, pictures, stuff from my mom (who passed away), and art supplies. I try to declutter every day. This video was very helpful and informative.
Same here! And lots and lots of toys. My kids bring in an endless source of clutter that I don’t even purchase 🤦🏼♀️ toys and gifts and art projects and knickknacks all from family and school. I rarely if ever buy anything like that but it’s all over my house!
Girl same!
I am pretty young, not even 20. Always loved to try new things. My clutter is all the hobbies I tried and loved. Unfortunately a day has only 24h and with adult duties there's not that much space for fun. What I needed to hear was : You can do whatever you want, but you cannot do everything you want. And even though there are great memories attached to all the equipment, I need to focus on what I'm really good at and what is important to me. Let go of my fantasy self. Good luck everybody!
Amen , me too
Same here. I like variety.
Love this! I'm in my late 30's and still trying to learn this lesson. Good luck to you
Love it. So simple.
@@ChickVicious237early 70’s here!
The clothes in my closet would call the authorities on me for holding them hostage 😭
Hahaha. I guess I'm in trouble too.
😂😂😂😂😂
thank you for the LOL
LOL 😂😂😂
😭😭
My roommate who is also my ex-spouse just died and so I'm going through a massive decluttering, not just of my stuff but of his stuff too.
I really needed to hear this because sometimes I find myself breaking down into tears when I'm in the midst of this task.
And I'm moving at the end of the month so I really must keep my head up and keep moving forward. Wish me luck.
Yes, I hate moving. God bless.
Condolences for your loss. 🕊
Good luck.
You’ve just lost an ex partner so you’re grieving - that’s huge! All those things that belonged to him will trigger all sorts of emotions, good, bad, happy, sad and everything in between. That’s so difficult so be kind and understanding to yourself 🙏 💕
@@dorismahoney1440in case you missed it, the person’s post wasn’t really about moving house….
Clutter can be a symptom of retail ‘therapy’. A ‘therapy’ that has no end.
Totally agree. The only way out is to stay away from shopping period.
Yes dopamine.
we know it is "therapy" and not therapy because it doesn't work.
True. And I know people who go on a WEEKLY buying spree for more and more And then come home and hoard it until it fills their apartment so they can hardly walk. Clutter can become a hazard.
My basement would tell you I excel at procrastinating and have more interests than time! After my hubby passed away I slowly decluttered 70% of our belongings and moved into a much smaller home. (596 square feet). My basement holds the excess. I recently started working on decluttering it, then got injured and can't lift. But the progress I've made has already made a huge difference in how I view the basement. I'm excited and can't wait to get back to work on it.
Awesome! Keep up the good work😁
Well done ❤
I hope it goes well!
@@angiedixon8017 Thank you so much!
@@ExistingSmiles Thank you! I'm looking forward to creating new space.
I started with the bathroom because its a small space but very meaningful.
Daily use, how you get going for the day, keep your presentation of yourself simple, and you day will begin with a pep, instead of a burden of 50 decisions, and wher is x or y. Keep it simple, and getting ready becomes much easier. Decision fatigue is real, and can start with too many soap selections , make up options, clothing options, tripping over dirty clothes on the bathroom floor, etc.
Go for it! Happy for you.
@@kimeikoraevision5446 if my comfort zone is gathering trash and arranging the before/after laundry, what should be the next step in ur opinion? (Big but small like how u implied)
Bathrooms and kitchens are where I start in hoarder houses. After that it all falls into place.
Oh and congratulations! Good job on that clean bathroom
✨🥰✨
@@xxsnow_angelxx3953You said it yourself - it’s trash - get rid of it - straight in the bin where it belongs - and out of your house! That rubbish is preventing you from having a nice comfortable life. Good luck and well done for starting 👍
My clutter holds on to growing up and not being able to have my own things. My Sister always wore my clothes. Everything was shared. Things I loved were given away. Now I love and keep everything when I should donate. I don’t need everything, but I love a lot of it. My Mum’s clothes… even though, on her deathbed, she said to “throw everything away”. Its also a Barricade. Failed relationships. If I make my bedroom as horrible as possible, It won’t make it easy to invite another bad relationship in.
Yes. It's a shield. But it probably interferes with good sleep.
When other people controlled us, we seek to control our environment. Our food intake, our clothing, etc.
They are now discovering that people with clutter have been traumatized. Not just any trauma. But specifically the kind of trauma that occurs after being abused by a narcissist
But if you made your bedroom lovely it would show you value yourself.
@@recoveringsoul755 Can you please share where you learnt that? My understanding is that poverty and conditions like adhd can be factors so I’m curious if it’s as specific as you say?
It’s also very narrow to specify that the abuser was a narcissist so I’m especially surprised to hear this. When you’re being abused it’s true that everything revolves around the abuser, and because of that we often experience them as narcissistic. But abusive behaviour (no matter how bad) doesn’t make a personality disorder, at least not on its own. Additionally any traits also have to be clinically significant. For a true narcissist those traits affect their whole psychology and impact every area of life - whether they’re abusive or not - meanwhile most abusers are only self-centred in relation to certain people
I admire your self-awareness. With love and gentle compassion, let go of "stuff" (without replacing it) a little every single day. Not shift it from one room to another but out of your house completely. Leave something on a park bench every day for someone to find and appreciate. ♡
ooooh 😮
I really just came to the realization that I think the reason the person I was with before still comes on my mind heavy is because I still have some of his gifts. I’m getting rid of those now and anything else that reminds me of him. It feels really good to let go.
What does my clutter say about me? I've been many versions of me.
My partner of nearly 19 years died unexpextedly in April. Now that all the rituals of death are completed, the big question is what do I want my life without him to be. Who do I want to be now? Will my current stuff support this new me?
I don't have the answers yet. Grief still takes up a considerable portion of my time. This is a huge change and I agree with you to take one's time with decluttering.
I am extremely gratefull to the previous me that started the my decluttering journey a year ago March. Otherwise I would not have the well developed decluttering muscles to cope with clearing out not just my things but, an entire household (maybe even the house itself.)
At 68, the what am I going to do with the rest of my life question has a rider of, "what time I have left."
My goal for the the rest of this year is to declutter enough stuff to be able to comfortably move if I find handling this house too much for me to handle.
Thank you Ron for your thoughtful presentation. It made me think happy thoughts about my friends and my stuff. My friends are keepers. My stuff not so much.
Peace and love.
Sweet
❤
wow. I'll be praying for you as you navigate this new part of life. It can't be easy - any of it.
Blessings to you and yours
I wish you peace as you navigate this era of your time. ❤
Wishing you strength and peace.
Wow.
I never considered getting help with my horrible clutter issue from YT, duh!
I'm not sure how you came on my feed, but I like to think it is divine intervention.
You are so well spoken and provide great value. I will pray for the strength to begin with your plan.
Thank you very much sir.
I know this is completely irrelevant to the conversation but I have to say as someone who works professionally in the photo industry, the image quality on this video is absolutely incredible. I haven’t seen an image these crisp and clear on any other TH-camrs page. I also really like the lighting for your minimal aesthetic. I can tell a lot of thought has gone into this even though from the content (sitting in front of a camera with a mic) you wouldn’t acknowledge this.
I agree... the video popped up in my feed, I thought, let me hear what he had to say. I found the setting to be very disarming. I have a borderline genius offspring, he has a knack with understanding the human mind. I pictured him in a similar setting to this young man's studio. I've also found the content to be insightful. I can also see the flip side to clutter... those who are so minimalist, they have lost touch and have become hermits, even cold to others around them.
This world is filled with polar opposites and we all have to dwell here...some folks go to extremes to function. The aim is to strike a balance.
Blessings
Yes, the background being crisp and clean and minimalist is mind peace for me.
I’m the person that licks my finger and smears the camera lens before a zoom meeting. 😂
Mine is definitely a symptom of growing up poor, keeping every little thing because a thing you have is better than a thing you can’t have. As opposed to having learned as a child that you can have the things you like and there is no need to hold onto things that you don’t really want or need or use.
Something many people may neglect in decluttering, is cleaning out your purse or wallet. I used to do this every friday.
All the little receipts and scraps of paper that accumulate. Coupons, business cards etc.
I would clean it out weekly.
Then I'd clean out my CAR. And finally taking the car through the car wash. It's somewhere I spent time in daily. Having these areas clean felt really good.
Making it into a weekly habit meant that it never really got overwhelming .
Wow! This makes so much sense! I DID lose everything I’ve ever earned or owned in a bad breakup. Now I’m very choosy about buying and having ‘things’.
I miss my art and music, clothes, books, movies. But I NEED my kitchen stuff.
So… I’ve started replacing it.
I’ll tell ya, start the decluttering journey NOW, by choice, so you don’t wind up in a situation like I did losing it ALL.
I work as a caretaker and have tackled hoarder houses. You don’t want to be that person that winds up being a burden, whether by getting ill or passing and that mountain gets ruined or tossed.
Decluttering also clears your mind.
After I retired, I decluttered work related items including clothing. After moving, the entire house underwent a realistic purge with items necessary and items loved remaining. Yes, I am not a minimalist but we use our entire home and continually evaluate what we use and what needs to go. Our home says we love books, music, and art. We are blessed.
I’m glad
All my clutter is essential for me because I’m broke and I hold on to things that have material value
Yeah but maybe you'll figure out that it's not ALL your clutter that has value.
And if it really has value then maybe we should be selling some of it and trading it up to get even better stuff.
I think it's about learning to trust and let go. And to realize that really, in the end, we can't take any of it with us.
I can relate! There’s probably some of my clutter I can legitimately get rid of. But other things I won’t. Prices have gone up on things in the last three years a lot, my income has gone down, substantially, health issues have changed my clothing size temporarily, other health issues have restricted the use of my hands, and I may be relocating at some point. So it’s a lot of complications. But I definitely have some stuff that I CAN streamline even though probably won’t impress anyone but myself lol
@@bestiefswlady5251YOU are the Only one that matters here....so get started to impress You!!
Good luck. It's not easy for sure. But oh, so possible!!!
Sending you so much love, prayer, and kindness. I’ve never lost a partner but I’ve lost a child and grief is like the ocean. For years it will come and go, unexpectedly, in waves. My grandma lost my grandpa, her best friend, in her mid 60s. She eventually started dating but more importantly, she knew she had to keep on living. I wish you nothing but peace and grace in this next chapter of your life.
One dynamic I wish minimalists would address is that if you have varied interests or fix things yourself, minimalism is a detriment. To do your own repairs on clothes, cars, appliances, computers, etc. or to explore hobbies to their fullest, you must have money to pay for these services rather than have the materials/tools available to do the repair or take your hobby to the next level. Minimalism is for the financially abundant, which is a very small slice of the population nowadays.
This doesn't mean you have to live in clutter. It does mean you have to have many items.
If you actually need it and use it, then it isn’t clutter.
This is an excellent video. As I work through getting rid of the things that I inherited from a parent I was not close to, it really does hit home. Some of it I enjoy and want, but a lot of it represents guilt from a painful relationship, and it’s time to let that go. Much of the collection had value at the time, but things have changed,and what used to be valuable collectibles is now garage sale fodder. Like the relationship, I wish I had recognized the value at the time, but it’s time to move on.
When I was broke minimalism was easy. Now we have a bit more money I want to have beautiful things!
Minimalism is not necessary. I honestly don’t get the obsession or the preachy mature others have about it. I think de-cluttering means you have a lot of junk not lits of things you love amd/or use.
@@tzz615i refused to take my grandma’s or mother’s things other than a few pieces for memories.
This is the best clutter- related video I've ever seen. So very true. I feel it in my gutt. The hard truth.
My clutter is consistent with what used to belong to my mom, when she passed away 12yrs ago. But now my sister has a place of her own, I'm able to pass these things to her so I can make room for my space to start fresh on my journey. It has made a difference, even though there's more for me to condense, I'm happy to see the house looking better than it has in years.
I am reminded of Andrew Mellen's statement that it is important to remember that your grandmother's teacup is not your grandmother. And Fumio Sasaki's "the things we discard are the things we will remember forever"
Unsure if it is helpful, but I hear that with sentimental things it’s good to take pictures and store them in an album with descriptions. Then dispose of or get rid of the physical items. You can keep a meaningful few things protected away or displayed thoughtfully. Then the essence is still there, but the things are kept intentionally.
If you identify it as clutter, ie, un-used, not my style, not supporting my current lifestyle... why would you put that burden on your sister?
@cathycoryell2351 ,Cathy, the same thought immediately went through my mind. To me, I get the idea that she still wants to be connected to the things. Maybe to see, feel, use, reminisce etc. I mean, COULD she give all the things to a thrift store, sell them all, throw them all away??? I'm thinking that she is still hanging on. hanging
@@fluffysox6072
I've done just that, fluffysox. It has helped me alot. Take a Pic or video.
Thankyou. I have a clutter problem, and I can't stress enough howreassuring it feel to hear someone understand how very ingrained and complex thes stuff emeshments can be,and yet be so incredibly gentle and reassuring and kind and fair about it all and the since of innertia that comes with it. Maybe working continuously, while journaling every day about these things to keep myself interested in why this really is so hard and talking myself through solutions will focus me enough to help me prioritize and let go. I'm about halfway through this video right now, and it reallyfeels nurturing to hear Ronald communicate about it this way.
I’ve been a professional organizer for 25 years and I love listening to other peoples content to continue to expand what I’m able to bring to the table. Paradigm and perspective shifts creates possibilities and helps keep things relevant to the individuals I’m helping. Thank you for your amazing content. I applaud you for your service to the lives and the homes you are touching
What other people think or say about me is none of my business. How I feel matters.
👏👏👏👏💗
I am in a phase of selling everything from vases, to gadgets basically anything that is not being used is being disposed of. Looking to simplify my life
I can see behind your eyes is a wealth and a depth of life experience. Like recognizes like. Thank you for bringing clarity to my stuff and encouragement on my journey of self discovery. You are heard and you are respected. Thank you. My stuff is telling me that I'm stuck, overwhelmed, afraid to let go of my old self and seasons and embrace my new self and seasons and to find clarity and strip away my masks and live authentically me (whatever and whoever that is). I also understand it is a process and watching and listening to those wiser and further along in this journey is a blessing of encouragement to keep going. So thank you for shining a light at the end of my tunnel and reminding me that it is ok, keep going.
I LOVE my clutter. Im an artist! Its lightly organized chaos.
It’s not clutter then😊
Many times that’s what we say to ourselves that our clutter inspires us and it’s organized. Clutter is debilitating, period. I am married to an artist who is a clutterholic and I detest clutter. Now his unaddressed decluttering is diminishing 😮his health and wellbeing in his senior years.
No....for artists clutter often has categories.... that stuff is for still life set ups, that stuff is for upcycling, art supplies look like clutter to everyone else
My items actually do say a lot about me, and I like what it has to say. I've spent years curating my collection of eclectic treasures. I look around and am filled with happiness ❤
Authenticity is a beautiful thing because it strips away clutter from many things: Clutter from thoughts, clutter from physical space and clutter from life. Feels good. Good to see these videos again. Hope all is well!
You hit the nail on the head with this response. I’d sum up everything you said with one word: Clarity! All is well with the family and I. Hope things are going well for you also my friend! Looking forward to growing more on this journey with you!
It's amazing how clean and minimal your studio space is.
Thank you! This is actually my family’s home rather than a separate studio space. I’m sitting at my kitchen island in this video.
“Accepting the truth that comes out, and then taking action to let go.” 😮❤
Such a fresh perspective on clutter. Very eye opening.
Thank you Ronald. You have a way of sharing deep and profound insights in a kind and gentle way. You help me understand my clutter struggle without shame.🙏🏼
This is the singular BEST video on decluttering I've ever seen. Well done and thank you so much.
Wow, thank you! You are so welcome my friend! I’m thrilled that you got so much value from this conversation. Keep growing on your journey!
I've done a lot of work in myself around this topic over the last year and a half. After getting through the pandemic while working from home full time, going to grad school part time, and moving twice while dealing with undiagnosed ADHD...I had to work with various professionals to make sense of it all, lol. But now I'm at a point where all the big stuff is under control, I've been building systems that I can maintain while prioritizing my important belongings.
Like I have impulsively gotten into a lot of hobbies over the years and I have a lot of unfinished projects, and basically every month I try to pick one and stick with it (so I finish the thing I wanted to do, then decide if the supplies are worth the space they require). Now I know still have a lot of stuff and I'll probably never be a real minimalist, but day by day, my space is matching the person that I am and helping me move in the direction I want to go in.
That's a good plan to pick one hobby, stick with it for the month and then decide on whether it's something you want to continue.
I have adhd too and I find hobbies so difficult!!! Sometimes after not touching a hobby for years I’ll come back to it and spend months devoting my spare time to it. It’s so unpredictable for me
I’ve decided to keep supplies for new hobbies to a bare minimum because it got out of hand. E.g. I have a set of crochet hooks and a basket for wool (that’s not allowed to overflow) and that’s it, if I want to block a finished project I can diy some blocks and if I want patterns I can find them online or borrow a library book! But I still need to go through the boxes for my old hobbies and narrow things down…
Two minutes in and I'm loving this. The questions I need to ask myself and you formulated the type of questions that will get me to go deeper. Now back to your video.
I look around my room and see how much i value plushies, they’re everywhere! living the walls, the shelves, the desk, my bed and even in piles on the floor. I also care about art, i have tons of paintings and silly drawings i made. I don’t know what that means, but i know i love to hug my plushies, maybe i need hugs.
What are plushies?
This is the 1st time I’ve ever heard it this way. So wise. Time to let it go!! Thank you:)
Holding on to stuff that haunts me, it’s like “ha ha, you still haven’t learned that language, look at you, you still haven’t meditated daily; loser, you still haven’t practiced yoga like you said you would, look at all these years that have passed”. The fear of letting it go and one day being like oh I should have kept that, I should have used that. It’s like I’m holding on to it in order to remind me to do it later but later never comes and every time I see these things I just feel like dang I’m still procrastinating or oh it’s so much stuff I don’t know where to focus or I think I need to clean and clear things up before I can focus. Huh thx for the insight and advice
Oh my, getting a glimpse of your internal dialogue was kind of brutal. And your name says you’re a nurse. Honor yourself, mama. I say mama bc nurses, in my experience, are angels on this earth. Don’t you give yourself away to everyone in their hardest times then mistreat yourself. You replenish yourself bc you are worthy. More than worthy. Cleanse yourself then cleanse your space. You deserve to be free. And you are NOT a loser for falling off from good intentions and new endeavors. You are an explorer and those things will always be there when you’re ready, even if you dispel them physically. You don’t deserve to be so hard on yourself.
@@jstu8 aww you are so sweet and speaking truths, thank you for this. Sending you blessings and peace.
Your stuff is so mean to you!! 😢 Hope you are able to surround yourself with things that are kind and supportive (or at least neutral!) soon. Perhaps in the meantime you can get your things to shift their tone a bit: more like, “Look what a curious and good-hearted individual this is” than put downs. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to try different things and there’s no such thing as “failure” for not following a particular path. It’s just a sign of an evolving human who probably has to wear a lot of hats, but, being human, cannot wear ALL the hats ❤❤❤
@@yourfavnurseb9699 sending you peace and blessings too. Thank you for what you do. Most ppl aren’t built for that and here you are 💗
This!!!!
I have that owl journal @0:17 I’ve been looking for it for days now 😂
This is very accurate.. it’s crazy I’ve never thought about it that way. Thanks 🙏🏽
I dont know how i got here since i dont watch anything like this on yt but it has come at the best time of my life. Thank you for this video.
Wow! So much wisdom from someone so young. I will be listening to this on repeat so I can absorb this wisdom. Thank you for this!
Getting rid of clutter has opened up my life to SO much more than clutter shifting, cleaning, dusting, etc for hours, over and over again.
I now get up, fluff my small blanket, put my towel to dry, vacuum my bed, vacuum the floor, clean the litter box, and I'm done most days.
Literally saving me hours of stuff I DON'T like doing. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I choose to let go of things to make room for new exciting things to come in 😊
Hello Ronald. I'm so glad you posted a new video. You are my number 1 decluttering youtuber and you always motivate me. But i was worried because you didn't post so long. Are you and your family alright? Kind greetings from Germany.
I was a bit concerned too. But its understandable honestly. He's a family-man and unlike most people on YT he lives by what he preaches. It was worth the wait♥
Hello my friend! Yes the family and I are great. We signed our son up for soccer and I've been enjoying the moment and watching him learn new skills. Secondly, thank you so much for asking and expressing concern. I promise all is well and I appreciate you for be such an amazing fan of my content. I'm looking forward to growing further on this journey with you!
@@RonaldLBanks I'm glad you and your family are great and you are enjoying your family life. Thank you so much for being a role model.
I love this so much. I love that quote about it not being an invitation to redecorate! Awesome.
Ha ha I felt violated 😂 Like how did he know!
I have a lot of things that attaches to ideas, hobbies, remembers (my mother died in her 52th year), books I want to read once, something you can use if times went bad and so on.
Throwing something away hurts me deep inside.
It is like I don't respect their worth.
I feel sorry for those things if I throw them away.
It is like I throw myself away.
Weird, isn't it?
But my husband can't stand this any more. He told me that I have to throw those things away.
It is so hard you can't imagine.
It feels that he loves me only if I throw those clutters away while I feel throwing them away is like throwing myself away.
So he loves me only when I gave me up.
I made a test and this told me that I have ADS.
My brain is interesting in so much things that my life doesn't will be long enough to learn and try all.
I am overwhelmed by the mass of ideas my brain creates.
I hope I can learn to throw things away without being totally sad and melancholic.
And without being totally weak after doing that.
Thank you Ronald! You are an inspiration to this 60 year young cluttered man....
This has resonated with me more than probably any other motivating video. Thank you!
I hired an organizer cos my clutter was getting out of hand! One of the best decisions I've ever made.
This is very wise indeed. I too have canvasses and paints and charcoal and watercolours and pieces of stuff to make miniatures with and journals and workbooks and tools and music and spices and reference materials and seeds and catalogues and and and and AND... I am past the half century mark and still I have too many things to do and explore.
i used to have 11 ukuleles & now back to 1 after 6 years... it took my husband over and over telling me, "You barely use all of them. i only see you play these two or three." i kept on denying that truth for months, until i humbled myself & gave most of them freely away. always, think about others first. 5:00
I'm not done watching yet but can we all stop and appreciate how the core values worksheet doesn't require signing up for anything? You can just download it and go??? I deal with so much digital as well as physical clutter thank you
my three rules for success - 1) live a life of no excuses 2) accept that no task, however small, ever gets done unless a specific time and place are set to do it 3) acccomplishing one small task means saying no to the 50 other things I could be doing (which are probably more fun).
My clutter is telling me ”you aren’t taking well enough care of me.”. I’m a recovering maximalist who started out on my journey toward minimalism in 2017. What trips me up still is books (I went from 978 books to 153, to 52 in my original book declutter, but now the number has crept way back up again), kids stuff (both my husband and child err on the side of keep even if it hasn’t been used for the longest time), and random purchases ”stocking up”. Hard habits to break. Thank you for an awesome video. I concur. Throughout the years what strikes me most about you is the energy. Today you are really calm, clear, assured without preching. And the health and joy seems to radiate from you.
I lost all my possessions 3 seperate times in my life. It has certainly reflected in what I value in my possessions, personally I could lost everything again and not care too much asides from a small hand full of items that survived across losing everything else. If I lost them I would be devastated but unsure if they are similar to a shield or insecurity.
A very thoughtful, intelligent talk, thank you! There is so very much intersectionality to de-cluttering, one can't start on any corner of it without all the other issues getting dragged in...income vs. desire, disruptive circumstances and people, emotional attachments, gender-identity decisions, let alone sorting who one really is in the chaos of everything we have been taught to want and be... I am 57, and still trying to sort the internal mess along with the outer, and let me tell you, exhaustion plays a big part! That's when Simplification becomes a religion. ❤❤❤
Haven't watched you in a while and my space shows it. Thanks for the reminder to look at what my stuff says about me and to look at whether it is supporting, or hindering, what I really want and value.
You are easy on the ears, thank. You
My clutter is ready to go and have been for many years, I’m meant to sell it as I can make some good money from it but I just can’t get started even if I just say just a little at the time. It has become over whelming and it will take a long time to get rid, pray for me to get it done. Thank you all and good luck on your journeys to clearance and a more organised and peaceful life style. Isn’t it crazy how having so much can make you so unhappy,less is more.
I think it helps to ask the right question- it's not "I could make money selling this stuff" but rather, "do I want to do it?" Sometimes it's just easier to accept you aren't going to and let it go. The space stuff takes up in your house and mind is less valuable than your time and peace of mind.
5:55 Only 5min watching the video and it is resonating strong with me, as I am decluttering a old space of mine at my parents, plus kind of completely lost about who I am and what I want to do with my life going forward. Always such great contenton this channel (and the website), and the way you express and convey your experience and advice is so effective and in the same time generous. I can feel how you are here to just help people, and it is pure and beautiful! Thank you @Ronald L. Banks!
Thank you so much!! You are not wrong with anything you expressed. Also I’m thrilled that you are getting value from my website as well. There is much more coming so I’m happy to hear that what I have up so far is resonating!
I agree with you and thought similarly .I was opened minded as i already have my thoughts on the matter and i come to this video to see to hear your views and they aligned very well...I always thought you can say a lot of a person by seeing the "possessions" or what they have collected throughout their life.Each division in the house reflect aspects of ourselves that makes us who we are and show where we are in the present moment.
Some people never bring or show others all the divisions in the house but specific ones while other parts remain hidden or we are quite ashamed of it...
Your analogy of the friends are true and known as we would not hang around with people who do not share our true values and if we are, it also says about our will and or lack of it and how much out of alignment or detached we are from our selfs.
I understood your implicit reference saying decluttering is not re-decorating or any other thing because it would defeat the very same purpose by facilitating and carry on the impulsive buying to fill up that emptiness which is still there and we choose not to deal with it.
Imagine trying to start again having a fresh start with a new person new goals but yet wanting to keep and not letting go of some of the things you have or you were without letting go of things that no longer serve you just because it reminds you of a time in life that you are still attached?
That would be a great contradiction and a sabotage because indeed you wish to be more yourself by still holding on to your past at the end you do not wish or are ready for a true change and there is no space for new people ...
I have a phrase for you that you know but reflect much what you said ."Out of sight, out of mind"like having something in that part of your house or in your refrigerator at the back or in the cupboard that you bought left there and with time you end up buying more things put in front to the point you no longer have an idea or can see that you already have it and as such you keep buying again and as the time passes those things go out of date and slowly start to fester to smell but you cannot point from where or what is....
People who do that are like those who bury some memories or experiences in that deep place in them to the point of they cannot even recall it and because you cannot remember its there in the background festering rotting contaminating and directing all your actions and thoughts .....
your house will show those who cannot or have chosen not to deal with things and can barely breath...occasionally you find treasures or money or other valuable things or books that are there collecting dust lingering and it may come as a bonus or moments of happiness but soon the previous habits takes over.
Interesting subject and thank you for this...
what we can say about our belongings house and friends can also be applied to our phones inside our bags or wallets about the table we choose and about our children spouses or lack of it....all Psychology .
This is excellent in-depth advice. Thank you❤
Exactly the process I've been looking for.
When I get the chance to view your content, I always enjoy your ideas. I appreciate the motivations and thought process behind your ideas. Even though I can't really identify with the clutter conversation, I do see that issue everywhere I go. Keep inspiring us on our path toward self awareness and a better self!
I would love to know where you are on your journey my friend if it’s not clutter related. If you’re open to sharing, please do.
I really like your channel. I just stumbled upon it and I think it’s great already. I love your storytelling vibe.
I've become a hoarder, I rarely leave the house and no one ever comes over. My son sees me sitting in the clutter, vacant. This was a bit of a wake up call.
I seem to be borderline. My mom is one. No one is allowed in her home, so we aren't sure how bad it is. I'm pepper motivated, and I love thrifting and yard sales.
Just came across your channel, I really like how well you articulate ideas, it's like even the way you structure your thoughts is minimalist. I really liked the low effort - high impact guideline, seems like a philosophy that could be applied to other areas of life as well
At first I thought this video would be helpful for my daughter and barely 2 minutes into it I’m bawling.
Emotional clutter is a real thing too.
Thank you for the video.
Have to remind myself that it is a journey….a process.
You are so good! I really needed to hear this. Thank you for sharing! Lots to think about now.❤️
What an incredible blessing to have found your channel! I'm ready to break free.
holding on to old dreams , old goals! hoping to improve without actually improving or moving anywhere...a lot of profound comments ❤
I have paintings on the wall that I have painted, I have books on business, neuroscience, autism and economics. I tend to fill my garbages too much but keep most things organized even though I have a lot, like some art work from when I was a young teen of pyramids, detailed birds with Monaco’s and writings in some language I made up which is strange, a huge pile of papers of me writing about the nature of consciousness, and a lot of shirts and a sweaters I can’t seem to let go because I have never seen one exactly like it. I guess I still have to let go of that stuff. It is obsessively organized but cluttered at the same time.
You can have the sweaters made into a blanket
my house is a lot like this.
As a fairly extreme minimalist, I find this absolutely fascinating. Great video
Nooooo this title triggered me, with my neat piles and color coordinated messes. 🤦🏾♀️ new sub 😂
I’m grateful to have come across this video as it is where I am at this stage in my life.
There is much to do on my path to a truly minimalist lifestyle per the way I choose to live. It doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. I am on a journey & I’m
Excited about it.
Ron, I love how authentic and humble you are, a beautiful old soul. ❤
He certainly is ❤
Thank you for this perspective!
I think much of my clutter would say 'it's time / its okay to let go now'. Especially my clothes from decades of not having a style per se and trying to fit into the 'culture' at each workplace. Then I'm finding books, toys, etc that were definitely my siblings' that I've been the 'archivist' for, and when asked now, they're not interested in.
I did do a small decorating step in working with my shelves of moving photos from being grouoed and super dense to more spread out on different shelves and it makes it less visually cluttered, while keeping them and almost honoring them better because each can be seen. 🎉
I love this candid dialogue, R! You are right on with your assessment…your things say more about you than you are conscious of, but that’s the awesome part…because it’s a great way to begin not only a declutterring practice, but to become more familiar with who you are…and where you are coming from…your perspective on life in general. To take it further, as with wealth, it’s not as much about what you spend as it is about what you keep. Both are valid, of course, but the results of your perspective on money is another great way to get to know yourself on a deeper level. Thanks for the inspiration…I’ve subscribed! Take care…😊
I've just read a book called #Now about people who have a Now-ist mindset being focused on movement and Then-ist mindset being focused on finding the right way to move forward. The latter tends to mean there is no movement at all, where as a Now-ist embraces that they will learn along the way as long as they keep moving. Personally, doing 'something' is movement and that means progresses. Whenever I tell my self to stop and think about the most effiecient or high impact way forward, I usually stop in my tracks because the additional decision gives me fatigue and the momentum to move passes. For some people stopping to find the lowest energy high impact way forward might be detrimental to movement. I'm pretty sure I'm ADHD and I've learnt when I have an impulse thats going in a good direction I have to ride that wave whilst it's there or I ain't moving till the next one comes along.
Thank you for your comment! This is so helpful to me. And it reminds me that over and over I only find out the BEST way by trying some way that seems reasonably a good idea, and then modify as I am doing it or when I see the result of my first try at solving the situation.
Facts
So glad I have found your channel, thank you for sharing. All your recommendations and suggested arr very much appreciated. You just gained a new subscriber here. Thank you so very much, now I understand what's been holding me back.
What you're saying is so heavy and true. My Closet is the closet of a regular "joe" aka "josephine". My Kitchen is organized and clean and I make sure no dirty dishes are in the sink when I start my day. The Garage now needs to be purged. It's not dirty but there are things that no longer are needed or wanted.
I jus went thru this video & am instantly replaying it so that I can take notes! Ty for sharing ur wisdom, this is good!
This video is so honest and thought-provoking, which is something I've always appreciated with your content, Ronald. I've gone through some changes in myself, and quite frankly, the reflections you shared are very relatable to my own personal journey in life. My inner peace, now more than ever, is becoming very important to me. I'm done with compromising my time and values for things that don't add value to my life. I'm also done with holding onto different relationships that either no longer serve me, or that hinder my own growth. Thank you for making this video!
Hi Ron
Thank you for another great video
It was right on point for me. Grateful and appreciative for all of your content.
You are very welcome! I’m happy this conversation reached you.
You are very kind . thank you
I really appreciate your wisdom.
Thank you soooo much!! I soooo needed this TODAY! STRUGGLING with disorder around me... hearding tendencies ect.. thank you!!
I have a ways to go - needed this - thank you, Ronald!
Thank you for your beautiful insight and out clutter! I am renewed in my quest for peace! If I don’t have it, I don’t have to worry about it! I don’t need 75% of the things that I have!😃
Loved this video so much 💗 I love listening to you and how honest and different you are from other youtubers, thank you 🙏
I loved this video! Yes, it is a lot of info, but it is the perfect place to start! For anyone new to decluttering, this video is the perfect "Why and how to?" I have been decluttering and maintaining for 20 years, but we are now downsizing, and this was super helpful because I have to get rid of 700 Sq feet in order to fit in our smaller space. We are doing it on purpose, but it still is challenging to look at all the things have "made the cut" over the years simply because we had the space. Now I have to make really hard decisions! So, this video helped me a lot!
This video kept finding me, and I kept ignoring it. Now I’m glad I finally watched it from start to finish and am grateful for it! 🏆
This was DEEP ⚡️
This video just helped me clean the biggest clutter I had in my area: My bedroom. Closet & main walking space is practically clear
Thank you for sharing wisdom! Listening to you just made me realize that not only my clutter and things may be telling me something. I have the thought, that my way of eating (not so healthy at the moment) may be telling me something too. Worth exploring.. 🤔 Anyway, it’s a gift every time you upload something! 🥰🙏🏼
Thank you so much Susanne! Also the fact that you’re thinking meaning I’m done my job. My goal was to challenge your perspective so you can let go and adjust certain habits where needed. Love that your are beginning to explore this path. Keep growing!
I have decluttered car loads of “stuff.” Areas of my life are cleaned out and Im happy with it.
When my daughter moved out… last of six kids I had a NEED. A true real need to nurture, so I got a few plants. Well my few plants grew and grew into a collection of over 200 and a small plant business. As I look around today I feel encroached upon. The last few weeks I’ve known I have to cut back on this “hobby”. Thank you for this video because it is giving me the push I need to downsize this “collection.”
Very informative and helpful video. Thank you😊