The antidote to "just in case" is "what would I do if I don't have this? (and would that alternative be so bad?)" No one is ever decluttering their current cellphone, laptop, prescription medications, etc. But the one prelim step for me is to prioritize trying out an uncluttered life (incluing uncluttering to minimize maintenance (cleaning and putting stuff away), and I have never heard anyone say "I really miss my overstuffed, always messy, chaotic home where I spend all my free time just trying to clear up the disaster".
Love the "what would I do if I don't have this?" perspective. What I do try to rationalise is that, if I DO declutter something that I end up needing later on, I can re-buy it. I don't want that to be my default though, because it could get into an unhelpful cycle. But, knowing I have that option can make it a bit easier to declutter some things.
I actually do miss the mess once it’s gone. I sit around and don’t know what to do with myself and often panic that I should have kept certain things. That’s what makes decluttering so hard, in the moment I feel relief, but later I get regret attacks.
One question I like to ask is, “What’s my favourite”. I know which bra I prefer to wear or which mug I like for my tea etc. it makes it much easier to let other items go as I feel like I’m not “giving up” the items that matter to me. Hope this helps.
Another great video thanks! For me, I've found planning my 'exit strategy ' for the rubbish, recycling and donations etc makes all the difference, so I know there's a plan and what to do to actually shift the things out of my home asap (ideally the same day), otherwise they end up lurking around or being stuffed into cupboards which doesn't feel like progress
Decluttering for many people can be a once-forever event in the sense that they do a massive declutter over a period of time, and going forward some things build up again (mail, pantry items) but no where near the massive amount they started with.
We ‘played’ the ‘minimalist game’. Declutter one thing on the first day of the month, two things on the second day, three things on the third etc. It became really difficult by the last week of the month and we gave up trying! But we did get rid of a huge amount of ‘stuff’ and declared the whole thing an amazing success! 😊
@@purplejoolzI would jsut like to say The "minimalist game" does not in any way speak for any other minimalsts except Joshua Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Fumio Sasaki took five years to declutter his things. ( Ilove his book "Goodbye Things").
If you want to know some common decluttering mistakes and how to avoid them, watch this video th-cam.com/video/DL-QLSYKSuk/w-d-xo.html
The antidote to "just in case" is "what would I do if I don't have this? (and would that alternative be so bad?)" No one is ever decluttering their current cellphone, laptop, prescription medications, etc. But the one prelim step for me is to prioritize trying out an uncluttered life (incluing uncluttering to minimize maintenance (cleaning and putting stuff away), and I have never heard anyone say "I really miss my overstuffed, always messy, chaotic home where I spend all my free time just trying to clear up the disaster".
Love the "what would I do if I don't have this?" perspective. What I do try to rationalise is that, if I DO declutter something that I end up needing later on, I can re-buy it. I don't want that to be my default though, because it could get into an unhelpful cycle. But, knowing I have that option can make it a bit easier to declutter some things.
I actually do miss the mess once it’s gone. I sit around and don’t know what to do with myself and often panic that I should have kept certain things. That’s what makes decluttering so hard, in the moment I feel relief, but later I get regret attacks.
One question I like to ask is, “What’s my favourite”. I know which bra I prefer to wear or which mug I like for my tea etc. it makes it much easier to let other items go as I feel like I’m not “giving up” the items that matter to me. Hope this helps.
That's really helpful, thank you for sharing 😊
Another great video thanks! For me, I've found planning my 'exit strategy ' for the rubbish, recycling and donations etc makes all the difference, so I know there's a plan and what to do to actually shift the things out of my home asap (ideally the same day), otherwise they end up lurking around or being stuffed into cupboards which doesn't feel like progress
Yes, the exit strategy is just as important! I'm glad you have one that works for you ☺️
Decluttering for many people can be a once-forever event in the sense that they do a massive declutter over a period of time, and going forward some things build up again (mail, pantry items) but no where near the massive amount they started with.
Very true 😊
We ‘played’ the ‘minimalist game’. Declutter one thing on the first day of the month, two things on the second day, three things on the third etc. It became really difficult by the last week of the month and we gave up trying! But we did get rid of a huge amount of ‘stuff’ and declared the whole thing an amazing success! 😊
@@purplejoolzI would jsut like to say The "minimalist game" does not in any way speak for any other minimalsts except Joshua Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Fumio Sasaki took five years to declutter his things. ( Ilove his book "Goodbye Things").
@@ros8986 Yes, I happily followed their advice about the minimalist game and considered it a successful way to declutter my home.