How to Decide If to Keep an Item When Decluttering
The number one issue most people have when they decide to start decluttering and get organised is knowing what to keep, and what to throw away or donate.
In yesterdays post we looked at how to prepare to declutter. A big part of getting decluttering and getting organised is to get rid of stuff that we no longer need or want, it is not about moving things from one place to another. But it’s hard to do. So in the remainder of this article we’ll look at some simple tips that will help you how to decide whether or not you should hang onto or discard something. We’ll also take a look at why you may want to hold on to things.
The biggest issue when decluttering, is knowing what to keep, and what to throw away.
Decluttering is all about making hard decisions.
Ask yourself the following 9 questions when deciding what to purge and what to keep.
- Is it broken? If so, is it worth fixing?
- Has this item been used in the last year? If not, will it be used in the near future?
- Would it be expensive or difficult to replace?
- Am I keeping it simply because it would be harder to get rid of it?
- Would I prefer this item, or the space it is taking up?
- If I were moving to another city today, would I keep it?
- Is there someone who can enjoy this item or benefit from it more than I am?
- Do I have other things that serve the same purpose?
- Does it fit your style, your space, your needs, your body, etc.?
As you were going through the questions we just listed, you may have run into some issues. This is because some possessions cause sentimental and emotional reactions. According to these questions an object may qualify as an item that needs to be purged, but you simply can’t imagine getting rid of it.
Sometimes, your emotional response is justified. Other times though, you are simply making excuses for holding onto things because of unfounded sentimental, financial or other reasons. You need to understand when you are just making an excuse to justify keeping something, or when you should actually hang onto it.
Are you making excuses for holding onto things because of sentimental, financial or other reasons?
Common Excuses for Holding onto Things
There are only a few root causes for holding onto possessions. You may have an emotional tie to something that is simply too strong to consider getting rid of it. There could also be a legitimate and sensible reason for keeping an item rather than throwing it out when you declutter your environment. Perhaps you spent a lot of money on an object, and that is keeping you from purging it.
The qualification questions mentioned above can help you get past your emotions and discover what really needs to be kept, and what you need to get rid of. You should also bear in mind some of the following common excuses for holding onto clutter that you may be making.
- I paid a lot of money for this!
- why can’t I keep it? I have plenty of room.
- It’ll come in handy someday.
- It’s in perfect condition.
- It is going to come back into style.
- It’s old, it might be valuable.
- It was a gift from ____.
- I am holding it until I can give it to ____.
- I want to save it for my kids.
Take photographs of those sentimental objects that you have been hanging onto forever. The photographs can easily be organized in a photo album to keep your memories alive, and then you can either donate or throw out the physical object.
Take photographs of those sentimental objects that you have been hanging onto forever.
Sell things that you paid a lot of money for. You may not realize anywhere near what you paid for them, but they are not making you any money sitting in your garage or attic either. Don’t play the waiting or guessing game, hoping something will be used one day, or that you may have a valuable antique on your hands.
Have a professional appraiser check out anything you think may be old and valuable. Sell it or throw it based on that advice. If you are holding onto a family heirloom to give to your children, that is admirable. Just realize that you are going to have to purge something else if you decide to keep that particular item. When you embark on a decluttering project, you must realise that you’re going to have to make some decisions. But the productivity and health rewards that you stand to gain are worth this daunting task.
Till Next Time
Mike Gardner is The Time Doctor
