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How to Decide What to Keep When Decluttering

It can be hard to decide what to keep when decluttering. It is important to remember that decluttering doesn’t mean throwing everything away. Decluttering means removing the unwanted things from your home. Things that no longer serve you.

So when trying to decide what to keep when decluttering your home, keep that in mind. You are letting go of the objects in your home that no longer serve a purpose for you.

Things You Use Every Day

You definitely want to keep the things that you use everyday. This one is a given. Now, if you have items that serve multiple purposes, like an Instant Pot, a rice cooker, and a slow cooker, you can easily let go of the rice cook and the slow cooker because the Instant Pot can do both of the functions of those appliances.

Look around and see what you use and determine if you need every single thing you have or if you can downsize because you have multiple things that do the same job.

Things You Love

It breaks my heart when I am talking to someone about decluttering their home and they get uncomfortable because they think they’ll have to get rid of the things that most people wouldn’t keep or want, but that they love. For example, collections or an old stuffed animal from their child hood.

I never want anyone to think that they have to get rid of something just because it doesn’t do anything but sit there. That is not how I approach decluttering. It is okay to keep things. We just have to put a limit on it.

If there is space for it, keep it. The problem comes when there isn’t room left and the things start to take over. The problem is when the things you have make your home unmanageable.

This is different for everyone. I can keep a good bit of stuff and still be able to have a clean and functional home, but you might need less.. you might even be able to keep more. It’s all a matter of figuring out what works for you.

Things You Are Unsure Of

We are bound to run into items that you will have a hard time deciding whether you want to keep it or let it go. I never want you to be unsure about your choices. This is a no regret process.

Take the things that you are unsure of and put them to the side. At the end of the decluttering journey revisit the items. Still can’t make a decision? Place these items in a box and put the box away. Give the box an expiration date. If in, say, six months, you haven’t gone to get the item, you likely won’t, again. That tells you that you don’t actually need it.

Your Space Will Help You Decide What to Keep When Decluttering

Another way to approach this is to decide on the space that you are allocating for items like this one. Pull it all out and then put everything back starting with your favorite item first. When the area is full, it is full. No decision needed on your end.

You can only physically keep as much as your space allows. And even then, some of us can’t maintain our home if all of it is full. I can only have so much before my home is unmanageable.

It’s important to figure out what you can easily manage. Having less means less to clean and put away. It means having fewer items cluttering your home. Having less means less for you to do and more time doing things you love.

If you need help figuring out what to keep when decluttering your home, reach out to me. I would be honored to help you out.

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