7 decluttering rules to help you let go of your stuff

These rules will help you let go, create space and they will encourage you when it feels like clutter is winning.

Choose the three decluttering rules you need the most right now and use them as reminders that you want so much more than piles of stuff ... in your home and in your life. 

1. Why is more important than how.

This first decluttering rule makes all the difference. Why do you want to live with less? Why are you making space—what are you making room for in your life? When you shift your mindset, the actions and habits can follow with more ease. As obstacles arise (as they do), instead of giving up, revisit why this is important to you, take a break and come back.

2. This is not a race.

Slow and steady change will be more sustainable than the fast and furious version you’ve attempted before. There’s no benefit in comparing either. Just because you read about someone who decluttered their life or embraced minimalism overnight doesn’t mean that pace or this time is right for you. You have to consider your home, your family, and your heart. 

3. If everything matters, nothing matters.

In some stages of decluttering you may feel like all the stuff is important, that it all has meaning and that each thing matters. Remind yourself that if everything matters, nothing matters. It can’t all have your love and attention. Even still, letting go of things that have meaning may be hard. Find ways to create a bridge between holding on to it and letting go of it. For instance, hide the stuff you aren’t sure about. See if you notice it’s gone. Some separation will do wonders in breaking your emotional attachment. When you let go of what doesn’t matter you can give more of yourself to what does.

4. Keep your eyes on your own stuff.

If you’re worried about how you will live a life with less stuff when your spouse has hoarding tendencies, or you have children, come back to your own stuff. That will probably keep you occupied for a while. It’s tempting to start with other people and other people’s stuff because that’s easier than letting go of your own stuff. Instead of trying to get everyone on board with decluttering, demonstrate your desire to live with less stuff by living with less of your own stuff first.

5. Less is not nothing.

No one said you had to get rid of it all. You decide what you want in your life. Keep things that add value to your life and the stuff you enjoy. When it doesn’t add value anymore, or you stop enjoying it, let it go. There is a place in between ALL stuff and NO stuff that will allow you to not only shift your focus from defining who you are by what you own but also, to enjoy your favorite things. It’s your simplicity, your home, your life. You make the rules. Knowing that your heart may be holding on a little too tightly, be gentle with yourself. Go easy, take tiny steps and lots of breaks as you work towards a more spacious, relaxed life.

6. Just in case means never.

The just in case excuse for holding on is a messy combination of fear and procrastination. We hold on because we aren’t quite ready to let go but we rarely use or enjoy the just in case stuff we keep. Take a look in the back of your closet, in the junk drawer, under the sink or in boxes in the garage or attic and it’s clear that just in case means never. Admitting that just in case means never allows us to stop procrastinating and invites us to let go and stop living in fear of not having enough. 

7. Holding on to stuff is harder than letting it go.

You may be struggling with guilt from an emotional attachment to your stuff. It’s painful to constantly be thinking about the stuff you know you need to let go of. It’s emotionally draining too. Letting go of stuff may feel hard, but holding on is harder. You have to hold on to your stuff every single day. You hold on by paying for items with your money, time, attention, and emotion. You only have to let go of it once.

🩷 Thanks for reading. If you’ve enjoyed this little pause, you might consider becoming a paid member. As a paid member, you become a part of our Little Saturday community. You’ll get access to comments, weekly simplicity posts, and Weekend Favorites.