Top 10 Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Clutter
When did I last use this item?
If you haven't used it in the last year, chances are your not going to in the next.
Allow yourself to purge old items, interest, hobbies, and unfinished projects to allow room for the really
important parts of your life.
Am I going to need this item on a specific date in the future?
If your best friend just set her wedding date for a couple of months away, it might be wise to keep your mint
in the box punch bowl for future use. But if you are keeping a household full of furniture stacked in the
garage for when your 5 year old daughter moves out on her own, it may be time to free up some space. If it
doesn't have a definite date of use, the clutter isn't worth it.
Does it require any action by me/us?
If an item requires action (a phone call to make, a report to write, an outfit that requires altering) then it is an
“ACT.” Keep everything that requires action in one location, so that when you have time, you will be able to
go through and check the items off of the list!
Does this item have a legal or tax purpose?
Paper can be our worst clutter enemy and we often use the excuse of the legal and tax purposes associated
with a thirty year collection of receipts. Go through your papers and keep only items that are really needed.
Birth certificates, legal documentation, marriage licenses, company incorporation papers, for example, are
difficult to find or obtain again; you may want to consider keeping the item in a container designated for that
type of item.
How hard would it be to replace this item again someday if I needed it?
If items are priceless emotionally or historically, they may not be the best items to toss. Consider how hard it
would be to replace the item and get rid of things that are a dime a dozen.
Is it recent enough to be useful?
Is the address book that has not been updated in 3 years really current? Just like food has an expiration date
so does the things in your life. If you are keeping things that are no longer current, you are not allowing
yourself the space for new and better things to start.
In what way is this item making my life more purposeful or better?
If the items are not making you happier, healthier, or better, they are just taking up space and cluttering up
your life. Removing these stacks and boxes of stuff will free up your home and your space.
Is it beautiful, useful or loved?
Are you keeping something that you think is hideous because it was a gift to you from someone special?
Don’t. Only surround yourself with things that bring you joy. Most likely, the person that gave you the gift
would not want you to keep it if they knew you did not like it.
Does it reflect the person I was or the person I am now?
Are you keeping things that were important to you in the past, but really do not have the same meaning
anymore? Does your space reflect who you are or who you were? Get rid of things that no longer hold
meaning for you.
What is the worst possible scenario if I toss this?
This one is one of my favorite questions! If you can ask yourself this question and find that you can
live with the answer, then it can make it easier to let go.