You may not have set out to accumulate a lot of possessions, but now, as you look around your home, it seems you have way too many things.
Sometimes folks will hang onto items because they think it is practical to keep them for an emergency or a rainy day. Or, they feel sentimental about objects that they bought (like souvenirs).
It’s not unusual for people to keep gifts that they don’t like all that much, because they don’t want to insult the gift giver.
Or, perhaps you have a habit of retaining items, perhaps even to the point of hoarding too many things in your dwelling. A shopaholic whose favorite sport is competitive buying at the local mall can quickly turn a home into something that more resembles a cluttered storage facility.
There’s no need to fret about the situation. What follows are ways that you can get rid of that nagging feeling that you can’t get rid of something because “someday” you might need it.
1. Keep Possessions to a Minimum
Have only what you need. Having more than what we need does not mean happiness. In fact, it doesn’t feel that great to look around a crowded house stuffed with things you never use.
2. Donate Things Someone Can Use Today
If it’s something that can still be used but not in the near future, give it away or donate it. Who knows, someone might actually need it more than you do. From clothing to furniture to electronic gadgets that still work but are no longer “cutting edge,” you’re bound to find a lovely home to accept your unwanted things.
3. No Need to Hang Onto Gifts You No Longer Want or Need
If it’s a gift or there’s a sentimental value, it has already been given to you. You decide what to do with it. Decide to get rid of it if it’s not giving you value in your life. Your loved ones will not hold it against you if you give away an old gift that no longer really has a place in your life.
4. Keep Your Goals to Live Clutter-free in Mind
Remind yourself that your main goal is to have a nice house that is clean and easy to move around in. Stacks of things on the floors or boxes of old gifts stuffed into a closet don’t do anyone any good. By focusing on keeping your house free of clutter, you’ll be more likely to adhere to your goals.
5. Reduce Possessions to a Minimum, Going Forward
To avoid clutter building up again, make a habit of asking yourself if you really need to purchase a particular item or if maybe you want to buy it for reasons other than necessity.
Keeping on top of clutter and going through your home periodically to identify unused things and then get rid of them is easier than doing this task just once every year or so.
