When I first started decluttering, I wondered when it would end; I thought decluttering was a one-time thing! I figured once I was done, I would be free and clear but…
I was wrong — continuously decluttering is like breathing. It’s something that we must do as living beings. Its natural, and we each have different optimal levels for our lives, but we must keep mindful to ensure overabundance doesn’t overtake us when it can so easily.
Expert marketing, our ingrained wants that we think are needs, the fact that we don’t consciously value blank space, warehouse club prices, and free shipping deals. All these things make it very easy to bring too much into the home.
Walking through our house, I now see a lot of things that it seems like I ‘could’ let go.
- Doesn’t that mean they should be gone already?
- Am I doing this wrong?
- Why does it seem like I’ll just never catch up on this decluttering effort or be done with it?
Over time, though, I’ve learned there are different reasons why we end up in the stages of a cyclical decluttering process. It’s helpful to understand these reasons to best work with the stage we’re at with decluttering and that way, we can level up our life plan.
Have you had these thoughts, too? Understanding what’s going on can be useful for you to stay or get back on track.
Reasons for Continuously Decluttering
Do any of these apply to you?
- You haven’t decluttered fully yet
- You may be getting distracted
- You may not have stopped the incoming flow of things
- You may be getting better at decluttering
- You may be appreciating the gains of your decluttering
Let’s take a look at some of these reasons and how we may wish to address them.
Starting Out
It’s possible that you’re still in your initial tackle stage. This is when you’ve awoken to the fact we have too much stuff and you’re working your way through your things.
Tip: Keep going, if you’re tired, try to gamify the process by either using a habit tracker form or application.
Decluttering Distraction
If you haven’t fully decluttered yet or are getting distracted, you may not have taken the step of making sure you know deep down that this is important to you. Decide it is, then treat it like it is. Treating it like its a critical task in your life will mean making time for it, not just waiting and hoping.
This might also mean that you’re just overwhelmed. When you make the time for decluttering and are still stuck in your tracks, try to break the process into smaller steps. Either based on time chunks or based on amount of items, this is a great trick for making progress and busting the inability to move.
Tip: Try a Pomodoro timer! You set these and then focus on only one thing and can make a ton of progress in a small amount of time.
Haven’t Stopped Incoming Flow
If you’re not stopping the incoming flow of things or buying new things like organizational bins and cubbies, you may be working in this never-ending state and need to address it. Stop the flow of paperwork. Sign up for electronic statements. Set up automatic bill pay. Go through your mail over the trash can.
Tip: Follow the rule of getting rid of one or two items for each item that comes in. Set up your bills for electronic-only and cancel any magazines that you don’t really love. Stop buying things, especially from Warehouse clubs.
You’re Just Getting Better
If you’re getting better at decluttering, then kudos to you! You might just be fine-tuning your ability to weed through things and let things go. Even more so, you might be looking at the amazing breakthrough in time and less stress and you’re in a positive feedback cycle so you’re doing great!
Tip: Just get rid of it already — if you see more clutter and you’ve already been through the house once, it might just be that you’re seeing the wonderful benefits of getting rid of things! You’re growing your decluttering muscle from the accomplishments you’ve made already. So when you see things to discard or donate, go for it!
