Tricky Truths That Put The Brakes On Decluttering Your Home
But you don’t have to get sidelined if you anticipate these 4 typical situations
When you’re 50+, decluttering your home is a standard activity if your next move is a downsizing move. The kids are grown and out the door. You don’t need as much space. Home maintenance is becoming a drag.
In other words, your interests are evolving or your needs have changed. Either way, a simpler setup in a smaller space appeals. It all makes sense.
To be honest, you might be feeling the proverbial “midlife crisis” (which I prefer to call a “midlife opportunity”).
Bottom line: you yearn for something different, now that your life feels different!
So when it’s time to dig in, does it unfold smoothly? Well — maybe not so much! Now what?
Start with considering these 4 decluttering facts that catch so many of us off guard.
Once you know these uninvited visitors tend to pop in unannounced, you can be prepared to show them the door. And then continue clearing space for your next exciting life chapter … shall we?
Truth #1: Hardly Anyone is Fully Ready to Let Stuff Go!
Deep down, no one really wants too much stuff. We feel the weight of it when we open a full closet or a jam-packed cabinet. We see it when we are searching for something else in the house. And we grumble about it when it gets in our way.
But when we have available space, it’s easy to hang on to things for now, for “just in case”, or for “someday”.
Many of us were raised to not be wasteful. Others are simply more relaxed with what comes into the home and never leaves.
Yet there comes the day when it’s time to get serious about decluttering your home.
You feel sad to say goodbye to things you loved or used at one point. And then your progress is slower. And slower. And stops.
Why is it so hard to get rid of what you truly don’t need or use?
Because our things are more than just things!
They represent where we’ve been, who we’ve loved, and where we’ve longed to be. Even though the memories and dreams can stay with us, we still balk at releasing the symbols of our life story.
So we hang on. Before you know it, there are dozens of boxes labeled “miscellaneous”. Where will all these boxes land in the new place?
Truth #2: Family Stuff is Sticky with Sentiment!
It’s a relief to release the odds and ends we accumulate over a lifetime. Goodwill is a common recipient of those items. Outdated clothing, obsolete reference books, assorted knickknacks … off they go!
But when it comes time to consider Grandma’s silver tea set or your high school yearbooks, it’s a whole different story.
We may not display all our inherited or nostalgic items but they can still conjure up heartfelt memories. And now as we gaze at these things, it’s difficult to part with them.
It feels like we’re dishonoring memories of loved ones or our own personal history when we let stuff go!
Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with keeping a few select items: a tea pot, a serving platter or a picture collage. Displaying or using treasured pieces makes a home uniquely our own.
But when they go from the old closet to the new closet … when they’re not claimed by your own children or used in your new home … does their continued storage make sense?
Truth #3: We Lose Objectivity When It’s Time to Sell!
Remembering what we paid for certain items makes it difficult to digest what today’s buyer is willing to pay.
How about the low starting bid for the folk art collection you lovingly curated all these years? Or consider the pennies on the dollar you make when selling your 1990’s designer duds.
Of course, there is money to be extracted out of specific categories such as MidCentury Modern furniture or rare coins.
But the fact of the matter is, it’s really a buyer’s market, for the most part. There are hundreds of thousands of 55+ aged sellers looking to offload housefuls of similar items.
Again, you can make money but it will take time and effort to do so. It simply calls for the willingness to price based on today’s demand—regardless what you paid for it!
Truth #4: Decluttering Your Home is Much Bigger Job Than You Expect!
When things are hidden in drawers, closets and cabinets, it’s easy to underestimate just how much stuff we have! If you’re a highly organized person, even you can have far more personal belongings than you think.
The start of decluttering the home is generally overwhelming for everyone. We work all day in one room. And then we groan, thinking about how many more rooms there are to go.
Of course, you didn’t accumulate all your belongings overnight. So it follows that it won’t be an overnight process to sort through everything.
Moreover, making decision after decision after decision is fatiguing. At some point, even the most determined need to step back and take a break. Which is why allowing for a realistic timeline is essential.
The Wrap: Decluttering Tips to Keep Powering Ahead
Uncluttering ahead of a downsizing move is not for the faint of heart, no doubt about it!
In order to minimize the mindsets that can hold you back, start decluttering your home now, even if you don’t have your next destination finalized.
In fact, carving out a specific time slot each day or week to focus on decluttering will really put you in a good place. It’s surprising what 20–30 minutes a day will accomplish over time.
Knowing that you’ll eventually have one or two fewer bedrooms or less storage space is enough intel to release everything that’s currently in those areas.
If you want to pass things down to your children, ask them now!
Don’t assume they want or can take everything. Nor be offended if they say no. After all, isn’t that how we ended up with some of our own inherited stuff?
Would we want them to take something unwillingly and then just stow it in their closet? That’s passing along guilt, too!
Ultimately, the most important things are not “things”. They are “experiences”, which take up hardly any space at all!
Tell me:
- Have you started reducing your stuff?
- Which tricky truth is your personal challenge?
Consider starting in the closet:
Realize the amazing life benefits of decluttering:
