I've always found the idea of people creating rules for themselves about what to keep and what to throw away somewhat amusing. I’ve never had an issue with holding onto things for sentimental reasons, so this kind of attachment has never been an issue for me.
However, for the vast majority of my clients, sentimental attachment to objects is a consistent issue, and one that often keeps them holding onto way more objects than they reasonably have space for. So for them, making rules about what they can keep and what they HAVE to throw away can be an efficient guardrail to help them achieve their objective of decluttering.
Before we get into the decluttering rule that has become known as the "don't have" rule, we should define decluttering and more importantly, the best way of going about decluttering any space. The basic definition of decluttering is organizing any space while removing unnecessary items from that space to create a more functional situation.
Most professional organizers like myself use some variation of the following three step process to declutter:
Step one: clear out the space
Step two: purge
Step three: return everything to its new home
The beauty of this system is that it works for any space in the home.
The "don't have" rule, stated simply, refers to throwing out or donating any item in your home that you didn't even know was there. The rationale behind this is, if you didn't know the item was there, you couldn't possibly miss it. I like this rule because it's logical and and effectively counters the most common argument that most people have for holding on to items they don't need, which is that they do in fact need it. Logically, you couldn’t possibly need it if it wasn’t important enough for you to be aware of its presence in your home.
If you can relate to the kind attachment to items that I just talked about, this is a rule that may guide you in your quest for a more minimalist lifestyle. You've probably already heard about the psychological impact that clutter creates for people who struggle with letting go of things. Reducing clutter in your home creates a cleaner, more organized place, promotes mental clarity, increases productivity, and improves emotional well-being that naturally results from an existence in a more organized, functional environment.
The following is a more detailed process to apply this rule in your own home. First, conduct a room by room sweep to find hidden items, making a list as you go. The next step is to evaluate the hidden items that you found and ask yourself questions like, “have I used this?”, or “do I need this?” Recognizing the role of sentimental value versus practical value will go along way to create a more manageable home. Sort items into 3 categories: keep donate, and trash.
Of course, decluttering is more than the initial purging and organization process. Maintaining clutter free space requires establishing new habits. Regular check to avoid future hidden clutter and implement organizational systems to help keep track of items. A “home for every item” is an excellent rule to have and goes along way to prevent the kind of clutter accumulation that so easily gets out of hand.
One of my favorite experiences with past clients is to hear from them about how implementing the rules for themselves that we talked about during our sessions has helped them to stay organized in the long-term. They talk about "a home for every item" and "the one in one out rule" and how they have helped them keep their possessions as organized as the moment I left after our final organizing session together.
Do you have any rules for your own organizational habits? We'd love to hear about them, so email us your rules at kevin@inspiredorganizersaz.com.
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