I recently took a poll on my instagram asking what my next blog topic should be. One of the requests was “ when to throw things away”. My first thought was oohhhh boy, this is a really big issue for so many people. I totally get why, I really do. I mean you bought it right? At some point you spent the money, which means you need it! That reasoning makes a lot sense. I understand how that rationale allows people to keep things wayyyyy longer then they should.
So lets go back and think about the purchase. How often do you buy things you def don’t need? We are alllll guilty of it. Shopping is fun, its relaxing, its soothing, at least for me and most people I know. The thing is, we tend to overbuy. We tend to buy things we think we LOVE and think we NEED. Sometimes thats true! Sometimes what we buy is exactly what we want, exactly what we need, and exactly what we love. If you ask yourself HONESTLY, you will KNOW which items in your house fall into that category. Those items should be cherished, because they serve a purpose either mentally, physically, or otherwise.
Now lets talk about the things that are cluttering your space, and therefore cluttering your mind. If you made an HONEST list of ALL the things in your home that do NOT serve you, how many things would be on that list? Im pretty sure its an endless list of random things that just take up space. What most people don’t realize, is your home is meant to be your sanctuary, NOT storage for all the unnecessary accumulations through the years.
When I go to a clients home, I do a quick assessment of the items I’m working with. Im always amazed at the amount of things people have. I want to hug my clients and shake them all at the same time. Lol….How many crockpots does one person need? Wouldn’t it be so much better, and money saving to boot, if all of your purchases were intentional? Think of the amount of things you would have in your home that SERVE you. Rule of thumb, for every item you buy, purge something out. We tend to keep buying, buying, buying, and using almost NONE of it. Imagine walking into a home that feels more curated, spacious, accessible, clutter-free & stress-free.
Now to the main question. WHEN do we let go of the things that no longer serve us. By learning to let go, you will naturally learn how to buy with more purpose. Thats a whole different blog post though, so back to the original question. Here’s my advice; if you haven’t worn it, used, loved it, or needed it in over a year, CIAO BELLA!! You don’t need it, and its time to part ways. I promise you do NOT have an emotional attachment to your extra crock pot. You don’t have to throw it out! Give it to someone who NEEDS it, someone who will USE it. I donate EVERYTHING that doesn’t serve me.
As soon as you start practicing this day in and day out, you will see how much purposeful your purchases will be. You won’t want to clutter your breathing room with useless things that you simply don’t need. There is nothing more freeing, more inviting, or more peaceful then a clutter free & efficient home. TRUST ME!!