- Anger. Years ago I read the book Messies Anonymous by Sandra Felton. She relates in the book that she first started decluttering because she was angry. Angry at herself. Angry that she had allowed so much clutter to live all over her house that she did not even notice the water leak in the kitchen until it had caused major damage to her floor and walls which required a very expensive repair.
- Freedom from Fear. Many people hold on to all kinds of items out of fear for the future. What if they can't afford to purchase another "...(you name the item).."? They 'need' to keep either the old one or an additional new one around 'just in case'. Usually this ends up not being cost effective because of disintegration from disuse or because when they do need the stored item, they can't find it in the clutter. In addition, they've had to spend the resources to store whatever it is. If you deal with the underlying fear issue, you can free yourself from fear of the future and the accompanying clutter.
- Moving. People move. A lot. It's unusual to meet a person who has lived in the same house or even the same neighborhood all her/his life. Lugging all that stuff around from house to house, city to city, gets expensive. Do the math. If a new bed, sofa or table costs less than the price to move it, it's a better financial choice to sell it and purchase a different table, bed or sofa in your new location. Schlepping three sets of dishes, five boxes of holiday decorations, or 25 boxes of books out of the old place, into the moving van, and back up the steps into the new spot is exhausting and expensive. People are asking, "Do we really need all that stuff to make us happy in the new home?"
- Cleaning. It's so much easier to clean when there's less stuff in the way.
- Desire for Peaceful Living. Face it. Living in clutter is not peaceful. People who are decluttering and simplifying their physical spaces are finding out just how much their surroundings affect their ability to relax. When their space is uncluttered, their minds can be at peace.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Reasons
Why do people declutter their homes, lives, and environments? I'm sure there are myriad reasons for simplifying. Colleen's post The Joys of Decluttering over at http://www.365lessthings.com/ got me thinking about why people have been writing about simplifying their lives and decluttering their homes.
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8 comments:
Moving, cleaning and a desire for peaceful living are some of my reasons to declutter. But also to make room for people. I would rather have people in my home, including children and pets, rather than valuable items or so many clothes that there is no room to hang a coat.
So true, Brenda, about people (and kitties) being so much more important than things. Thanks for your comment.
The peaceful living I really get! Less stuff just feels more peaceful to me. I find with less things around me, my find can concentrate on other, more important things and give increased creativity too. Great, thoughtful post, Willow. :o) Happy Day ((HUGS))
Thanks, Tracy! I think that peaceful living is one of the most compelling reasons for my 'journey to simplicity'.
who need more these days? more leaves you with less space for more joy and more living in my opinion.
We all need space in our lives dont you think?
My mum says that if your hands are empty God gets the idea of giving you more as the empty space attracts more of everything you need.
great dont you think?
hugs
lila
Your mum is a wise woman. When we have an uncluttered house and mind, we have room to enjoy other activities and more creative ideas.
Great post! I missed reading your blog. Now that Im back in the swing of things, Im reading up on previous post.
I've read many of the same books you have read. Thankfully, I haven't needed to move in the last twenty years. That reality has been wonderful and now it's time to rid myself of unwanted clutter...even though we aren't moving. There is a focus issue to deal with..:)but the decluttering is coming along quite well. It's not difficult until I get to the closet with the china in it! It's ok to keep the family "cups" as long as they aren't in the way! :) My reason for doing all of this is to live more peacefully. Simply.
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