Clutter 101: Why Do We Keep Clutter?

March 1st 2007

I’ve found myself with a fair bit of spare time at the moment as I am between jobs so I’ve decided to give the home a really good and long overdue tidy and de-clutter (four big bags of rubbish and counting). As a result I’ve learned quite a lot about the whole process, so as a natural progression I’ve decided to start a new series of posts on how you can de-clutter and get control of your possessions. In this first part I will look at what sort of attitudes make us keep so much stuff, rather than getting rid of it all.

It was a gift/present.
If a gift had any practical use to you it’s likely it would already be serving its purpose and/or have a suitable place in your home, rather than simply taking up space. If it can be used, use it now, otherwise give some careful thought to getting rid of it. Keeping one or two big gifts for the sake of not offending someone is understandable, but bear in mind that the majority of time people never remember what they buy for people.
It’s expensive/It cost me a lot of money
If these items are lumped in with your clutter, they gave either served their purpose or been a big waste of your money, unfortunately. Either way, deal with it! The cost doesn’t bother people that much when they decide to shove an old laptop or TV away in the closet so why should it be such a problem when you are trying to get rid of them?
I might be able to sell it on someday
Why do you think you can or will sell it in the future? What’s stopping you from selling it now and clearing some space? If it’s some sort of investment like an antique or collectors item store it in an appropriate place (remember, I’ve said it before and its corny but there should be a place for everything and everything should be in its place), otherwise put it on eBay or have a car-boot sale. Our junk is rarely as profitable as we hope so take what you can get.
It might come in useful one day
This one is simple and the most common reason why people keep stuff. If you have already had the item for a while and you havn’t used it, it’s safe to assume you are not going to be needing it any time soon.
I would feel guilty throwing away so much stuff
Recycle it then, give it away to your friends or charity shops. There are so many options nowadays, do a quick Google search for recycling and clutter in your particular region/country. Just because you have no use for your junk doesn’t mean someone else can’t do something with it.
I don’t have time
Make time now and save loads later! You won’t have to dig around in the back of cupboards, struggle to find space whenever you buy a new item or stress about losing a bill in the masses of paperwork stuffed in drawers. Once you are on top of the clutter in your home it’s almost a natural (and quick!) process to stick with it.
I can’t be bothered
If you are reading this blog then it is safe to assume you are interested in becoming more productive and/or you want to make some positive steps in your life. Gaining control of all the clutter in your life is one critical aspect of that. De-cluttering your home is a key step in de-cluttering your mind and it makes your whole lifestyle more streamlined.

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my RSS feed for easy access to the latest content. If you prefer, you can also subscribe by email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox. More info on RSS can be found here.