A few decades ago, people barely had the things they needed to survive. So, how did we get to a point where we are drowning in random stuff? Why are there multitudes of television shows on decluttering, cleaning, and organizing? How did we let it get so bad?

I know from personal experience that there are many reasons we hold onto items that don't bring us happiness or aren't useful to our current situation. I have been in that place where I felt like my whole world was caving in due to the massive amount of stuff surrounding me. There was just so much that I couldn't find a home for all of it. I constantly moved these items from one surface to the other, and I was completely miserable! I felt like I was always "cleaning", but I wasn't actually cleaning. I was just shifting stuff around my house.

And who has time to dust the shelves and deep clean the bathroom when you're stuff shifting all day long? Trust me - this is no way to live! After decluttering a significant percentage of the items in my home, I sat down and thought about what kept me from doing this sooner. If you can recognize what is holding you back, you can begin to exercise control over the situation and do what you need to do in order to take your home back from the chaos. Today, I'm sharing 8 important reasons why you may hold onto clutter, as well as some simple steps you can take to overcome them.

8 Reasons we Hold Onto Clutter

1. Unwanted Gifts

Gifts were never really an issue until I had children. People in my family are very thoughtful gift-givers, so I usually received something that was useful or made me really happy. Since having children, the gifts have multiplied exponentially. Don't get me wrong - I am so grateful my children have such wonderful people to love and dote on them. However, it got to a point where it was just too much. They were getting gifts for every little holiday and random days in-between. They received gifts for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, because it's Friday....well, you get the point. It was so overwhelming! And to add insult to injury, we live in a small house that doesn't have a lot of storage space. I want you to know that it's not wrong to let go of gifts that don't serve you. The person gave you the gift to bring you happiness, not misery! Anyone who loves you would not want you to feel burdened by the things they give you. If you don't use it or love it, pass it on. You can donate it or re-gift it. Just get it out, and know that it's your "gift". Only you get to decide what happens to it now.

2. Wasted Money

This one's a doozy for sure. I have always been extremely frugal. My dad and I like to joke around all the time about how we can't afford it. We say things like, "Did you go anywhere today?" The other responds, "No. I can't afford it." It's an inside joke that probably doesn't make sense to you, but it makes me smile. <3 Nevertheless, I have always been very careful with my money. As a child, my friends would regularly buy ice cream at school. I usually chose to save my money. When I got my allowance, it went straight into what we called my "stash". As a college student, my friends would often say they couldn't afford to go out to eat. I was thinking, "How can you not afford to go out to eat? I've been saving money since I was like 3 years old. I have thousands of dollars in my account." Even as an adult, I still find joy in saving more and spending less. So, getting rid of things I spent money on was extremely difficult for me at first. It felt just like throwing dollar bills in the trash. Needless to say, I was not a fan.

It still stings at times, but I like to think of it in terms of not what I spent but what is it actually worth now. Let's say I bought a dress for my daughter for $5 at Walmart (told ya I was cheap). She wore it a couple of times but quickly outgrew it as kids tend to do. I might be able to sell it for 50 cents - $1 at a yard sale. But do I really want to waste time doing that? Is it worth the trouble to get everything together, price it, organize it on tables, sit in the hot sun for half a day, and then drag it back inside if it doesn't sell? Shoot, no! I'll just count my losses and toss it in the donation box now.

3. Wishful Thinking

I think all of us have some version of a fantasy self we wish to explore. Whether we want to be get skinny, start scrapbooking, learn karate, become a world-class pianist, or sell handmade items, there are things we want to do that we just haven't found the time to do. While dreams and aspirations are essential for a healthy mind, we need to remember one of the main reasons we haven't accomplished these dreams yet: Our homes are just too cluttered. When we are overstuffed with junk, we don't have the time or space to devote to these special activities.

Since having kids, I can't begin to count how many times I have wanted to scrapbook or make cards as an adult, but the thought of dragging out all of my crafting supplies was just too daunting. First of all, I had far too many supplies to deal with. It made the thought of creating something overwhelming. Secondly, I didn't have space to spread it all out because all of my surfaces were full of other clutter that didn't even have a designated home. Thirdly, I didn't have the time or energy needed to do my favorite hobby. That is truly sad. For a few years, I chalked it up to "being a mom" or "having a job", but the truth is I was just as busy in college and still found time to do the things I love. The difference was that my dorm room was a smaller space and was very organized and streamlined. I had only brought the items that fit comfortably into the space.

I'm in no way saying to give up on your dreams. Dream your dreams! Pursue them every day! But don't let the "stuff" crowd out actually doing them. When my kitchen is cluttered, I don't have the right mindset to cook a healthy meal. When my desk is covered with papers, I can't start a new craft project. First, decide what dreams you are ready to pursue in the near future, and pare down the items needed for that. Declutter, organize, and pursue those dreams!

4. Fear of Missing Out

The "Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)" is a huge struggle that causes us to keep items we don't really care about. I have a whole post about this. You can read it here. When we are afraid of missing out on information or experiences, it can cause us to shut down. "What if I don't read that bestselling book that everyone else read? What if I miss something important? What if I miss out on learning to knit? I've tried it once or twice, but I didn't enjoy it. But my mom thinks everyone should know how to knit. What if I miss out on a skill that makes me a better human? What if? What if? What if?"

We are so quick to worry about "What if we miss out?" But today, I want to encourage you to flip the question - "What if I keep this and don't use it? What if the added clutter causes me anxiety? What if I feel guilty every time I see this sitting on the shelf and don't use it? What if I keep someone else from enjoying this item because I am too selfish to let it go? What if I never enjoy my home because it's a constant source of stress? What it?" You can even go so far as to imagine the worst case scenario. Let's say you get rid of that book and in a month decide you have time and want to read it. Check the library. If they don't have it, ask a friend to borrow it. If you can't find it elsewhere, purchase the audiobook or kindle version. Even if you spend a few dollars acquiring it, you're better off than if you keep everything out of fear. I can honestly say that after decluttering a significant number of the items in my home, I have only missed 1 or 2 things. And those items were under $10. Would I pay $20 to have my home simplified? You bet! I'd pay a whole lot more than that! Change your perspective, let go of the fear, and let it go.

5. Useful Later

The "useful later" concept goes along with "the fear of missing out". This thought process was also a huge struggle for me when I first began decluttering. As a frugal, indecisive, and anxiety-driven person, the thought often crossed my mind, "But what if I need it later?" What I didn't realize was that while my house was bursting at the seams with stuff, I couldn't have begun to find these items if the need actually arose to use them. I would like to add that I'm also a fairly organized person. Nevertheless, all the organization in the world cannot cure a cluttered home. When your space is full, it's full. And mine was far past full. I never had to do without growing up, and I am so grateful for that. I can't even imagine those of you who went through tougher situations where you didn't know if you would have what you needed to get through each day. However, things have drastically changed in recent years. We can order something with a few clicks, and it's sitting at our doorstep in just a couple of days. Most of us can drive to a store and pick up whatever we need in just a few minutes. Why are we so afraid of letting go of things that might or might not be useful later? I had to finally tell myself that it would not be that difficult to replace most items if I decided I wanted to use them after I had already gotten rid of them.

6. Environmental Concerns

If you're concerned about the environment, you're not alone. Throwing stuff away can be daunting. You can always try to donate or recycle the items first. Use the trash can only as a last resort. If you do in fact have to throw some things away, know that if you don't throw it away now, someone else will just have to throw it away after you're gone. The only difference is that you kept things that stressed you out and will continue to stress our your family members after you're gone. While it is important to take care of the world in which we live, we shouldn't let our worries about the earth keep us from living a simpler life. When we realize we shouldn't have purchased many of these items in the first place, we can let them go and learn a valuable lesson - Consume less. Enjoy more!

7. Holds a Memory

Many of our personal items hold memories for us. We have the tickets from the football game, necklace from our childhood best friend, middle school basketball jersey, etc. That's why it is so important to create a memory box. If these items are truly important to you, find a place in your memory box for them. If your box is full and you don't want to get rid of something from it, you can take a picture of the item. Making sure your special items fit within the container will naturally help to weed out those items that aren't as important but are hard to let go of. Also, keep it mind that the item doesn't hold the memory. You hold the memory. The memories of these things are in you. When you have less "stuff" around taking up your brain power, I think you'll find that your memories become more vivid and less hidden away.

8. Guilt in any form

No matter the reason you feel guilty about letting go of something, your emotions are valid. You can feel the emotions, rationalize, and move on. Don't let guilt control you. Whether you wish you hadn't taken so much from the FREE box at your neighbor's yard sale or you shouldn't have bought that ugly shirt just because it was 90% off, move on. Let it go. It's not worth your time, space, and energy to keep things that aren't serving you.

In the words of Elsa, "LET IT GO!"

Happy Decluttering!

<3 Sierra