Trouble Deciding What to Keep? Do This.
5 ways to help decide what to keep
Sometimes, it’s a challenge to decide what to keep. To overcome that uncomfortable feeling beyond “it just feels like too much,” and to get yourself un-stuck in the decision-making process, try these techniques:
1. Ask yourself: “Does this spark joy?” aka “Do I have positive feelings and experiences around this item?
Sometimes, we may have an emotional tie or experience to an item, but it is not a positive one. Consider that the energy around us is powerful! You don’t need the reminder of a toxic relationship or negative vibe telling you that you’re not enough. Because you ARE ENOUGH and WORTHY, just as you are. Let go of that which does not produce feelings of confidence or joy.
2. Set physical boundaries for how much space you want to give items.
Before deciding what you want to keep, decide how much space you’d ideally dedicate to a category. You can think macro — for example, for clothing, maybe you’d ideally be able to fit all your clothing in 1 closet and 1 dresser. You can also think micro — for t-shirts, maybe you’d ideally be able to fit all your t-shirts in 1 drawer. Other examples of limiting boundary spaces are: a shelf, box, or area of the home. Pretend you have a magic wand and could instantly change your spaces, what would you see? Then, let that vision and your physical-space-boundaries be your guide!
3. Rank your items.
Trouble deciding which items you prefer? Gamify the situation and rank your items, handing out 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, etc. Then decide how many “places” you want to keep. Maybe it’s only keeping the Top 10 or combine with Technique #2, and say it’s however many “places” will fit in a dedicated box (physical limitation).
4. Reflect on your actual routine.
First, there is a high chance that you have gone a very long time without using this item yet. Forgetting about an item is equal to not having it. So if you forgot you had it, let it go. Second, consider your personal routine and procedure. For example, let’s say you are deciding on whether to keep a dictionary. Ask yourself, “What do I do when I am reading and do not know a word?” For most of us, these days, we google it and never touch the dictionary. Perhaps, space on your bookshelf could now be open for a different, favorite joy-sparking book?
5. Ask yourself: “If this were broken, would I spend money or time to fix it?” / “If I saw this in the shop today, would I still spend money to purchase it?”
Every item we keep, requires energy from us. Buying and keeping an item does not mean that you will suddenly make that monetary spend valuable. Like a gym pass that never gets used — the money is spent; but unless you put in the time and energy, the value is not going to be recouped…The only thing it is doing is making you feel guilty (which is a no-no with Technique #1). So, if you would not repurchase or fix this item, let it go. Or consider the "poop" rule” that’s recently trending from an ADHD tiktoker who asks, “if this object had poop on it, would you wash it off, or throw it away?” 💩
