Our stuff tells little stories about
us. We put part of ourselves, our lives, our memories, our treasured relationships,
into the things around us. In today's video, I'm going to share 25 reasons that you
might have too much stuff in your life. As well as my decluttering tips and
minimalism tips for helping you to clear that clutter and create a home
environment that you love to be in. Welcome back everyone. And if you're new
here, this is a place where you can get tips and inspiration for living a simpler, happier and
calmer life. Definitely hit subscribe down below if you haven't already, because I would love
to see you again next week. And today's video has a sponsor, which is Skillshare. We will chat
more about them later. Many, if not almost all of these reasons, used to be the case for me as
well back when I still had way too much stuff. And even now, after more than a decade of minimalist
living, some of these still kind of just creep back from time to time. Making me feel like I want
to go shopping much more, or just keep some things around that I know I should probably just let go
of. So if you recognize some of these in your own life, then hopefully these tips can be helpful for
you as well. You have an All or Nothing mindset. This is a big one and I can so relate to this
myself, because I often feel like if I cannot do something perfectly, then I might as well just
not start. This mindset can hold you back from decluttering, because it makes you feel like, if
I cannot create my dream space, then I might just not declutter at all. Maybe it's because you're
busy, or maybe it's because you live with other people. Whatever it is that kind of stands between
you and your dream space. But I've learned that just because we cannot do something perfectly,
doesn't mean that we cannot just take small steps. And that these small things that we can
do aren't worthwhile. So don't let perfectionism or that All or Nothing mindset stand in your way.
And just focus on the little things that you can do. Like Van Gogh said: great things are done
by a series of small things brought together. You buy now and think later. You see a skirt
in the store, and you're not exactly sure how you want to combine it with the rest of your
wardrobe, but you kind of just think I'll think about it later. And then you buy the skirt and end
up hardly ever wearing it. Or you're feeling tired or overwhelmed by the loud music in the store or
the sales people who keep asking you if you can find everything, so you just think I'll just get
this thing now and I'll figure everything else out later. All stores use little manipulation
tactics to get us to buy more than we need. Whether that is loud music or those long narrow
lines or the little items there to checkout. So try to be mindful of that. And don't think I'll
just get it now and figure it out later, because chances are you won't. And you won't return
the item. And you will never use it. And then it'll just become clutter. So just put the item
back, maybe take a picture of it with your phone, and think about it for a while longer. Because
usually, you can always go back if you do end up needing it. You're experiencing loss aversion.
Loss aversion is the cognitive bias that the pain of losing something is twice as powerful as the
pleasure of gaining. So this is our tendency to prefer gains over losses. This can keep us from
decluttering things that we don't need or use, because we don't want to take that loss. But
if you think about it, if you lose something, then you will also always gain something. When you
declutter clothing items that you no longer fit or that you never wear, even if you've spent money
on them, you are also gaining more space in your closet and a more satisfying wardrobe. When you're
decluttering an expensive kitchen gadgets that you never use, you are gaining a more efficient,
organized kitchen. So if you recognize this, then try flipping the script around and focus more
on what you are gaining by decluttering that item. You feel lost and unsure about something else.
Every time I feel a little lost or unsure about my life, which happens, I noticed the little
urge to go out and buy myself something pretty. Like a matcha bowl or a plant. Especially when
it comes to big life changes that can kind of shake us up a little. Like we just bought
this apartment. We moved in here a little over a month ago. And I still feel a little
lost and out of sorts because of this big life change. And when we get like that, our stuff
can kind of become like a security blanket. Something that we know is always going to
be there and is not going to change. So if you're feeling lost about your career or
something else that's going on in your life, you might feel the urge to either go
shopping. Or to hold on to everything, even though you know that you don't really use
or need it. So try pinpointing where that feeling is coming from and just try to be mindful of it,
because that alone can make a world of difference. You're afraid of uncovering hidden pain points. So
you have this big closet full of junk. Or a garage that has been filled up with stuff over the last
10 years. Or this huge wardrobe that is crammed full of clothing. And you worry that if you start
a decluttering project there, that you are going to come across some items that you might rather
not deal with. So you just close the door and not look at it. Decluttering can be a hugely emotional
thing. It can be mentally straining. That is okay. The key is just to start somewhere, and do little
bits here and there. Because if you just leave all of that stuff in there, nothing is ever going
to change. So if you're feeling a little brave, then just look at two or three items in the
place. Close the door again. And do two or three more tomorrow. You have a scarcity mindset.
A lot of these things that I've mentioned so far, kind of have to do with fear. And that is because
our stuff can give us a false sense of security. Like the whole better to have it and not need it,
than to need it and not have it thing. But keeping things around because of a scarcity mindset is
a great way to end up with a lot of clutter and a lot of things that you rarely or never use,
simply because you're afraid of letting go of them. For me, a scarcity mindset makes me worry
that I won't have enough. Or that I won't have the things I need later in my life. But living a
more simple, minimalist life has made me see that things will be all right. Even if I get rid of
these items now. You might need it in the future. Like a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter.
And sometimes this makes sense. For example, if you're on a weight loss journey, and
you're keeping certain clothing pieces around, because you know that by this time next
year the chances are high that you will be able to use them again. But really, try
to be critical and honest here. How big is a chance that you will end up needing that item
sometime later in your life? And even if you do, is there not maybe some alternative that you
could try? I find that these scenarios never really end up happening, And even if they do,
there's always another solution available. So I have decluttered a lot in my life, but there has
never been anything that I ended up needing again later in the future. You feel bad or ungrateful
letting things go. Decluttering guilt is a real thing. I think we've all experienced it at one
point. Whether it was because it was a gift. Or the item reminds us of someone maybe who's no
longer with us. Or maybe you feel shame for having spent as much money on it as you did. Whatever
it is. Try to listen to your gut and your heart here. It is telling you that you want to let this
item go. And that you don't want it to be a part of your life or your home any longer. And that is
okay. There's absolutely no need for guilt here, ever. You don't want to waste the money you
paid for it. This is a very common one. And also something that I think we've all experienced
at one point. And I'm going to keep it short here. You have two options. Either actually use that
thing or get rid of it. The best thing obviously would be to sell it. But keep in mind that you
might not be getting for it whar you think that the item is worth. And the best gift that you
could give yourself is just to declutter it, in one way or another. And then try to learn from
it, so that you won't waste money on a similar purchase in the future. Keeping it around is not
going to put any money back in your pocket anyway. You have insecurities. This one is very likely
to be true for all of us in some capacity. But one of the reasons that you might be shopping
more than you want to, is that you have some kind of insecurity that you are trying to cover
up by buying the right kind of product. Product marketing tends to feed on our insecurities,
or even try to create them in the first place, to try and sell us their product. And I think the
biggest thing is just being aware of this. Like hey, I'm feeling insecure about this and that is
why this ad is now intriguing to me. No judgment here of course. And there is a huge difference in
buying a skincare product for example, because you love it and it works well on your skin, and you
want to take good care of yourself. Or that you are just buying every and any skincare product
out there, and trying out all of these different brands, because you're insecure about something,
and you hope that there's going to be one magic item that is going to make you feel better about
yourself. Which is what I used to do. Your things don't have a home or you don't put them back. I
think this might be one of the biggest reasons that many people have clutter floating around. Or
these little items that keep getting lost, like nail clippers or a notebook. If you have items
that always just kind of seem to float around your space, or that always get lost, then try to assign
them a home. Somewhere where they can always be. And get in the habit of always putting them back
there straight after using them. And this is also a great tip for keeping your home clutter free
after you have done already a lot of decluttering. You're experiencing decision fatigue. Decluttering
requires making a lot of decisions. And decision making is hard and takes a lot of energy. But the
best thing is that this does get easier and easier with practice. So making the choice to declutter
something or keep it, used to be very hard for me. And now, I can just make that decision like that.
So just start with the easier things, to really work up that skill. And you will be a decluttering
pro in no time. Now that we're halfway through through the video, I want to take a quick moment
to thank today's sponsor: Skillshare. They are a really great supporter of the channel. So I'm
happy to be working with them again today. Skillshare is where I learn things. Both for my
work as well as for my personal life. So I've learned to take better care of my houseplants.
I've learned to charter my own creativity. I've improved my camera skills, my writing skills,
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relationship with creativity is kind of tricky, in the sense that it kind of comes and goes. And
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to click the link in my description box will get a one month free trial. So you can try as many
classes as you want, and if you don't like it, then you can cancel within your trial and you
won't be charged. But if you're anything like me, then I think you will really love it. Big thanks
to Skillshare for supporting my work as always, let's get back to the video. You have limiting
beliefs. Maybe minimalism and decluttering is a little harder for you, because you live with other
people who are maximalists. Or because your home is tiny and it's hard to keep things organized.
Or maybe you are busy you don't have much time. And all of these reasons could be true. And it
could be the case and they actually could make it harder. But usually, I think that it doesn't
mean that there is nothing you could do. Limiting beliefs are tricky because they hold us back from
trying things that we would really like to do. So try and identify them if you have them and reframe
them into something that's more positive and constructive, by focusing more on the things that
you can do. You are procrastinating actions that take work. You might have a bunch of stuff lying
around because you are procrastinating taking action on them. And this is a huge one for me,
because I am a huge procrastinator when it comes to these things. So maybe you have something that
you still want to sell, or bring to the tailor, or bring to the donation store. Just take out your
calendar and schedule them in, and actually do them. You'll feel a lot better. You don't want to
throw something out. You might have things around that you cannot sell or donate or even recycle. So
you just hang on to them, because you don't want to throw them in the trash. It makes you feel
bad. Either because of environmental reasons, or because it makes you feel like an ungrateful
bad person. The stuff you own affects your daily life. Maybe more than you think. So trying to give
things a second life and decluttering responsibly is great. But that should be your first option.
And if that is not an option, then feel free to just throw it out and try to learn from it
going forward. You have permission to do that. Seeing means wanting. Minimalism has really
helped me see that seeing things in a store, and appreciating their beauty or
how nice they smell or something, it doesn't always mean that I also have to
want to own it. There are so many nice, pretty, good smelling things out there in the stores. But
that doesn't mean that we also have to want to own them ourselves. We can just appreciate them for a
while, kind of like looking at a piece of art in a museum, and then moving on with your day. Because
if I bought everything that I thought was pretty, I would have a lot more stuff than I do now. You
assign meaning to too many things. I always say be careful with decluttering sentimental items.
Really take your time. And it's okay if you want to keep them. If they're meaningful to you. So
it doesn't mean that you are a bad minimalist, if you have sentimental items. But it is possible
to assign meaning to basically anything. So if you have a pen, that could remind you of a job
that you had when you use that pen, back in the past. Or a dress that you often wore could
have memories, even though you know you never wear it anymore, it's not useful to you anymore.
So we can assign meaning to basically anything, if we are not careful. If that is you, then
try separating the wheat from the chaff. And keeping only the really important ones around,
so you can actually enjoy them to the fullest. You don't have a system for trouble
clutter. Paper clutter, surface clutter, clothing in piles on the floor and on the
bedroom chair or on the elliptical trainer, these are signs that you could benefit from
having a system. If there are always papers floating around your home, then just get
a little bin where everyone can put them, and go through them once a week for example.
So try coming up with easy, simple solutions, oftentimes the simpler the better, to really
tackle these trouble clutter areas. You like what the things you own say about you. Having
an extensive book collection, even if you had hardly read any of them, it does say something
about you. Or having a vintage camera collection, or musical instruments, exercise equipment. And
we might feel hesitant to let go of some of these things, if we're not using them, because we like
what they say about us. Here I like to ask myself: Is the real me really getting value from these
things? So not the fancy me, or not the that I want others to see me as. But the real me. And if
that is not the case, then that is perfectly okay and I can let go of them, because then I will only
have items that the real me is getting value from. You don't really declutter, you just put things in
different places. Decluttering and organizing by kind of turning your whole house upside down,
and getting everything out, and putting them somewhere else, or collecting like items together,
but by the end of it, you only have two items that you actually want to let go of. This is really
common. And it might feel like we're decluttering, but really we're just moving things around. And
it will not end up in us owning fewer items. You have experience with not having things you really
needed. Perhaps just getting the basic necessities was a struggle for you growing up. So now that
you are an adult and you have the means to, you're kind of trying to make up for that by
buying a lot of things. Or you're scared to let go of things, because that's not what you are used
to. You're used to keeping them around in case you might need them sometime later in the future.
And in a way, minimalism is a luxury. Because we have so much stuff, too much, that we are
able to get rid of a bunch of it and, you know, not really need that. And that is a luxury that
you might not have had growing up. If this is you, then I think it could be a good idea to just be
mindful of you know your inner thought patterns, and what you want to do with it going forward.
You don't use things up, but wait for special occasions. If you're not actually using items up,
because you're saving them for special occasions, then you are most likely kind of hoarding them.
And that is a great way to end up with a lot of stuff. And it's a waste. I used to have like
20 different perfumes that I almost never used. I only use like one or two of the more cheap
options. And the fancier ones I collected, but I hardly ever use them. Only for special occasions.
And what happened was they were opened and unused for so long, that they lost their scent. And I
ended up decluttering the whole bunch. If you have fancy, nice, lovely, things, then use them
up. Don't wait for special occasions. Wear them, spray them, eat or drink them. Just use
them up and only after you've used them up, then go out and get a new one. You're a sucker
for sales. Sometimes taking advantage of a sale makes perfect sense. So if this is something
that you were already thinking of getting, or it's something that you're always using, and it
doesn't expire, then by all means take advantage of the sale and save yourself some money. But
it's not saving if it's not something that you actually wanted or needed in the first place.
You keep things in the wrong room. We actually move some things around and did some reorganizing
like two weeks ago, because we kept some stuff in the rooms where we weren't actually using
them. And if you keep things in the wrong room, then it can really complicate your home and make
it hard to keep things organized. So if you always have to go into your bedroom, to grab something
that you're only using in the living room, then try figuring out a new place for it in the
living room, and vice versa. You live as someone who's not interested in decluttering. To this I
say: I understand. I really get how that could make it actually harder or frustrating even at
times. At the same timem it's not impossible, Understand that different people have different
values, and that's okay. So try focusing on your own things and setting a good example. And then
show people that you live with how your newly decluttered nightstand for example, is helping you
to feel good in your own home. So communicating and compromising. Let me know which of these
resonated with you the most, and if you have any tips for overcoming them, please share that
with me and the rest of us in the comments section down below. Don't forget to check out Skillshare
and get your one month free trial. And also, if you need a little more help when it comes
to decluttering, you can always check out my decluttering ebook. I will leave the link to that
one down below as well. As always: questions, comments, conversations down below. Thank you so
much for joining me again today. And I will see you again next week. Bye bye. It's supposed to
rain later today for the first time in the five weeks that we've lived here. And you best believe
I'll be doing a happy dance when it starts.
