So many things can stop us from making good progress with our decluttering, and the following are what I see as the five most common decluttering mistakes.
- Confusing decluttering with organising. Decluttering and organising are two very different skills, and I know many brilliant organisers who have found it difficult to declutter. Where organisation is about putting systems in place, I would define decluttering as the ability to “let go” of unwanted items.
- Wanting everything perfect. Very high standards often hinder or sabotage our decluttering efforts as we find it hard to imagine things being “exactly” right, especially if we’ve a lot to get through. Perfectionism tends to result in procrastination and overwhelm, and this stuck state can result in us feeling further guilt and hopelessness.
- Worrying about what others think. Sometimes family and friends may not be on board with our plans to declutter, and this lack of support can take many forms. While I never recommend decluttering someone’s possessions behind their back, it’s important that we don’t wait for anyone else’s permission to clear out our own personal items.
- Not having a plan. Clutter builds over time so it can take time to conquer. I’ve seen how rushing into the process without a strategy or set of realistic, well-defined steps can cause us to waste time and energy and quickly lose interest.
- Focusing on the process instead of the outcome. It can be difficult to motivate ourselves to declutter if we can’t picture the end result. We also likely won’t feel spurred on if we are dwelling on the minor details or the parts of the task that make us feel uncomfortable instead of the many benefits of the process.
5 Most Common Decluttering Mistakes with The Declutter Therapist
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