Declutter your life – you will sleep better, feel better and have more time. The decluttering movement seems to have taken hold, and not nearly soon enough. I have been reading a lot about how to declutter, and though there are a million tips and tricks, there seem to be a few basic principals guiding the decluttering movement.

Declutter Your Life

Your Space has Value

Many times, we have a hard time getting rid of stuff because we know how much money we paid for it and we are clinging to a perceived monetary value. The counterpoint to this is to remember that your space (not to mention your sanity) also has value. And probably a lot more value than even the most expensive pair of jeans, loveliest lamp or most sentimental baby memento.

It Takes Time and Money to Store Stuff

Speaking of value, have you realized  yet by keeping stuff (especially stuff you do not use) you are agreeing to maintain and upkeep said stuff. You have to touch it, look at it, move it, dust it, glue it back together, shift it, pile it. Now, I could not say what your time is worth, but I can imagine that in a most basic sense, you would prefer to spend it reading a good book, playing with your kid or perhaps doing something to make money. Every second you spend (and you spend more than you realize) dealing with junk, is a second you are not spending living your life or earning your keep.

If You Get Rid of it, You Never Have to Touch it or Put it Away Again

This one speaks to me very strongly. It is simple and beautiful. And by get rid of, of course we mean donate to your favourite charity if you have an item that someone else may be able to use.

If You Don’t Use Something, That Means You Don’t Use it

OK. I guess that sounds stupid. But really. Listen to your own wisdom. Or listen to the wisdom of your house. Or the wisdom of the stuff all around you. Read that statement again and repeat it.

No Amount of Organizing Will Help if You Have Too Much Stuff

I used to like to buy bins (and books about organizing.) Now I load the bins with junk and set them sailing. And I get most of my decluttering books from the library.

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

No doubt your Grandma or Grandpa told you this. I now consider A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place to be the golden rule and perhaps the key to decluttering. I am in awe of the simple wisdom it contains.