10 Reasons to Get Rid of Clutter and 10 Reasons to Keep It

Loose it because:

1. It takes time to rearrange, store and keep track of objects and ”things” that you no longer like or need
2. You will have a lot more space around you to enjoy and actually place a furniture in that you love, or to just keep some empty air in
3. If the object makes you think of something that makes you feel bad, then why keep it?
4. To sell or give away clothes etc that just don’t fit into your life right now is to create bigger room for new clothes that actually reflect how you feel about yourself today, instead of five years ago
5. Saving things that you honestly never will finish or that are broken should not be a hobby of yours – make room for some new interest in life or learn how to finish and repair. Life quality it spells.
6. It is expensive to maintain furniture, curtains, special tools or even plants that you really don’t have any use for or feel any interest in – the money will never come back from these objects again in any way (or in any kind of value) unless you rid yourself of them, and start using your financial energy in ways that make you smile and feel that you are spending your time on some hobby, investment or perhaps interior decoration that gives you someting back
7. Are you really listening to all your CDs and records? Why not sell some of them and either replace them with what makes you wanna move (emotionally and/or physically) today, and let someone else make place in their home for the ”long-ago-hits” that just don’t do it for you anymore?
8. You know that expensive, really expensive investment of yours hanging on your living room wall? The one you feel discretely sick when you accidentally look at – the one with the war scene (or chopped dog or dying child or recently killed moose)… Could you start spending all that vasted energy on finding a new owner that actually enjoy looking at the darn thing? Use the money now to either invest in a better looking painting or to go on a long, long holiday with someone you love
9. I don’t know what you use your home for, but if it is resting, relaxing, enjoying good company, feeling safe and secure and maybe even gather some inspiration, then clutter could seriously damage that intention. You might find yourself only coming halfway inside the entrance before you feel tired, uninspired and like just wanting to hide in front of the TV trying to ignore this cluttered area called home.
10. Renewing your surroundings could come from a deeper wish than just to rearrange some furniture and throw out some things from the shelves and closets – it might arise from a longing for a completely different lifestyle, and keeping all this clutter will efficiently keep that from never happening

And what about the reasons to keep all that clutter around your feet?

1. It makes you feel comfort and safety – things are familiar and you are pretty sure that if something new shows up in your life you will have this very wellknown environment to seek protection in
2. You don’t have to take any closer look at how you actually feel – instead you can look at the things around you and grumble something about “all this to do and no time to do it”…
3. Your friends will hopefully only find your stuffed shelves and drawers to complain about, and will not find their way past those to your lack of personality features
4. What a perfect way to not finding out what your really want to do in life! There is always something ”that has to be done before you can spend time on introspective pleasures”
5. You don’t have to try and perhaps fail those required times before you learn something new or move abroad or find new friends. Because you have your wall of things and objects and clutter around you, between you and that possible failure that would absolutely crack you to pieces if you ever experienced it, right?
6. Memories, memories in every corner – life was so much better in the old days, wasn´t it? Crap! No, it wasn’t, and anyhow you should not fill your present mind and opportunities with yesterdays experiences and news, you should really explore what your body, mind and soul impatiently awaits you to start acting upon today
7. But the kids will for sure have so much fun and value in the memories and favourite toys I have saved for all these years – how shall they remember their childhood and everything good that has happened to them if I don’t do that for them? (I will whisper this once – they actually have the full ability to be happy without having ten boxes of childhood to smell, touch and look at four times a year for the rest of their lives. You figure out how that applies to you and your space of life today…)
8. It is morally and economically wrong to throw perfectly fine things away, don’t you agree? Then give them away, because I think you are holding on to them for some other reason, unless you have some serious issues from earlier experiences of not having a dime and feeling that “more is better”. Then you should start exploring your ability to trust people and life and yourself a bit more, in creating and gathering the resources you need whenever you need them.
9. There is no point in starting to get rid of things you don’t use or like, because your husband/wife/teenager keeps your common living space in good cluttered shape and effectively bans all attempts to clean up at least one room. Well, time to make a point of the words “integrity, respect and necessary limitations”. Are you letting other people trip all over your time, energy and attention as well? That is most likely true if you constantly find yourself in this situation at home with objects, clutter and other people´s stuff.
10. Because you’re lazy and don’t know what to do with your life! The solution is to start decluttering your home, and in the back of your head, while decluttering, keep this little question alive: ”What do I really love doing and experiencing?”…

Thank you for your time, and a lot of good luck with your new clutter task!