“have nothing in your house…”

here’s what i know for sure about clutter:

it doesn’t have a mugshot – you decide what it is and isn’t. it’s not for me, a NYT bestseller, or the line-up of magazines every season to tell you what to purge.

clutter typically is anything you don’t LOVE, use, or need.

it is anything you wouldn’t buy again today.

it is the stuff you cling to out of guilt and fear – you know, the *what ifs.*

it’s also the stuff you keep because of appearances, expense, perceived worth and approval.

and it’s what you hold onto because deep down, you worry life won’t get better.

but only you can call the shots, which means clutter is a personal decision – every time. however, once we understand its underbelly, we see it differently. 

so…

here are three things i shared with my *groupies* this week in our convo about the “C” word.

BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING, ask yourself:

does this serve an immediate purpose in my life / our home? or…IS IT *EMPTY CALORIES?*

will this be used / needed consistently? (consistently can be once a year – like holiday décor – but longer than that, and make sure fear isn’t calling the shots.)

what kind of maintenance / energy does it require? THIS IS IMPORTANT. if you don’t have the bandwidth to take care of something, it is already clutter!

are you willing to let something else go to make room (time in your schedule / space in your house / energy for the day) for those needs?

and when CLEARING A CLUTTER HOT SPOT, ask yourself: 

what am i feeling right now? (this Q has the most heat because that is precisely the energy you’re steeping in every single day!) 

what memories does this bring up for me?

who gave it to me?

why did i originally buy it?

would i buy this again today? if so, how much would i be willing to pay for it?

what does this remind me of?

finally, instead of focusing on the WHAT IFs and worries when you’re clearing clutter, pivot to the support / intentions / luck / abundance you’re clearing passage for so those refreshments can get to you! xo