08/24/2026
I could come up with a perfectly reasonable excuse for almost everything I kept.
Maybe I would need it. Maybe my kids would want it. Maybe letting it go would be wasteful, ungrateful or somehow erase the memory attached to it.
Decluttering half my stuff taught me how many of those beliefs were keeping me stuck.
1. Not having enough space didn’t mean I needed a bigger house, closet or more containers. It meant I had too much stuff.
2. The money was already spent 20 years ago. Collecting dust in the back of my closet isn’t bringing back the cash.
3. My kids did NOT want everything I saved for them. Not the preschool papers, DVD collection or gold-rimmed china.
4. Being sentimental doesn’t mean having to keep everything. If everything is special, nothing is.
5. I don’t need to organize things I no longer use, love or need. I let them go instead.
6. “I might need it someday” isn’t a good enough reason to clog up my house. If someday comes, I’ll figure it out.
7. Trying to sell what I decluttered became one more task hanging over my head. Today I happily donate most of it.
8. A gift isn’t a lifetime storage contract. I can appreciate the thought without keeping the thing.
9. My stuff was stealing my time, energy and money. Magically, with less stuff, I have more for friends, family and travel.
10. I spent years keeping things for a life I no longer live. At 60, I’m making room for this chapter.
Which truth hit you hardest? Tell me the number below.
And if you’re decluttering in midlife, follow me. You’re in the right place.
🛟 As always check out the decluttering resources in my bio link.
