Just Ask Elizabeth- What To Do About All This Clutter?

 
 

Dear Elizabeth,

I am so tired of all my junk. I need fewer things in my life and want to live with less “stuff”. Do you have any suggestions for me?

- Too Much Clutter in Whittier

Dear Too Much Clutter in Whittier,

I too have felt the need to downsize! A simpler life will help, I think, to focus on what’s important to me. These three things have worked for me.

First, decide what is the most important thing to you, your values and needs. Can you live with less clutter and busyness? Want to spend more time together with family and friends and less time with stuff? YES!

Second, can you live with planet sustainability as a priority? Can you volunteer, make sustainable choices getting rid of things, and live with less stuff? YES!

Third, can you live with simpler personal and spiritual values, and spend time on experiences and not on things? YES!

If these three things are what you want in your life, you do want a life that sparks joy, not a life with clutter, stuff, and junk. Start small. Go through your items and see which ones you are using that day. If you haven’t used an item in the last year donating it is a good rule of thumb. By owning fewer things, we can live a life with more time, more money, and more freedom. What could be better!