Decluttering Advice I Wish Someone Gave Me Sooner

There’s something so soothing about your delivery. 😊

My fear is not losing me, but losing (again) other people I’ve loved and lost. I look at their things and think “they held this thing, they sat in this chair, they made this thing, they touched this thing” — I’ve tried taking photos, journaling about memories, etc., but I can’t get over feeling like if I get rid of this thing that is linked to them, I’m throwing “them” away…or, more so, throwing away something that links me to them. I know I have memories, but they are just in my head….they aren’t tangible things to touch and hold. I think when you lose someone and don’t have their physical presence, it’s hard to get rid of physical things that emote their presence. 😢

Decluttering my "Fantasy Self" was the most difficult for me. I wanted to be Martha Stewart, but upon reflection, I hate cooking. My kitchen is far simpler now. I do cook daily, but I don't need ALL the things. 🙂

My problem is that, as a creative person, I can figure out a use for darn near anything. I've had to learn how to look at something, let my creativity run and figure out uses for it. Then i have to ask myself "Yes, you could do that with it, but WILL you?" It has helped a great deal but I still struggle. I'm going through an extreme purge because I'm moving into a travel trailer. It's brutal.

Listening to Ronald I feel like I’m visiting with a wise and trusted friend. You have wisdom in your youth that many people only acquire in their later years, if at all. I’m dedicating a big part of today to decluttering, and the ideas you present here will help and guide me. I feel inspired and capable of making some significant changes. Thank you for sharing. You have some of the very best content in the decluttering and minimalism space on YouTube.

🪴🌿 If you feel that your space is empty after decluttering - add a plant. It will add a sense of aliveness and good energy. 🌱 Even a white room with a green plant looks great.

It has taken me a long time, but now I feel that with every extraneous item I give away, recycle, or discard, I am getting closer to the person I really am. I am a senior citizen, so when I say it has taken me a while, I truly mean that. Thank you for this video.

Clutter is causing me so much stress, it's overwhelming. I was already cluttered and then inherited a whole House of belongings from my parent's house. My relatives are all gone... parents', siblings, grandparents, aunts... That's a hell of a lot of stuff! Ugh. The photos are the toughest. I have boxes upon boxes and albums of photos. ❤❤

From watching you and Joshua Becker over and over, for months, I finally got rid of moms stuff that was useless to me. Moms in my heart, not in her stuff. Feel so much lighter. I live in a van, so i dont need excess stuff! Thank you for the excellent videos.

My biggest issue with letting go is that I fear I’ll regret giving up the item because I have such a bad memory I feel like if I loose the item I’ll loose the memories attached. I have been working hard to address that though, my approach is mostly to be okay with forgetting parts of my life because it is what it is. And perhaps remembering those things out of the blue some day will be a pleasant treat

The freedom on the other side is often so hard to see until you’ve experienced it. I always held so closely to everything and was so protective of my belongings ever since I was a child. Once I really started letting go, I discovered it all mattered so much less to me than I realized. It all seemed so replaceable and the less I own, the less it’s gravitational pull on me. I’m forever thankful for not being controlled by my possessions and being present here and now. ❤

I felt the same way. Then as I got rid of more and more…it actually changed how I do everything including what I look like and what I wear it’s weird!! I also learnt to put things away as opposed to using surface as storage. But I definitely feel like I am lost quite a bit whilst I am down to the final touches of decluttering.

I'm grateful for the quality of work that you share.

I just moved and I could see how decluttering and adopting minimalist principles made the packing and unpacking extremely easy.

Kudos on a truly helpful video. There are so many videos showing how to declutter but most don't deal with the psychological and emotional factors that make us hold onto their stuff. Until we resolve these identity issues, many of us will never declutter successfully. I felt sentimental about everything so it was a battle for me. Thanks for the encouragement.

I don’t feel that my items are part of my identity, not the stuff I want to declutter anyway. The thing mostly stopping me is “it’s still useful, I don’t think I can find someone who wants it, and it might end up in landfill if I donate it”. The stuff I can reasonably donate or give away, I am pretty good with. But I don’t want to be part of the overconsumption cycle - which is part of my core values.

Your voice is so gentle and I feel your kindness coming through. It’s really relaxing. You mentioned a toddler, do you find minimalism more difficult with a kid? I sure do. My decluttering journey took a side quest when my son was born. Managing his processions can be a lot.

The video speaks to the 2023 version of me. I was worried about identity. I was scared to lose that identity. Then I sold a ton of nostalgia (re: GI Joes, Transformers, misc Japanese robots) over the weekend. I haven't looked at any of them in well over 35+ years. $140 later I had a nice sushi dinner Saturday but the point is disconnecting from the yesteryears does not identify of the life I am creating. This video is both talking to me from the years past but also who I am and who I will be. Life is good. Love these videos Ron! Keep going, keep climbing and keep lifting us with your message.

For me, decluttering is excavation to find my life.

I have been working on decluttering for three years. It ebbs and flows as the seasons of my life change. People who visit already call our house empty. I like to call it calming. Still slowly purging after three years. It's a slow methodical process. Especially with kiddos in the mix.