You know decluttering can be hard, and often is. But do you know that NOT decluttering is actually harder?
I know for sure that decluttering is hard. I also know that not decluttering is hard.
Before I had decluttered the idea of making decisions on what to keep, not keep was hard. That alone was daunting, without even mentioning what to do with it all once you decided.
My life didn't stop or slow down either just because I wanted to declutter. In fact it seemed to do the opposite. My three kids still needed fed, and attention. I still needed to show up to work, pay bills and generally live.
While my regular life was still moving forward it felt like I was stuck between trying to move forward, evaluate my past and still find time for my present.
Considerations for what might be needed in the future consumed the little brain space I had available. Worry about wasting money we really needed in that moment settled in. Guilt for not being fully present with my kids during that time was a constant thought in the back of my mind.
Guilt for being wasteful, getting rid of perfectly useful (but not to us) things, what if, just in case. The kids making messes on top of messes, you name it.
I experienced it. Decluttering was really hard.
The one thing that made decluttering easier, was knowing it was setting me up for a better future. A future I wanted more than I wanted my clutter.
I knew that my season of decluttering would be relatively short and sweet. Of course I didn't want to spend my days giving my kids Netflix and pizza for dinner. But I knew that by sacrificing that time in the short term, it would pay me dividends in the future.
That truth is still paying off for me eight years later.
In the past eight years since decluttering our home entirely I spend about 30 minutes a day cleaning, organizing and otherwise maintaining my home. Pre-decluttering I was spending a couple hours a day, and then several hours on my weekend.
My life was totally consumed by my overwhelming home. That is what is truly hard.
When you choose not to declutter you are not creating solutions for yourself. You are choosing to stay in a permanent state of “hard”
So while decluttering is hard, at least it is a hard that serves you and your family.
What will do you decide to do?
Declutter your home, and have a short term version of hard.
Or, not declutter and maintain the status quo of hard you're experiencing now?
There is not right or wrong answer, just a matter of what you want most in this moment.
If you are ready to declutter and to decide to do it, get into Decluttering Simplified!
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