Sometimes we get desperate, a little hopeless and think we just need to declutter everything and start over.
But that's just not realistic for most of us. And it doesn't make sense to declutter everything and start over for most people. There are certain circumstances where it can make sense, though.
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I did it in 2013, and don't recommend it. We had circumstances that made it make sense for us. The cost of shipping our stuff from Alaska to Florida just financially didn't make sense. We were able to repurchase things upon arrival for less than the cost of shipping it. There were a lot of late nights and google searches to come to this conclusion as we looked for alternative and creative ways to bring our stuff with us.
If I had just been decluttering to simplify my home, and moving to a place close enough where it financially made sense I would have kept a lot more.
It doesn't make sense to get rid of things you will still be needing.
Many of us, maybe even you, value not being wasteful with our resources or money. If you were to get rid of everything and start over, that would indeed be wasteful if you weren't in a situation that warranted a full reset.
You probably have this “burn it all down and start over”, declutter everything, mentality because you think it will be easier than taking a more methodical approach. It's not though.
This all or nothing mentality will hurt you more than it helps you.
It sets you up to fail, procrastinate and be disappointed. It doesn't allow for sustainable and realistic progress that moms like you need.
What moms need is simple, doable projects that produce tangible results. Which is exactly what I teach in this blog, podcast and community so you are in luck!!
Having these all or nothing thoughts CAN serve you though, if you use them well. Here's how.
Get all worked up, stubborn and determined to just start getting rid of things in your home. Rent a dumpster, fill up your trunk and list things all over your BST or buy nothing groups.
You might start with the idea of getting rid of it all, get the ball rolling and realize that just getting rid of SOME of your stuff is enough for you. Then you start to see results in your home. Believe in your ability to actually declutter and build up your decluttering skills so that you can declutter enough, but not all of it.
That sounds way better to me than swinging just as far in the opposite direction! And more sustainable, enjoyable, controlled and simple. Which is what you really want, right?