A (19:10)
Can you please talk about getting rid of pieces of a set like a set of dishes? We never use the coffee cups that came with our dish set, but it's so hard to break up a set. The space that the cups are taking up could be used for other things, but it feels wrong to declutter only part of a set. It's not wrong. You know, I mean, it's just not wrong. Dom from the Minimal mom, which I think take your house back is still on sale. Slob comes clean.com take it was playing at the beginning if it is. But you know, like that's one of the things she says. I'm like, yes, of course. Thank you for saying it out loud. Like it's okay to break up a set because it it does Feel wrong. Like, we're not saying it doesn't feel wrong, but it's not wrong. Right. You are not obligated to keep those coffee cups, especially if you don't even. You already know you don't want them. They're taking up space that could be used for other things. Like, those are the things that determine whether something should be in your home, whether there's space for it, whether it deserves to be in the space that it's in. This made up rule about the set and it being part of a set is not, it's not how we make any decluttering decisions. Okay? And just remember that the whole reason it's part of a set is that they want to be able to say, this is an 83 piece set. Because there is something that makes you go, oh, 83 pieces, that's more value. That's the one I'm gonna get. This one says 63 pieces. This one says 84 pieces. I'm gonna get the one that says 84. I mean, I know this because that's how I used to think. Like, I would look at a set of pots and pans and I would think, oh, I want the one that's, that's, you know, 16 pieces, even though one of them had 12 pieces and the same lid fit multiple different things, which is so much more practical. But I was very drawn to, oh, this one is better value because it has more things in it. Right. And that's. It's a marketing technique. Let's see. This was a little confusing, but I'm going to try to try to make it make sense. The space I would look for it is a temporary space. Lots of clutter, piles in the craft area and separate office area. But I have several empty drawers, covers, containers. So, like, I have space. I have lived with the temporary for a while, but I feel like if things were set up, arranged, decorated, how do I get to the next step when nothing really has a home? Okay, so remember that you give something a home with the question where I would look for it, where would I look for it first? Okay. If something already has a home, I'm not asking myself that question. I'm just putting it in that home. Okay, so the temporary space where you say I have a temporary space is where I would look for it. If that space is clutter and piles, then that's what you're trying to eliminate. Right? Like you're decluttering. You don't want the temporary stuff shifting places where things are in piles and just all that like, that's, that's what we're not going to have anymore once we're done decluttering. And so this, where would I look for it first? Is part of the decluttering process. So if I would look for it in a pile, I remove that pile from the equation because I want that pile to be gone. Okay, so where would I look for it first if it wasn't in a pile? And that is very likely going to be the empty drawers, cupboards, and containers. Okay, like, so that's where would I look for it first? That's an actual place, not a pile in the middle of the floor. Okay, next question. Your process is so helpful in every area. One area I'm stuck on, though, what to do with pages of notes and handouts that I have from miscellaneous things such as meetings with health coaches, food webinars, gardening webinars decorating tips, etc. Okay, so always remember that you can use the two decluttering questions with anything. There really are no exceptions to that. It feels like when something is hard and you've never had a place for it before, or it seems like a very, like, detailed or emotional category or sentimental, it feels like, oh, well, there's got to be a different method for that. It's actually more important to drill down on this method of where would I look for it first? The other thing too is to be very clear, as you say, you know, if I needed this item, where would I look for it first? Go ahead and replace this item with actually saying out loud what it is. So if I needed the notes and handouts from the gardening webinar, where would I look for it first? So, like, actually say what it is. If I needed the gardening webinar notes and handouts, where would I look first for the gardening webinar notes and handouts? Like, say that out loud. Because it feels like when you list off a bunch of things that it's kind of this overwhelming category of stuff that you've been learning all these things, and there's all, you know, where am I going to put all this stuff? Instead, be specific and say it out loud and then go put it there into that place. Like, where would I look first? I would look first for it. I don't really know why, but I'd look first for it in that drawer in the bedroom. Okay, go take it there. Now, if that's where you would look for it, that's where you would look for it. That's where it needs to live. You might have. I mean, if you're decluttering. You probably do have some notebooks or things that you could neatly put it in there and then put it in that space. Right. To make it all together. You may find that the place where you would look first for the gardening webinar stuff is the same place where you would look for the handouts from a decorating tips or things like that. That all might be the same place. But go ahead and ask where would I look first for gardening webinar notes and handouts and, and follow that process all the way. The other thing too is you may get to that place and realize you've got notes and handouts. There's a reason why you're looking for it there. That's the first place you would look for it. You've got notes and handouts from years and years and years worth of those kinds of things. All right, if it's full, then quickly say what am I willing to get rid of without pulling everything out? What am I willing to put in the trash? Or probably the trash or the recycle instead of the donate with this kind of stuff. But what am I willing to get rid of in order to keep these ones that I do want? That's something I recently had and that's going to naturally sort out the things you're actually going to do. When you think of it that way of it's a container, it's a limited space, it takes you out of this is good and useful into. Okay, it may be good and useful, but honestly I'm, I tried that one. I'm never going to do that. Oh, that, that's one that, that didn't really make sense to me. You know, and it naturally sorts out what deserves space and what doesn't. Next, ideas for if your kids always wear through certain categories of clothes before the next laundry day. Yeah, I think that knowing which categories they wear through, like let's say it's their school uniforms or their, their play clothes or things like that. The fact that you're doing a laundry day and the fact that you know specifically what it is that they run out of every time gives you something to buy. You know, I mean, remember, I don't talk about minimalism for the sake of minimalism. Like, minimalism is never my goal. Never. My goal is functionalism. I just want to function well in this space and, and be able to do the things that I want to do. And so if you're thinking. But it's easy to get into this. Okay, I, I did the math before and I decided that they needed this many school clothes and this many play clothes and this many, you know, sleeping clothes. And then we keep on running out of sleeping clothes. Well, you're not failing by realizing, oh, they actually need two more sets of pajamas. Okay. Or, oh, actually, this kid still tinkles in the bed or whatever, and they need more, you know, they need a set of pajamas for every night or something like those. That's not a failure. You just have real good, legitimate information now to then go get these things. Because the goal is not how few can I have. The goal is what do I actually need that we can helps our. Our family actually function the way that we need to function. I've been following your steps, and it makes a huge difference in getting things out of my house. Thank you. Now I'm feeling guilty when I want to go shopping because I really don't need anything and I'm afraid I will buy something and regret it when I do. Do I think of the five steps before I purchase an item that I don't necessarily need, like clothing or decor for the house as an example? Sure, yeah. Like, I think you do. If you're just having an urge to go shopping, go look in your closet first. Like, if you have an urge to go shopping for clothing, go look through your closet, look through your drawers. There's a lot of value in purposeful looking. And just say, is there anything here that would be easy for me to get rid of? And I can go ahead and while I'm heading out to the store, I can drop these things off at one of those little bins where you can donate clothing. Right. Like, that would then have you in a mindset where you are being very realistic about what is actually in your closet or, you know, what, I looked and I didn't have any room and I didn't want to get rid of anything. So it's going to change your perspective on that. But yes, the one in one out is going to really change things. The other thing too is there's no, like, you can't go shopping. I mean, I just. I don't do well with rules like that because I'm like, I'm 51. I can do whatever I want to do. Right. But the truth is, the more I have decluttered, the less I ever buy. When I do go shopping, it has changed the way that I shop. Whether it discount stores or nice stores or, you know, garage sales, thrift stores, any of that kind of stuff, it just changes the way I have the way I shop. Because gotten rid of so much stuff that everything looks like the future clutter that it would be if it's something that would just be future clutter. Right. So, but, but I would say if you are having this urge and you are able go look through your closet and see how that changes your idea of what you need. And then you already know you've created some space before you left. And then if you don't find anything great, you just have more space and that's good too.
