Uncluttered: Week 1 – Why (Take 2)

Posted onAuthorJoyce Moy

The Decluttered Community has started another session. During Prep Week, I asked members if they wanted me to go through a course I had purchased to share how I’m processing the information of each week’s tasks. They voted for me to go through the Uncluttered course by Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist. For this blog series, don’t expect a lot of before-and-after photos. Our home is moving into the next phase of this journey and we will focus on cleaning next year. There will not be a huge overhaul of spaces as we get uncluttered for the next 12 weeks, but there are items in every room we have not been able to let go of most of this time.

Week 1: Why – Why do you want to declutter your home?

The Short Answer

I desire to own less so I can create a home that is comfortable, safe, and welcoming.

Knowing My Why

It seems like such a simple question but if I dig a little deeper, I find that there is so much more to it. Of course, I don’t like tripping over stuff, moving things to use a surface, or looking for things. For this first week, Joshua tasks us with making a list of all the reasons why we want to declutter our home. So, no uncluttering just yet. When there’s a strong why, it will help us to show up, put in the work, and get the job done. (Of course, I always encourage you to consider your current season of life and other life circumstances.) You can find lists and lists of all the benefits of decluttering and owning less. The experts will have the data for you on mental and physical health, productivity, and money saved. I’ve even written about Why Decluttering Matters. But until we discover our own “why,” we’re not likely to make uncluttering a priority and possibly sabotage our plans.

I follow this strategy that I think I got from Michael Hyatt to come up with my “why”: ask “why” five times. (If you know where this came from, let me know.) When I do this, here’s what I get:

  1. WHY do I want to declutter? I want to declutter so my surfaces are cleared.
  2. WHY? I want them cleared so I’m not moving piles around all the time.
  3. WHY? I don’t want to move piles around because it makes it hard to readily have guests over.
  4. WHY? I would like to visit with fam and friends and neighbors more often.
  5. WHY? I want to listen to other people’s stories and learn, support, and encourage those in my community, and feel supported and encouraged them.
the word WHY on a brown background

Photo by Ann H from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/handwritten-sand-dirty-sign-11022633/

Other Thoughts on Knowing Your Why

I know it may seem like a simple thing. But if you’re like me, you might sometimes overcomplicate things. There are so many factors that seem to become obstacles – things, people, time, and much more. It can be overwhelming. Don’t let that get you stuck.  If you say it is a priority to have an uncluttered home, but you can’t seem to find a strong why just yet, it’s okay to choose something now, review it, and then adjust accordingly. And recognizing that you need to review often makes the difference.

The truth is that goals move us and goals shape us. What we most desire to accomplish (or become) affects our lives in very important ways. It impacts what we think about, it changes the way we spend our time, our money, and our energy, and it brings definition to the lives that we live. What then, with the one life that you have to live, do you most desire to accomplish? Where have you been placing your focus? – Joshua Becker, Uncluttered

Getting your home uncluttered can be as easy or as hard as you make it. There are lots of resources and people out there who are ready to help if this is something you want to work on. Even if you don’t immediately find what works for you, you will still make progress along the way. Find the people who will cheer you on along the way.

wooden welcome sign hanging on door uncluttered

Photo by Jessica Lewis Creative: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-welcome-wall-decor-1652402/

One Last Thing

My home is far from being minimalistic (like I have shared in other posts) because the clutter in our home is not what it’s really about as most of The Declutter Community members have found out. My heart is to help you get out of the piles of stuff that keep you from being your best for those who need you and for yourself. If you need some guidance to figure out what might work for your situation, let me know in the comments or message me on social media.

Why do you want to declutter your home?

Related:

*Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a tiny percentage if you make a purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure policy here.