Ep 131: These are the 5 Hard Truths with Decluttering and Organizing

Decluttering has been sold as the cure-all to people looking to simplify their lives. The promise of decluttering is that by getting rid of all your extraneous possessions, you will be happier, more organized, and more productive.


While this may be true for some people, if decluttering was the only issue, I wouldn’t be in business. We’d all be able to comb through our belongings, keeping only the items we needed, and then go on to live our easy, stress-free lives.


However, we all know that decluttering is hard. That’s just the cold hard truth. For most of us decluttering is hard because it forces us to confront our emotional attachments to our belongings. We get attached to things for a variety of reasons – they might remind us of happy memories, or we might think that they make us look successful or stylish.


The reality though is that humans are really good at avoiding hard things and we're masters of procrastination, which is what clutter usually is - not dealing with our stuff in a timely manner.

The science tells us that contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not laziness.


If you’re struggling with decluttering or you've tried decluttering in the past only to have your home become messy again, please know that you are not alone. Here are the 5 problems I see the most when it comes to decluttering. Once you understand why decluttering is so difficult, you will understand why I do not suggest starting here and what I've seen work with much more success.


This episode of Wannabe Minimalist will also help you discover:

  • 5 hard truths with decluttering and organizing
  • The proper use of organizing bins
  • Why your family may not be on board with decluttering
  • How decluttering compares to a leaky boat
  • What I recommend instead of a big decluttering session

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About Deanna Yates

Based in San Diego, CA, Deanna helps high-achieving moms clear the clutter from their homes and lives.

Through coaching, courses, summits, and her top-ranked Wannabe Clutter Free podcast, she supports modern women in building organized, peaceful homes where they can thrive.


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