The most important step of “getting organized” is actually letting go of clutter. But decluttering is hard as we often have deep attachment to our items and we get stuck in decision paralysis on whether an item should stay or go. When I work with clients, I ask upfront if they are ready to edit & remove items from their home and most of the time a client knows things need to go in order to feel less overwhelmed in their homes. But sometimes in the moment of decision making a client might start to struggle with letting things go. As an organizer, my job is not to tell a client what to keep or not keep but I am their impartial partner to ask gentle neutral questions to help make the decision easier. Sometimes a client struggles initially in a session but as it continues and the client gets some “decision wins” under their belt, things definitely get easier!

As we get closer to the New Year and many are clearing out room for new gifts coming into the house, I wanted to share 20 questions to ask yourself that might help in your decluttering efforts. Turn to these if you are stuck making a decision while getting organized!

21 Questions to Ask Yourself when Decluttering if You’re Stuck Letting it Go:

1.) Have I used/worn this item in the last year?

2.) Do I have more than one of this item? And if so, is there one I like better?

3.) Is the item in good condition and if not do I have the time to fix it?

4.) Does the item support my current life goals/hobbies?

5.) Is the item worth the space it is taking up in my home?

6.) Does the item trigger negative emotions when I see it? (note if you use the word hate, don’t like etc.)

7.) Am I keeping this item out of guilt?

8.) Could I easily replace or borrow the item if I needed it again?

9.) Could someone else use this more than I would?

10.) If I didn't already own this, would I spend money to buy it today?

11.) Do I have something similar that does the same job?

12.) What value does this item add to my life?

13.) Does this item make me happy when I see it? Would it make someone else happier?

14.) Is it costing me more to store this item than the amount I use it?

15.) Is there another way I could preserve the memory of this item versus keeping the item itself?

16.) Does this item belong in my future?

17.) If I had to move, would I want to bring this item with me?

18.) Would I notice if this item went missing?

19.) Am I inventing a potential use for this item?

20.) Is this item hard to clean, maintain, use, etc.?

21.) If this item spontaneously combusted, would I miss it or feel relieved that’s it’s gone?

I hope these 21 decluttering questions help you make choices easier and get you on your way in your organizing journey!