Why Decluttering Doesn’t Work Until You Shift Your Mindset

Have you tried to declutter but nothing lasts? Why decluttering doesn’t work until you shift your mindset is because you have not addressed the issues about how you got in this mess.

For example, If your decision making skills are less than stellar decluttering is going to be near impossible for you. Your challenges decluttering could be caught up in your identity. What does identity have to do with decluttering? Pretty much everything.

This was the case for me when I set out to declutter my art studio. I had to realize the fact I am preparing to close an art studio has nothing to do with who I am. I will always be an artist. Going forward I will just be an artist without a hot shop.

Without a mental shift, you’re just rearranging and maybe organizing chaos.

The Real Clutter Starts In Your Mind

Most clutter doesn’t begin by the stuff you have. It starts in your mind—with:

• Indecision
• Guilt
• Overwhelm
• Scarcity mentality
• Perfectionism

Your clutter is symptoms of your cluttered mind. You already know everything starts as a thought. If you are feeling guilty, are a perfectionist, have a scarcity mindset, and feel overwhelmed how do you expect to be able to make decisions that will help you discard clutter?

You’ve got to get to the root cause of why you are cluttered if you want to get and stay clutter-free.

Journaling is one of the best ways to uncover this root to why you are cluttered. When you put your thoughts on paper, without contrived thought, you will see what’s really blocking your ability to let go.

15 Decluttering Mindset Shifts That Actually Work

Here’s the good news! You can declutter your life one item at a time if you choose to. You just have to rearrange your thoughts.

I know many of you think this is bologna and if you had more space, time, or money your problem your would be solved. This just isn’t true.

If you don’t believe me talk to the Bot I built. Some days I feel like the Bot is the smartest one in the room! Talk to the bot as you would a best friend. Ask it anything, feel free to complain and throw rocks at my ideas.

Maybe you have a home full of things you have accumulated that you do not even want and feel guilty about discarding or you can’t make a decision what to keep and what to discard,

These are things that can all be changed once you learn how to deal with guilt and learn to be a better decision maker. Shift these mindsets, and the physical part of decluttering becomes so much easier.

Stop Waiting To Feel Motivated

Waiting to start something until you are motivated is a myth. Taking action is what motivates you. When I don’t want to do something I force myself to start Because I know as soon as I get into the task at hand I will feel motivated to finish the job.

I make a deal with myself like this – Just start, you can stop anytime you like if you want. This tactic always works for me because I know starting is the hardest part.

Writing down all the reasons you are resisting before you start can reveal what you’re really afraid of. If you write an honest self appraisal.

If you steel feel you need motivation to start read this article How To Get Yourself Motivated To Declutter Your Home

This is is why I am such a fan of journaling or stream-of-consciousness writing like I teach in my Artist Way inspired workshops.

7 Quick Tips for Journaling Your Way to Clutter-Free Living

Julia Cameron is the author that wrote the life changing book The Artist Way and I have been leading people through this book for years – dozens of groups of people, and the results are mind blowing!

Progress Beats Perfection Everytime!

Done is better than perfect. If I waited for perfection to show itself nothing would ever get accomplished in my world! I have an imperfectly clean home with 2 imperfectly groomed dogs and I tend to my imperfect vegetable garden.

I am pleased with this because done is better than perfect especially in the winter when I am still eating garden picked vegetables, snuggled on the couch with my often scraggly pups!

Decluttering Isn’t A One Time Thing

You don’t declutter once. Deciding to live a clutter-free lifestyle must come first. By learning to live lighter, one decision at a time. You start by finding out the root causes of your clutter, your issues.

Start changing one habit at a time. There are no quick fixes, there just are not. Sorry to say but buying another organizing system is a temporary band-aid.

What If You Need It Later?

If you need something later you will find it. You are resourceful. You are not wasting money, the cash is already spent.

Wanting to save something because you may need it later is only fear talking. If everything’s a “just in case I need it,” nothing’s right now. I prefer to live in the present- not the past or the future.

If I live right today the future will take care of itself, clutter and all.

Your Stuff Isn’t Your Story

Some folks, sadly, have life altering choices thrust upon them like divorce, death, and job loss – to name a few. Changes may need to be made and the changes can be upsetting because our stuff is often wrapped up in our identity.

Overwhelm is Avoidance

You won’t like hearing this – I see the word ‘overwhelm’ as a form of procrastination. You’re not lazy. You’re mind is overloaded. Like my computer, when my mind can’t focus, I have to delete some stuff.

How Procrastination & Perfectionism Sabotage Decluttering is an article I wrote about avoidance and resistance.

Carl Jung had something to say about perfectionism. “When we focus on being perfect, we cannot be compassionate, and, given the riven state of our current reality, we certainly need more compassion. “

Emotions Live in Objects

Pick an emotion, any emotion at all. That emotion lives in your stuff! Guilt, identity, sad, happy , feeling obligated these are the reasons decluttering mental stuff first makes decluttering physical stuff manageable.

I’ve been introducing Art journaling to my people to help process all those emotions into something visual and freeing, especially when you can’t come up with the words to describe how you feel and what is holding you back.

Discomfort Is Okay

It’s okay to feel anxious when letting go. That’s growth, not a red flag. How boring would life be if you never expanded your comfort zone!

I built a raised vegetable garden with some free pallets and a drill, hammer, and screwdriver. I am not a carpenter, not even close. I am a lady that wants what she wants when she wants it and I was sick of waiting for others.

Did this expand my comfort? Sort of. I had no idea what I was doing. I know though I have a brain and was pretty confident I could figure it out. Is it a work of art? Hell no. Will it grow vegetables? YES!

Decision Fatigue Is Real

Start with fewer choices. When all else fails flip a coin! This sounded crazy to me until I tried it! The flip-a-coin strategy works for many items.

I wrote an article about Decision Making while decluttering your things:
How to Make Decluttering Decisions Without Overthinking

Decluttering is Emotional Work

If you’re having a tantrum about the puppy destroying a handmade Shaker style box you’re not weird—you’re human. And yes I did have a mini melt-down when Tucker chewed the box beyond repair.

Then I got over it. I am happy to report the quality of my life is still very good and of course the puppy is still chewing things because well, he is a puppy..

Forget The Pinterest Minimal Images

They are a lie! Most of us do not live in empty homes. Your goal is peace, not Pinterest-worthy.

I started my Declutterbuzz Facebook Group because I had to learn why people are buying into the idea of organizing stuff instead of decluttering with the idea they are decluttered.

I had a beef about the Mari Kondo way of decluttering and I wrote about it. The Disconnect Between The Kondo Method And Decluttering.

Physical Clutter Causes Mental Clutter

It surely does. I cannot focus in a roomful of clutter, can you? To me it is like a neon sign flashing ‘To-Do’ list. I feel uncomfortable with lots of stuff still on the to-do list at the end of the day.

You Don’t Need More Storage

You need less stuff. I learned long ago to love what I have. This prevents me from whining about what I may want and do not have. Make a gratitude list if you want a quick pick me up!

Decluttering Is Decision Training

Every time you declutter one thing, choose what stays or goes, you strengthen your self confidence. A regular journaling habit builds that trust even faster. Write about it!

Your Space Reflects Your Mental State

Want lasting change? Declutter your inner world first—with pen, paper, and curiosity. Pick up a blank piece of paper and start writing.

If you need tips how to write check out 7 Quick Tips for Journaling Your Way to Clutter-Free Living.

This May Be Why Decluttering Hasn’t Worked for You.

You’ve tried organizing the clutter, the timers, and the checklists. This does not address why you accumulate clutter. Do you buy too much stuff to try to fill a void somewhere else in your life?

When you tackle the clutter in your mind—old beliefs, buried guilt, and annoying indecision, you will finally get to the root of the clutter. This is when organizing your things will stick, after you clear out your mind and physical clutter.

I was recently introduced to Neurographic Art as a way to focus my mind, Since then I have immersed myself in drawing lines and writing. Because these things that sound daffy help me!

Pavel Piskarev is an author who came up with this technique. Every day I am expanding on this exercise and it is so fun!

This helps me to slow my brain down, pay attention and strengthen my awareness of what’s truly important to me.

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Start To Clear the MentalClutter

Take my new Clear The Clutter GPT Tool for a test drive!

One More Thing…

Living a clutter-free lifestyle does not mean you have to live like a monk in a sparsely furnished home.

Clutter-free is simply living with intention. You only need to be perfectly you and this means uncovering your likes, dislikes and the other things I talked about in this article.

Finding your peaceful place will give you room to breathe. And as far as the physical clutter is concerned you may just find the stuff organically takes care of itself as you make these changes in your self.

An example of this is once you have determined you want to live in the present instead of the past and the future you may come to find there is no need to save all those clothes that stop fitting 30 years ago.