I know you have tried to declutter a bunch of stuff before. Maybe you end up with a pile or a bunch of stuff that you keep, ‘just in case’ you need it one day.
The problem with ‘just in case’ is that the time you need the item may never come! There may be a better version of the item when you are looking to replace it. The item may never have been of good quality. AND… you are driving yourself crazy by keeping it all in the meantime!!
I understand the importance of not wasting unnecessarily! If I can get a good deal on things I know I will use up, like food or cleaning supplies, I jump all over it! But, when it comes to toys for the kids, office/school supplies, or even books, there is so much that you are likely keeping for the ‘just in case’ times.
‘Just in case’ syndrome can paralyze your ability to actually get rid of the clutter. There is almost ALWAYS a reason you can say to yourself that could convince you to keep it!
It’s sort of like holding on to your body fat. Do you try to gain more body fat for a ‘just in case’ time through the winter? Like if there is a snow storm and you can’t get to the store? Do you try to pack on the pounds before a big race so that you have some extra fat to burn and use as energy during the race? Sounds crazy, right?
What about filling your car up with extra gas, ‘just in case’? What about buying an extra car even, ‘just in case’? Or an extra house??
I bet it makes you laugh to think about these ideas for keeping things ‘just in case’. But, if you think about the stuff you are keeping in your house, you may be able to open your eyes and think a little more objectively with the obvious examples above, fresh in your mind.
Whatever you’re holding on to, make sure that it is actually practical and something you do use daily or at least weekly so that you will eventually use it! Most of the time, the things we hold on to for those ‘just in case’ times are just taking up our space and time! Same is true if you replace something. Don’t keep the old one ‘just in case’. You have already decided that it is no good anymore, otherwise you wouldn’t have replaced it. If it’s useful to someone else, donate it or sell it. Keeping these items simply causes extra stress!
It’s better to have a home you feel at peace in, rather than have a bunch of stuff on hand ‘just in case’. Practice questioning your why when your default answer about whether or not to keep something becomes “I’ll keep it, just in case!” Ask yourself what circumstances could come up that you would actually use it. Ask yourself if a friend could use it right now. Ask yourself what timeline the ‘just in case’ is likely to occur. If it’s more than a year, just get rid of it now and free up your space and mind!
There are literally countless reasons to keep something. Keeping these items are truly paralyzing your ability to make real, logical decisions about what stuff to keep or get rid of. Keeping too many ‘just in case’ items is debilitating for your everyday life. I mean, these items aren’t even in the daily or weekly rotation of your stuff. Every item is literally taking up storage space or collecting dust somewhere in the home rather than being useful at this moment!
Practice getting rid of your ‘just in case’ thinking! Practice getting rid of your ‘just in case’ stuff! None of the ‘just in case’ items are things that you actually need!
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