Does the fear of what if I need it keep you stuck in a cycle of clutter?
Face the fear, answer the question and break the clutter cycle.
My Story
A few years ago, after replacing a bed, we ended up with a full-size mattress for which there was no longer a need.
Mattresses are expensive.
The mattress was in good shape.
And then, the big question, “what if we end up needing it”?
It was decided we would keep it, for now.
Since there’s no logical place to actually store a mattress, it was temporarily housed on our front porch.
To this day, I have no idea how we justified storing a mattress, even for a little while, on our front porch.
But there it sat, for most of the summer, an eyesore greeting me every time I walked out on the porch.
Finally, I pulled the plug, said “no more” and gave it to someone in need of a mattress.
As luck would have it, sure enough, a time came when we would have benefitted from having an extra mattress.
Here’s what happened; we made do with what we had and moved on.
Before storing something “just in case”, take a breath and work through a few simple questions.
It’s easier to let go once you have a clear answer to the “what if” question.
Will I really “need” it?
Understand this truth.
True needs are very basic and minimal.
The only true needs are ones on which survival depends.
Everything else falls on a spectrum of wants, with some things being closer to needs end of the spectrum and others falling solidly on the want end.
While I might wish I had kept something, it’s unlikely that I will ever really need it.
That thought alone allows me to let go of a large percentage of things I’m tempted to keep in case of a future need.
You might wish you had it, it’s possible there will be a time when owning it might prove convenient, it’s highly unlikely your survival will depend on it.
WHY would I need it?
Give that some thought.
If I don’t need it and am not currently using it, what future event might make me wish I had kept it?
The answer might actually make you chuckle.
As I stood at my sink with a handful of no longer needed shower hooks, I asked myself why I might need them.
Because one of my new ones might go missing?
Because someone might need a stray shower hook?
If the reason you might need something isn’t logical, feel free to let it go.
Is it easily replaceable?
Embrace the twenty-dollar rule.
If it’s replaceable for less than twenty dollars, and it’s not being used, get rid of it.
It’s not worth taking up valuable storage space to store it just in case.
What will you do if you want it but don’t have it?
Is there a solution you can live with?
If I need an extra shower hook, I’ll buy a set.
A couch can be used or a blow up can be borrowed if unexpected company comes to visit and you need a mattress.
It is not necessary to store a mattress on the front porch when there’s an easy solution in the event we “need” one.
Having a solution in mind helps you to let go of whatever it is you’re tempted to hold on to.
If you’re stuck in a cycle of clutter because you’re afraid you might need it later, face the fear, answer the question, and get unstuck.
And enjoy all that decluttered storage space!