<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Decluttering is more than organizing. Learn key mindset shifts inspired by Marie Kondo, Joshua Becker, and others to let go, simplify, and create space for what matters most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When most people think of decluttering, they imagine bins, labels, or a Saturday afternoon spent \u201cgetting organized.\u201d But the truth is, decluttering isn\u2019t just about cleaning your space \u2014 it\u2019s about reshaping your mindset.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been reflecting on several teachers and books that approach this topic with wisdom, each one adding a layer of perspective. Here are some key takeaways that may encourage you if you\u2019re on a decluttering journey of your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up<\/em>, Marie Kondo reminds us that tidying is first about mindset. One of her central principles is that discarding must come before organizing.<\/strong> If you try to arrange clutter, it\u2019s still clutter \u2014 just hidden in bins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her famous question, \u201cDoes this spark joy?\u201d<\/em> can feel a little lofty at times. After all, not every household item is going to bring delight (I\u2019m looking at you, vacuum cleaner). But the principle invites us to pause and consider: Does this add value to my life? Or is it just taking up space?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another practice she suggests is gratitude<\/strong> \u2014 thanking items for their service before letting them go. This may sound whimsical, but it helps shift our perspective from guilt (\u201cI wasted money on this\u201d<\/em>) to release (\u201cThis served me for a season, and now I can let it go\u201d<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here\u2019s an important note: focus on your own stuff. Kondo gently points out that if you\u2019re tempted to critique someone else\u2019s clutter, you\u2019re likely overlooking your own. It\u2019s a reminder of the biblical wisdom: \u201cWhy do you see the speck in your neighbor\u2019s eye, but do not notice the plank in your own?\u201d<\/em> (Matthew 7:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In The More of Less<\/em>, Joshua Becker highlights that when we own less, we gain more \u2014 more freedom, time, energy, and peace. His words echo a theme I\u2019ve been learning: decluttering isn\u2019t about deprivation, it\u2019s about liberation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Courtney Carver\u2019s Project 333<\/em> is a simple but powerful wardrobe experiment: dress with 33 items or less for three months. The point isn\u2019t to count every sock, but to notice how much freedom comes from less decision fatigue.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her work reminds us that decluttering can be playful \u2014 almost like a challenge or a reset button \u2014 rather than a heavy chore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365<\/em> brings in another layer of truth: many of us hold onto items for a version of ourselves that may never exist. Maybe it\u2019s the jeans we hope to fit back into, or the craft supplies for a hobby we\u2019re not actually passionate about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She encourages us to surrender aspirational items<\/strong> and accept who we are today. That release creates room for the life we\u2019re actually living \u2014 not the one we wish we were living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One phrase I\u2019ve come back to again and again is this: hoarding is delayed decisions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every item you leave in a pile, every drawer crammed with \u201csomeday\u201d objects, represents a decision postponed. The good news? Every time you choose to release something, you reclaim a little more peace, clarity, and control over your space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Decluttering isn\u2019t about perfection. It\u2019s not even about minimalism, unless that\u2019s what you\u2019re after. It\u2019s about creating a home and a life where you feel free to breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you take small steps \u2014 letting go of what doesn\u2019t serve you, choosing gratitude, and giving yourself grace \u2014 you\u2019ll discover that less really can be more.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n -Laura<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Decluttering is more than organizing. Learn key mindset shifts inspired by Marie Kondo, Joshua Becker, and others to let go, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=237"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238,"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237\/revisions\/238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenialife.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\n1. Marie Kondo \u2013 Mindset Before Method<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n2. Joshua Becker & The Gift of Less<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n3. Courtney Carver & Project 333<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n4. Lisa Woodruff & Letting Go of \u201cSomeday\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n5. A Final Word: Decisions Made Now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nClosing Thought<\/h2>\n\n\n\n