I’ve been on a decluttering rampage. Nothing has been spared from my mission. Since we moved into this house I’ve become increasingly certain that I don’t want to keep—and certainly don’t want to move—random items that serve no real purpose. We downsized dramatically to get here (our previous home was about twice as large), yet even after years of pare-downs we still accumulated far too much. In short: we had way too much stuff.
Not everything belonged to me. Some items came from family members who moved in with us at various times, and we held onto things they might want back—only to find they never needed them. I kept items I liked because I thought I might use them someday. I had a box of broken treasures I meant to repair but never did. We held onto well-made gifts that, though nice, we realized we would never actually use. Over six years our house gradually emptied, but the garage remained packed, even though each year we cleared a little more out.
When the idea of moving everything became real, we finally got serious. We became ruthless. We donated and gave away so many things, including items we genuinely liked. The surprising truth is that letting go of long-held possessions can feel deeply therapeutic, even when those items are ones you loved. What brings me more satisfaction than clinging to boxes of might-use-it-someday things is the act of passing them on—giving to someone who will use and appreciate them now.
Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting the memories attached to objects. It means choosing how you want to live today and creating space for the life you have now. Some practical steps helped us: setting clear limits on what would move with us, creating categories for donate/sell/keep/repair, and giving ourselves permission to release items without guilt. For broken things I loved, I accepted that if I hadn’t fixed them in years, I probably wasn’t going to—and letting them go opened space and energy for things that matter more.
The process also revealed how much emotional weight physical clutter can carry. Objects tied to past relationships or roles can keep you anchored to a former version of your life. By intentionally deciding which belongings support the present you, you can free both physical and mental space. Giving items away felt like handing off a piece of our past to someone else who might need it more, which was oddly uplifting.
Downsizing is as much an emotional exercise as a practical one. It helped to be honest about our actual use and enjoyment of items, rather than their potential. We learned to distinguish between sentimental value that truly mattered and the habit of saving items out of obligation. For the things we genuinely wanted to keep, we made room and stored them thoughtfully. For everything else, we let it go.
I’ve written more about the challenges and rewards of decluttering things we love over at The Decluttered Home. If you’re wrestling with similar decisions—how to part with items that hold memories, how to streamline before a move, or how to make decluttering feel manageable and meaningful—consider setting small goals, focusing on one area at a time, and celebrating the progress you make. The relief and clarity that come from a simpler, more intentional home are worth the effort.