Hard-to-Declutter Objects: Questions to Ask Yourself

Since I first started to declutter my journals, there’s been some procrastination, but I’m now several journals down. 

The other day I spent hours poring through them, tearing out the pages and shredding all of that past pain and anguish. 

I thought, ‘If I don’t do something about my journals now, they will always be in the back of my mind worrying me’.  Mental and emotional clutter. 

I had considered scanning all of them, typing them all up, and vice versa, but in the end, when I thought about all the time that would eat up in the present, it made no sense to me. I did start to type them up once, and the pain it caused me from re-living feelings and memories, and the hours it took just for a few entries wasn’t worth it in the end. 

Why would I use hours upon hours upon hours to preserve such painful parts of my past, when I could be working on my writing, learning a new skill, or doing anything that would add value to the present and future? 

Why spend hours to preserve who I was, when I can be honing who I am now, and crafting who I am becoming? 

If you’re struggling with similar hard-to-declutter things, I urge you to ask yourself those questions. 

Am I trying to preserve my past self when I could be growing?

Are these objects bringing me any value in the present, or do they play on my mind?

Do these objects bring me pain?

Are these objects preventing me from moving forwards?

Do I think I will lose my memories if I let said object go?

What is it I’m afraid of? 

It can take time to think about and process the answers to such questions, but the resulting actions can lead to a newfound freedom greater than you ever imagined.