Questions to Explore When Decluttering Your Life

There are times when you want to declutter your closet, or junk drawer or another little corner. But maybe it’s time for decluttering your entire life.

If you want to declutter your entire life, it may be in response to a wake-up call or deep desire for something different, something else and something you really want. Before you release one more thing, I recommend identifying exactly what led you to this moment. Once you connect with what you want and why, and why now, you’ll be even more inspired and motivated to take action.

What decluttering your entire life really means

When you decide it’s time to declutter your entire life, what that means is different for everyone. Some people want to sell everything and travel the world, others may want to create a more intentionally quiet life. Or it could be something in between.

What can help everyone is taking a big picture bird’s eye view of your life. What is working? What’s not working? What do you want to make room for? What are you ready to part with? What is holding you back and standing in the way of the life you want?

Stuff?
Work?
Relationships?
Stressful obligations?
Thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back?
Agonizing over the past (or future)?
Negative self-talk?
Bad habits?

Your list may be shorter or much longer.

Even though you may not declutter the list overnight, you can make the list in just a few minutes. If getting this specific feels challenging, declutter your entire life in stages. Stages like, Space, Time, Money, and Health. Start in the the stage that is most stressful in your life.

Questions to help you declutter your entire life

Decluttering your entire life invites you to redefine your life, your hopes, dreams and thoughts about how you want to live. If you decide to work stage by stage, consider some of the following questions.

Declutter your space

Donate, sell and/or trash everything that you don’t want, need or care about anymore. Just because it was valuable once, doesn’t mean it’s valuable now. If you resist letting go because you spent a lot of money on it, maybe you’ve already gotten your money’s worth. This article will help you declutter your space.

Ask these questions about decluttering your space:

Would I buy this thing again now?
Why do I continue to hold on to this thing?
Am I holding on “just in case” or because I might need it someday (even though I know that’s unlikely)?
What is the story I am telling myself about letting go of this?
How would it feel if I let go?
If you think, “It’s not hurting anyone if I hold on to this.” Reframe and ask, “Is it helping anyone if I hold on to this?”
What would I like to do with the space I create?

Declutter your time

Your time is not a renewable resource. Once you spend your time, it’s gone. That makes it really important to spend your time on things you care about. If you don’t have time for what matters, stop spending time on what doesn’t. This article will help you declutter your time.

Ask these questions about decluttering your time:

Do I have the time and energy for this?
Is this something I have to continue to do?
Is this something I really want to do?
Am I only doing this to avoid disappointing someone?
Does it make sense to avoid disappointing someone even if that means disappointing myself?
Do I care? This is really the most important question. Ask this before you do anything, commit to anything, read anything or spend any amount of time or energy. If the answer is, “no” move on.

Declutter your relationship with money

Start here whether you want to save more, spend less, pay off debt or simply learn how to not feel so stressed about money. These questions will help you figure out next steps. Changing your relationship with money will require one part math and three parts shifting your mindset. This book will help. This one too.

Ask these questions about decluttering your relationship with money:

Do I associate money with my self worth? How?
Do I avoid my money or engage with it?
What does “enough” money look like for me?
Why do I feel guilty for spending money?
How does money affect my mood?
Am I comfortable with my spend, save, give ratio?
What needs to change about my relationship with money?
If I worked with a money expert, what are the question I’d like to ask?

Declutter your health

Good health simplifies everything but it’s important to consider your best health. We are all working with different health conditions and energy levels. We have to be honest about what we are working with when trying to make improvements. If you are starting from a place of chronic illness or feeling like crap, start here.

Ask these questions about decluttering your health:

Which daily habits contribute to my health?
Which daily habits make me feel worse?
Why do I blame myself for health issues?
Am I resting on a regular basis?
What medical appointments would help me start to feel better?
If I am prioritizing health and healing, what do I have to say, “no” to or completely declutter from my life?
What kind of support would improve my health?
What is one thing I could do to feel better?
Describe what your “best health” is today.

From time to time, check in while you are decluttering your life? Ask yourself, “How do I feel in my space, in my life?” and “Have I decluttered enough?”

When you declutter your space, time, money and health, you will have decluttered your entire life (for the most part). You may discover that when you declutter one stage or part of your life, you have more time, space and energy to work on another one. Decluttering your life will likely get easier and easier as you continue.