Declutter help for dealing with the three most common excuses that people give for accumulating clutter. I'm not sure how many of these excuses pertain to you, but I'm listing them here right now.

How many of these excuses sound familiar?


1.   I can't get rid of this, I may need it someday.

Holding onto things that you think you might need in the future, sounds like a great idea. But is really is not a good idea. Because, what usually ends up happening is that, items start to accumulate and never end up getting utilized.

If you have items that have not been used within a year, then odds are, it is highly unlikely that your will need them all of a sudden. Take a quick look around your home right now. Be really honest with yourself, about what items that you will realistic need to use in near future (meaning within the next month or so). Because, if the item has already been gathering dust for a year, you do not want it to be taking up space any longer.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you should get rid of that luggage set that you will need, for your trip, six months from now. Unless you have multiples sets, then I would suggest keeping only two pieces of luggage (one carry-on bag and one large bag for everything else) for each family member. Start out today by getting rid of just one item that you have been just holding onto (not actually using it) for the last year.


2.    I can't throw that away. I going to wear it again.

This is a very common excuse for a person who has gained lots of weight and insists that they will be able to fit into the piece of clothing, again soon. Even if that statement is true, you should still get rid of the clothing that does not fit.

Besides, after losing all that weight, then you can enjoy going out and buying new clothing that is fashionable for your new figure. After all, you did work hard to lose all that weight. You deserve to reward yourself for all your efforts.

Every piece of clothing should not only fit properly, but you should love it and it should make you feel good about yourself. The only exception is, you can keep just one set of old, worn out clothes for doing housework or any other chores.


3.  I can't get rid of that. It was a gift from someone special.

You may have many gifts that you received from relative or friends. Keep in mind now, I'm not suggesting that you throw out everything that people gave you. There are some items, such as heirlooms, that should not only be kept but should be proudly displayed in your home.

But you should not feel like you have to hold on to every item that has even been given to you. Sometimes it is hard to separate the item from the person who gave it to you. especially when the person, who gave it to you, has died. I know because I used to think that way about all of my mom's things. She died about 14 years ago and for the first four or five years, I could not bear to get rid of anything. I thought that if I kept these items that somehow she was still there with me.

Then, one day, I finally realized that she will always be with me, in my heart, and holding onto all the items was just cluttering my home and actually weighing me down emotionally. So I chose a few items that I wanted to keep and maybe even pass along to my children.

The most important thing to remember is that if you do decide to keep any items, be sure that you are either using them or displaying them with pride in your home. Items that are used often or cared for properly and on a regular basis are not clutter.  If they are just lying around gathering dust, unused and neglected, then they have become clutter.

Maria is dedicated to helping people live a clutter free life. Discover strategies for getting organized and reducing clutter and stress in your life. To get more information on declutter help, or to sign up for our FREE 10-day mini course visit http://www.declutterprogram.com