Why Letting Go Of Stuff That Does Not Serve You Well Makes Life Better
Letting go of stuff you don’t need in life can be difficult. Letting go of things you are using that may not serve you well can almost be impossible. I will show you why this can be a problem and how you should overcome it.
Have you ever lost a part-time job or a problem customer in your career or business? Yeah, losing the income may hurt a little bit less stress in your life, and as a result, it ends up being an unforeseen plus.
Sometimes, we get tunnel vision and continue doing things the way we have always done them. We need to take the period to check our processes. Living a simple, minimalist quality of life is very important to me.
There are things in your life that are not serving you well. Yeah, they serve a purpose but are not serving you. Letting go of these things will serve you better.
Letting Go of Stuff and Accept Your Mistakes
De-cluttering has become a very popular method used to begin simplifying life. Sometimes, we forget to declutter stuff we use regularly. Sometimes, we keep stuff around because we believe it has monetary value.
A lot of the time, this stuff causes extra work or stress in our lives. Like that new car you purchased last year. You loved it when you first got it. You use it to travel the same way as the old one.
But now you have a bill that is due EVERY MONTH. Did I mention the bill is due EVERY MONTH? LOL. Not to mention the higher insurance rates. This can be an extra burden without adding much value to your life.
You may even begin not to like the new car so much. Don’t just suffer day in and day out. Admit you made a mistake and do something about it.
What about that high-end purse you purchased? You enjoyed it when you first got it. Now, you look at that charge on your credit card bill and feel it may not have been worth it.
You feel guilty because you could have purchased something for the family to enjoy. You have only used it twice, and its appeal has already been lost. Admit it was a mistake and do something about it.
What about when you took over a room in your home dedicated to practicing your new hobby? This has rendered the room inaccessible to the rest of the family. You abandoned the hobby a long time ago.
That space in your home is wasted because you are too embarrassed to admit your partner was right about your interest being a fad. Admit you made a mistake and do something about it. Letting go can be good for your well-being.
Letting go of stuff can be just that simple. Just put the guilt and anxiety in the past, move on, and enjoy your precious time on this Pale Blue Dot (as Carl Sagan would say).
Try Letting Go of Perfectly Good Stuff to Add More Value In Your Life
The examples above can be excellent life choices but can also feel like mistakes as time goes on.
Sometimes, our excellent choices can sap time, energy, and happiness from our lives without adding much value. That is when quickly letting go can become the remedy.
Letting go of stuff should be the default in those situations.
Purchasing a new car is excellent, but maybe not if you must work extra hard to afford it. If the new vehicle causes you to curtail family outings or scrap your family vacation due to the cost, owning it may be a mistake.
Also, sometimes, a new car can draw unwanted attention. Attracting the opposite sex can put a strain on your current relationship. Or attracting criminals that add constant stress to your life.
Just get rid of the car to increase your quality of life. Just let it go.
Spend the time and extra money on more family outings.
Forgo the extra stress and park your older car anywhere in the parking lot and not at crazy annoying angles in the hope of protecting it from scratches, as many stressed-out people do.
Don’t you hate that? (Hoping you are not that person).
More importantly, some items you rarely use take up time and space. This stuff sometimes takes the form of commitments we have made.
When this stuff does not add value to your life, it is okay to cut it. Why do we hold on to useless timeshare nightmares for so long?
We hesitate to cut obvious burdens because we believe they have a monetary value.
That should not be the determining factor. Just because that item of clothing, power tool, another expensive toy, or membership has a perceived value, you must keep it.
Even when you never use those items. If you believe they are too expensive to give away, you may be somewhat embarrassed to offer them for sale.
Don’t sentence yourself to live a life owned by stuff for stupid reasons. Get rid of things you don’t love or add value to your life, and be free. Letting go of stuff can be just that simple.
Some of this stuff can find a better home where it would be loved, used, and add value to lives. Some young people would love to use your old car in the garage.
You know someone would love and use the exercise equipment you hang your clothes on and bump into daily. Forget the monetary loss and embrace the freedom from maintaining, storing, and thinking about that stuff.
On the other hand, selling stuff can be a better option. Don’t worry about what others may think. Letting go of stuff is the answer.
That timeshare was a bad decision, or rock climbing gear was never used. So what.
Please remove them both and use the money to create more memories.
Some will bring joy, and others will ultimately be viewed as mistakes. Learn to quickly discard the stuff that does not add value to your life, and you will live free of those unnecessary burdens. Also, try these 10 Ways to Let Go of Your Stuff.
This is a great post. So many people, including myself, trades their clear spaces for things they really don’t need. Making a habit to clean closets every 6 months and staying away from impulsive shopping are very important for me. I practice to ask myself when i plan for shopping: is this thing really necessary to buy or you can use something you’ve already have in your place? Is it really necessary to have or may be it’s not? The answers are NO in 85%. it’s also helpful for me to have a shopping list and check with it, while shopping. It helps me, hopefully it will help other people. Thank you!
Thanks, Peter. Backpacking the world is a dream of mine also. The world is a bit too crazy for me now. Maybe one day. The United States is a big country and I decided to start there. I am going to start with the beautiful National Parks before they go away.
Great Advice, Tony.
I’m a pack rat who still wears clothes I bought in the 80s, so I’m sure I should take your advice. No two ways about it, I’ve been happier when I’ve decluttered my desk or cleaned a closet.
It is very uplifting to live in a neat space.
Thanks for these insights,
Elizabeth
Thanks, Elizabeth. If you are still wearing the clothes from the 80’s you are doing well. The problem is the items that are not being used and enjoyed. For me cleared counters, tabletops and floor spaces is calming for me. I believe it lowers my heart rate. Can that happen? LOL
Hey Tony W. Amazing amazing. This kind of article are so useful in nowadays, we are consumed by a stressful life and lot of desires. Sometimes we just need to let go and live in the moment. Money is not everything, health, family, peaceful life and enough money to survive are for me the most important things and sometimes the most affordable, but we always want more and more money, fame and when we fall down and lose everything, we also lose our health and friends and sometimes it’s too late.
Do you meditate ?
Have an awesome day
David
Thanks, David. I have been experimenting with Meditation with some success. I am getting better.