The Clutter Fairy Weekly #69

The Way We’ve Always Done It: Assumptions, Expectations, and Clutter

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We all have “must-haves”—things we think we can’t do without in our homes, but that can stand in the way of successful decluttering. In episode #69 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines the assumptions and expectations we inherit from our family or culture—or entrench in our own habits—and offers fresh perspectives on our must-have stuff.

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Weekly Tittle

The Weekly Tittle is an exercise designed to focus your attention on a specific space, aspect, or challenge of decluttering and organizing your home. We assign a new tittle in each webcast/podcast, then check on your progress the following week.

Take a Fresh Look

This week’s assignment is to look from a fresh perspective at your “must-have” stuff and behaviors. Examine the things and practices that have become entrenched in your home and your routine, and ask yourself these questions:

  • Does this item still make me happy or serve a purpose, or am I keeping it just because I’m used to having it around?
  • What habits, routines, or physical stuff did I inherit from my parents or grandparents? Do they still make sense in my home?
  • Are there spaces that are going unused because they don’t fit my lifestyle? What else could I make room for instead?
  • Is there a change you could apply to “the way we’ve always done it” that would make a space, item, or habit work better for you and your family?

For the full discussion of this week’s tittle, watch the Weekly Tittle segment on YouTube.

Chat Transcript

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