A Better Way To Declutter Sentimental Items

[@lindataylor8302]

Less clutter more clarity. I am going to say this all day. Thank you for your wisdom

[@RonaldLBanks]

Yes!! Less clutter, more clarity. 🙌🏾

[@allisonbuettner3934]

I am very sentimental, but I’ve learned how to express it in different ways. Instead of keeping items, I draw them. I am not a “good” artist by any means and have only been drawing for a year, but the experience of drawing my sentimental items helps me deal with the emotions. I have a pile of stuff that I‘ve decluttered that now lives in my sketchbook. Just don’t ask me what I’m gonna do when I get a pile of sketchbooks… 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[@ArleneMcG]

Decluttering sentimental items has always been my sticking point, and asking if it sparks joy didn't help. I know I'm trying to hold onto people, the past, and a time I felt safe. Thanks for a much more indepth look at it.

[@RonaldLBanks]

I’m glad you found value in this Arlene! The spark joy question wasn’t very helpful for me either so I had to dig deeper and this is the workflow I created and used.

[@lauriecampbell1378]

I've just realized that I have been "grouping" too many items in the sentimental category of things I own. Just because I inherited items when a loved one passed, doesn't mean that the item is sentimental, it just belonged to them. It has been a truly "aha" moment. I've started journaling in the last couple of days, about items that I have that really hold sentimental value to me and I've realized that there aren't very many. I think I've been confusing sentimentality with guilt when I think about decluttering items.

[@MinimalistBosnian]

You always put out such good work, thank you Ronald. I wanted to share how I minimalized my sentimental items. If they didn’t fit, were stained, ripped, scratched up or just collecting dust I took photos, got them processed at Walmart and took them home and put them in a scrapbook with labels. Obviously I have done this with any photos that were just sitting in my phone but were important to me. I have donated or given away almost all sentimental items that haven’t had benefit in my life. It could be tied to your family or friends but clutter is still clutter and it clouds your mind. Keep those memories through photos, a binder full of those plastic dividers and construction paper is way less consuming of space than the items themselves.. and you still get to remember them. 🥰 Have a good day everybody!☀️🌷

[@RonaldLBanks]

Thank you so much! I’m really happy you enjoyed this. Also, photos are a great way to remember items without keeping the physical item itself. That’s for sharing this! Keep growing on your journey!

[@sarahdelozier4054]

Thank you for posting this. I definitely needed it today. I have less than 120 days to move and I really need to declutter. I am so overwhelmed. I definitely need to use these 4 steps when handling these items. I NOW am learning that I really don't need all this excess stuff moving from place to place. I was minimal in my old house before moving to this one. This place is a lot a bigger, so I decided to fill it with things that really isn't working for me anymore (pandemic purchases) just to declutter some of the things I bought because I want my minimal life back. I finally understand now.

[@RonaldLBanks]

I’m so happy that this video brought you some clarity. That’s important to help you make decisions and let go. Keep growing Sarah!!

[@cathhl2440]

All the best Sarah! Don’t worry… you can continue to declutter in the new place. Have enough rest to prevent accidents.

[@kimdenardo1076]

good video, but the guilt is not because of others, but me wanting it when I threw it away and realized I shouldn't have

[@LadyTracyOfTheDisk]

Thanks for explaining your process, Ron. Good stuff. One insight I had when deciding whether to keep my father's stamp album was that, when I sat down to look at it, I found that it didn't evoke anything about him at all. It was an empty experience. I had been keeping it just because it was his. I have other things that show me who he was and that bring back memories. So once the light bulb went on, it was easy to let go.

[@RonaldLBanks]

I love this! There are so many things we hold on to that don’t evoke anything, but we tell ourselves a story as if it doesn’t and that’s what makes it hard to let go. I’m so happy you had this experience. Keep it up!!

[@fdoctor79]

You hit the nail on the head about the GUILT of letting go sentimental items. For me, if it is no longer serving me or if is no longer functional than it's okay to part with it. Tfs

[@bagel2324]

I’ve been collecting rocks, books from a series, tiny toys and jars, for my entire life literally but I hate looking at them! Thinking about getting rid of them makes me want to cry

[@Diana-hd2nz]

I’m curious! Do you declutter your journals? 😊 Not sure how to deal with it or what to do with it.

[@MmM20978]

I had a family member give us stuff and Than ask my kids if they still have it on a regular basis. As that relationship continued to be toxic with guilt trips for passing things on it was easy to rid of the rest. Control vs care is what you want to ask in relations.

[@tiashadae1143]

Insighful video, thank you!

[@RonaldLBanks]

I’m really glad you enjoyed this Tia!

[@oluwadamilolaayopadeayo]

I love the word "Less clutter, more clarity" Thank you for the words and great questions to work on.

[@RonaldLBanks]

Thank you! That phrase is an ongoing theme through my content. I’m happy it’s resonating with you!

[@Madiannereid]

I think this is the reason Marie Kondo’s philosophy needs to be followed as a whole and not boiled down to it’s bare bones “spark joy” because it’s so much more than that. It starts with centring oneself and meditation on what the end goal is, or the pace and style of life a person wants to lead. the very last step is to tackle emotional or sentimental items, once your mind has honed it’s ability to detect true joy. Her process can take months or years if done correctly. She’s also never claimed to lead people to “minimalism”, only to spaces that feel right to them, or “tidying”. I love and respect your work as always but it does get tiring to see so many youtubers taking shots at Marie for clicks without actually addressing her entire philosophy, and only zeroing in on the made-for-tv version. I’m not saying you’re doing this but it is definitely a trend.

[@cs4849]

I have a small box of sentimental items, about the size of the box in this video, and use it as my limit for what to keep. Periodically, I go through it, relive those memories, and off-load what no longer holds as much value for me. About half of it is cards and drawings from my (now grown) sons. I really like the question of would I go searching for this if I lost it. I’m going to try that with things as I come across them.

[@RonaldLBanks]

I’ve found that question helps a lot. It definitely challenges you to think from a different perspective. Hope it helps you!

[@patriciam1550]

Bingo! I've been struggling with this step But your video has changed my mindset and made this task much clearer. Thank you Robert 😊

[@TiffanyHallmark]

I really needed this today. I'm going to be travelling extensively this summer and I need to let go of some things, so I don't have a mess to come back to. For reasons known to myself, I must put all of my things in storage. It would be nice to not have that many things. Also, I appreciate your idea of letting go of guilt. No one, but me, even knows what I have and I don't, truly, think they care. I've been telling myself stories about these things and, it turns out, the stories aren't as true as I once believed. Thank you for this video, it is already helping me.

[@RonaldLBanks]

I’m glad you mentioned the stories we tell ourselves Tiffany. You’re right. Something we tell ourselves stories about the things we own that aren’t as true as we believe. I’m really happy this is helping you!

[@sablisland]

This is so true. One of my items was a sweater from a family friend that I know was an expensive item. But I’ve had it for 15 years, worn it maybe 5 times, and moved it from home to home to home for all this time. It’s not my style or my size, but I still felt bad for not wearing it. When I realized that this family friend wasn’t even someone I talked to very much, and that he would never know if I had the sweater, and that I’ve probably put more thought into owning the sweater than he did buying it, it was easier to let it go. The money spent is already gone, and me keeping it is not going to make it less gone.

[@sophiademethos3847]

This is incredible! Right to the point, super easy to understand, even though it is such a complicated topic and process. This makes sense of something very chaotic and overwhelming. Thank you so much! Instant subscribe ❤️

[@well.yousee4995]

Love what you’re doing with the channel. Keep on keeping on bro!

[@donadulcinea]

I love your videos. Would you add pauses between points, like images or a bit of reel? And speak a bit slower? allow text on the screen to be read a second time by the viewer after you read them. There is so much information here to process. Breaks and silent spaces allow the viewer to process before moving on to the next. Thank you for your helpful content!!

[@shareel.myricks3419]

Right on time! I just moved into my first home and trying to part with things, which has been hard for me. This is a helpful resource!

[@MsDoglover02]

Thanks for your words! Each time I go through items, it gets easier. I'm over guilt about gifts, etc.

[@RonaldLBanks]

That’s a true statement for sure. It’s definitely gets easier the more you do it.

[@catwhitt]

I struggle with this all the time. I'm constantly keeping things because I feel guilty of what others will think if I get rid of them or they had a sentimental value when I was younger but no longer being the case now. So I put it away in a closet to collect dust and forget about it for the moment. But it's still there. I know it's there. These things need to be discarded or rehomed but I have such a hard time getting rid of things.

[@Nomoreanons]

I love the way that you always have a unique perspective on decluttering Ronald, thank you.

[@RonaldLBanks]

Thank you Zena! I love that you’re enjoying the content I’m creating and my unique perspective!

[@MOKEBA]

Thank you for this.

[@RonaldLBanks]

You’re welcome my friend. I’m glad you found value in this.

[@NeilKollipara]

Yo Ron, this is good. I love the workflow!

[@cathylynnpietranton]

Thanks Ron another great video.❤

[@RonaldLBanks]

Thank you Cathy!

[@HaleighHitchcock]

Your videos are always so well constructed, thought out and pleasing to watch. Thank you for your content!

[@RonaldLBanks]

Thank you so much! 🙌🏾 Hey, keep growing and learning Haleigh! If you have any questions on your journey, don’t hesitate to ask!

[@amyli092]

I love the different points you made that correlate to how this one type of clutter can affect us on a deeper level, Ron. I do feel like it's easy to only see things from a surface level perspective, whether it's with sentimental stuff or any other type of clutter. Keep up the great work! 👍

[@RonaldLBanks]

Exactly! We always have to look below surface level and dig deeper because that’s were the real work is need and change happens! Keep growing Amy!

[@Sunshine-fy4fz]

"Ditch the Guilt" - mind-blowing reality check ! Thank you for giving us the clarity to give ourselves permission to part ways with items we feel some sort of obligation to keep.

[@brendamcneese4749]

You are an amazing man and I love listening to your thoughts and advice.

[@RonaldLBanks]

Thank you so much Brenda! I’m happy you’re finding value in my content!

[@veganryori]

I'm confused. If I only own what's sentimental, if I only own the things I truly love, is that not the point of it all? It's like saying if you care about everyone in the world, then you care about noone. It doesn't make sense to me?

[@itzelbp]

I just wanted to thank you. I really needed to hear this.

[@Naztalgic]

Fantastic

[@devilma2002]

Fire pron

[@RonaldLBanks]

Glad you found value in this my friend!!