271: Why We Hold On: Bridging the Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Maximized Minimalist Podcast
Katy Wells
4.8 • 879 Ratings
🗓️ 11 September 2024
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Do you ever look at a pile of stuff on your desk and think, “I know I don’t need this... but what if I do?!” Or maybe it’s the craft supplies, gathering dust, making you feel like you’re going to start that project. Someday.
In today’s episode, I’m tackling the exact reason why we hold onto things that are just taking up space—in our homes and in our heads—and how to finally start letting go. Spoiler alert: It’s not about tossing everything in a bin and calling it a day. It's about getting real with yourself, ditching the fear of “what if,” and taking baby steps toward a clutter-free life.
We’ll dive into why your “just in case” clutter is really a security blanket made of guilt and fear. Plus, I’m giving you practical tools (hello, Let-Go Rule) to clear that mental clutter and make room for what actually matters. Because let’s face it: we all deserve a space that feels as light and peaceful as a Sunday morning.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- The real reason your “what if” items are still hanging around
- Why guilt and fear are keeping you from letting go
- The Let-Go Rule—your new favorite tool for decluttering with confidence
- How to reframe that “I might need this one day” thinking
- And yes, we’re talking about those dusty crafting supplies, too. It’s time to be honest about whether you’re ever going to use them. (Don’t worry, no judgment.)
Tune in and learn how to declutter your space—and your mind.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What does it mean to live more with less? I'm Katie Wells and welcome to the Maximized Minimalist |
| 0:07.4 | podcast. If you found yourself caught up in the hamster wheel of modern day motherhood and want to |
| 0:13.9 | rewrite the script, congratulations you're in the right place. I'm here to be your guide and help you |
| 0:20.1 | take back your motherhood |
| 0:21.3 | and achieve a simpler, more joy-filled life. Cheers to being a maximized minimalist. Enjoy the show. |
| 0:29.8 | Hey friend, real quick, I want to invite you to join my free weekly newsletter to get motivated, |
| 0:34.7 | clear that clutter, and enjoy a more peaceful home. You can sign up at |
| 0:38.6 | katyjoywells.com forward slash simplify, and I'll put that link in the show notes for you. |
| 0:43.8 | So today's episode is inspired by an email I received from a listener who said the following. |
| 0:49.6 | She said, Katie, help me. My desk is full of stuff I never use, but I think I might need one day. I feel |
| 0:56.3 | guilty about getting rid of it and filling the land with more trash and junk. Then I think I could |
| 1:01.6 | make a few dollars on it and sell it, but then I don't want to deal with it. I have crafts and |
| 1:06.3 | crafting machines and supplies that I want to use, but I don't. They collect dust, they attract junk, |
| 1:13.0 | and they just look awful. I'm struggling, but I want to let go. Oh, man, when I read this, |
| 1:18.6 | my heart just hurt for her, and I was like, I know this feeling so well. Her message hit home |
| 1:25.6 | because it highlights something. I mean, really, there's a lot of things |
| 1:28.7 | in this email. But the idea is a lot of us know certain items are clutter, but for some reason, |
| 1:34.6 | we just can't seem to take action and actually let them go. It's like there's this huge disconnect |
| 1:40.0 | between our brains and our actions, or in this case, like our ability to take action. |
| 1:46.0 | And that's what I want to dive into today. Why we hold on to things like this, even when we know |
| 1:51.3 | it's holding us back and it's, you know, on paper, it's clutter. And more importantly, |
| 1:55.9 | how we can finally start to take action on these types of things. So again, one of the examples |
... |
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