What To Do When Your Partner Isn't On Board With Decluttering

So what do you do when you partner isn't on board with decluttering?  You've read up on all the decluttering tips and methods out there, you've seen the beautiful images of what simple living could look like and now you are ready to give it a try.  Your partner on the other hand?  Not so much.  They are content with things as they are and perhaps don't see the point (or benefits) of decluttering.  So what do you do? 

Start With You

It's easy to get on a roll when decluttering and want to tackle the entire home.  You start to see and experience the benefits of living with less and you want more.  Before moving full-steam ahead though, it's important to sit down with your family and make sure that everyone is on board.  While you may be excited to simplify your life, your partner may or may not be.  Instead of going behind their back and throwing out items that belong to them, we need to be respectful of our loved ones and where they are at in the process.  So rather than wasting energy and getting upset about what they aren't doing or how they are holding the process up, lets turn the focus on to you.  What can you do?  What can you get rid of that its yours?  Let's start there.  Chances are once your partner will see what peace, joy and freedom living with less brings, and will want to get on board as well. 

Set a Date & Determine Your Family Values

Just over a year ago, my husband and I did something that changed our lives.  We set a date and time, and sat down together to write out our family's top six values.  Words that we believe in and that reflect what is truly important to us.  These were the words that we would look to when we as a family came together to make our decisions, big or small.  Whenever there was a question about getting rid of a particular item we would both look to the list and see if the item fostered any of those values there.  We would ask questions such as: "does it make sense for this item to be a part of our lives?"

Experiment

When it comes to decluttering, getting rid of the small stuff is often the easy part but what about when it comes to the larger more expensive pieces?  That's where things can get tricky.  One option for dealing with those pieces and figuring out whether or not you need them in your life is to experiment.  Remove the piece from your daily life for a period of two to eight weeks.  During this time consider what you could do with your time, money and space if you didn't have this piece in your life.  Is it worth letting go of?  After the period of time, come together as a family and discuss whether you find the piece in consideration merits coming back into your lives.  If it adds value then keep it, if you decide it does not sell or donate it.  Including others in the conversation is a form of great respect.  It shows that you value them and their opinions; that you function as a family.  When you take the time to listen to others, often times they will honor you in the same way; and will be more willing to consider your requests.