Declutter: (v) to remove mess or clutter from a place.

All the power in life lies in discovering worthy definitions.

Therefore, what is declutter?

If we can’t come to terms on the definition of something, then each person can develop his or her rendition of the word—until we end up fighting over it.

For instance, the word “slavery,” circa 1855, did not have the same meaning in Boston that it did in Atlanta. Arriving at common ground is how we move forward to make quality decisions.

So in determining what clutter is, we must realize that we can either evaluate it by worth, sentiment or value.

If we do it by worth, we’re going to start chatting about money.

Sentimentality will bring in deep-rooted feelings.

But value, on the other hand, is very simple:

If I haven’t used this in the past six months, I don’t have any need for it.

There are obvious contradictions. For instance, a pair of skis. If I found the in my garage in July, I would think they were useless. But come January, they can be a treasure.

Yet most of the time, if the object in question is an item for all seasons, if we have not used it in six calendar months, it probably is ready to skedaddle. It has gone from being a gift to an experience to a failure—ending as clutter.

Just consider if we had the intelligence to take all our failures, box them up…

 And ship them off.