Simplifying your life and living with less usually involves letting go. We have to let go of clutter, the fear of not having enough and many other things along the way. Even when you think you are ready, you may still struggle with the fear of letting go but with a little practice, it gets easier and easier.

A few things to consider if you struggle to let go …

Holding on is harder. 
You have to hold on everyday. You hold on with your attention, time, space and emotion. You only have to let go once.

There’s no rush. 
You didn’t accumulate everything overnight so letting go may take some time. Take the time you need. This isn’t a competition. This is your stuff and your life. So do it your way. If you need help, ask for it.

Less is not nothing.
Letting go of everything might not make you any happier than holding on does. Instead of focusing on all the stuff you have to let go of, consider what you want to make room for. What matters to you?

You might be over thinking things.
Letting go was less terrifying once I got started. The scary part wasn’t letting go, but always thinking about letting go. Action will quiet the fear. If you don’t know where to start, try letting go of one of these 8 things. Or, consider a decluttering burst for extra motivation.

Things get heavy.
If you want to be light, you have to let go.

On the other side of letting go

When we downsized a few years ago from a big house to an apartment less than half its size, I wasn’t ready to let go of some things. I sealed up 5 boxes of things I wasn’t sure about and wrote the following in big letters on the top of the box. “Put in storage. Decide later.” As Peter Walsh says, “Later is the best friend of clutter.” When we found our new apartment, there wasn’t any storage space so I let those 5 boxes go. Today, if you offered me one million dollars to tell you what was in those boxes, I couldn’t do it. I don’t remember. It wasn’t important.

When you let go, notice the benefits. See what’s on the other side. I discovered benefits like more free time, less overspending, more comfort with uncertainty, less guilt, more freedom and ease. Letting go helped me remember what mattered to me. Letting go helped me remember me.

I found my way back to love.