Helping women declutter their homes, I have noticed that one common block keeping many from decluttering as much as they could, is they are holding onto too many categories of hobby supplies.
For example one client, let's call her Carol, had many bins and cupboards full of supplies for all of the following: scrapbooking, candle making, card making, baking, painting, and fancy gift wrapping. However, I noticed that Carol was really only excited about candle making and gift wrapping. The rest of these hobbies were things she was holding onto because she would "like to do them" if she had the time. However, due to the clutter in her home and her busy work schedule, she never worked on baking, scrapbooking, card making, or painting. And she never spent any time on her passion of candle making either. The only hobby she did do was her fancy gift wrapping; and that pretty much only at Christmas (if she could find the supplies that is).
So... what is the solution for Carol? She needs to pick her top 1-3 hobbies (candle making, gift wrapping, and maybe one more) and declutter the rest.
If you have boxes, drawers, and cupboards filled with various crafting and hobby supplies, it's time for you to declutter some of your hobbies too.
Here is a step-by-step process to help you decide and declutter so you can make room in your home and schedule for your favorite hobbies:
Step 1 - Make a list of your hobbies. (today)
Write out all the hobbies you currently do, have started in the last 5+ years, or tried once upon a time and then abandoned. Which of these hobbies do you still have supplies for?
Can't think of all your hobbies? Here are some prompt questions:
What supplies do you have stored in boxes out in the garage/storage areas?
What kitchen gadgets or dishes do you have for cooking/baking that you would only pull out for fun or special occasions?
What sports or outdoor activities do you have a lot of supplies for?
What would you do on a long weekend by yourself if your house were clean and you had no clutter?
Step 2 - Make time for your favorite hobby. (this week)
Block time on your calendar for one of your favorite hobbies this week. In the next seven days do something that lights you up. Which will it be?
Step 3 - Declutter one hobby. (week 2)
Now that you actually made some time for one of your hobbies, think about all the hobbies on your list that you didn't do. Pick one that you know you are only holding onto due to guilt. Maybe someone gave you all their supplies for this hobby but you've never actually tried it and you know you probably never will. Or maybe you tried a new hobby and it just wasn't as fun or fulfilling as you thought it was going to be. Pick your "bottom of the list" hobby and declutter it. Collect all the supplies associated with that activity and donate them or throw them away. You've just taken your first step to making more room for your favorite!
Step 4 - Pick your top three and do them! (3 months)
Now that you've gotten rid of your least favorite, decide what your top 3 favorites are. Then start making time for them! Depending on what they are, get into a schedule over the next three months that makes sense so that you are rotating through all 3. If your top three are skiing, baking bread, and card making. Your schedule might be skiing 8 times this winter (note that seasonal hobbies may not fall inside this 3 month period), baking bread every Friday afternoon, and making a homemade card each time you have a friend or family member's birthday come around.
Step 5 - Declutter any hobbies left. (month 4)
Now that you've been consistently doing your top 3 favorite hobbies for 3 months, it's time to let the rest go. Of course if you have a seasonal hobby that you're really excited to do later this year, that doesn't count. But any other hobbies that you haven't done yet since you began this process, it's time to purge! Spend a Sunday (or any day off) looking through the garage, storage areas, kitchen cabinets, any anywhere else in your home where you have hobby supplies. If you haven't used them this year yet and you aren't stoked and planning to use them this upcoming season, it's time to donate or trash these items.
You may find that you can't narrow it down to just 3 hobbies. The important thing isn't the number of hobbies, it's that are you actually DOING these hobbies. If you aren't doing it regularly and you aren't going to do it soon, it's never going to get enjoyed. You might as well make space for your peace of mind and the hobbies you love to do.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THIS PROCESS:
As this takes four months to do, make sure that right now as you are reading this blog post, you put each step of the process on your calendar. Book your 1st hobby date with yourself this week. Book time to reflect on that and to declutter your least favorite hobby. Schedule a time to revisit your list and pick your top 3 and then at that time you can schedule your weekly, monthly, or seasonal hobby time for the next three months. Also right now schedule your day for decluttering the rest of your hobbies in 4 months from now. Having these on your calendar will not only make you more likely to follow through, it will also help you enjoy yourself and do more of what you love!
We all need a bit more scheduled fun in our lives. You have permission to schedule fun for yourself. Now is the time to take it!
Let me know in the comments what your favorite hobbies are!
Mine are reading self-help books, baking cookies, going on walks, writing/journaling, dancing, and singing. None of these really cause me clutter, so I'm not going to declutter any. Keep that in mind as you are looking at your list. If you like to do something and it doesn't fill up your home or mind in any way. You don't have to limit yourself. You can have 100 hobbies if you want! The goal is just to cut the clutter so you have the energy and space to do what you love.
If you struggle to have passion for any hobbies at all, you're not alone. While writing my list I realized I don't feel super excited about any of mine at this point in my life. That's why we have to make time for them and figure what we do love to do.
I got this. You got this.
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