3 Decluttering Questions to
Ask When Spark Joy Doesn't Resonate
In this post I share 3 decluttering questions to ask when spark joy doesn’t resonate.
It’s a familiar phrase, now embedded in popular culture that extends beyond the contents of one’s home. Spark joy is used to cut through indecision and make a polarizing stance when decluttering.
The phrase mimics other well-known phrases such as “are you in or are you out?” and
“If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no” from Essentialism author, Greg McKeown.
Yet as clear as the question, “Does it spark joy?” may seem, the practical application may not jog up a clear yes or no response.
That’s where my 3 decluttering questions to ask when spark joy doesn’t resonate comes in.
Beyond this question I’ve listed out three alternative questions that trigger a similar sentiment to spark joy, but reframes the question in a way that resonates with a wider audience.
For each of these questions I dive below the surface to elaborate on why the question is relevant.
This review helps you understand how different questions can aid the decision-making process on clutter when tidying up.
Decluttering Question #1: Is this item important to my happiness?
This is a great question to ask as an alternative to spark joy. Slightly different framing allows you to gauge how the item ranks in importance as it relates to your happiness.
Happiness can also mean different things to different people. It is a relative term that can be interpreted in different ways. The value of this question is to look at joy from another angle.
Joy can come from function and utility and this question allows you to explore that when decluttering.
Decluttering Question #2: Is this item worth having/owning?
When we ask “is it worth it,” we are asking about the cost associated to an item. If you hadn’t yet purchased the item, we would say, is the item worth the price tag?
After purchasing an item, when we ask “is the item worth it”, we are talking about whether or not the item is worth keeping from this point forward.
Items in our home do not come without a cost. The cost associated with the item is care and maintenance as well as cleaning.
Examining the item from this perspective can add more insight for the individual in discarding.
Decluttering Question #3: Does this item serve me in my life?
This question raises the function of an item into question and how that function relates to your life.
All our possessions exist to serve some purpose in our life.
When asking does an item spark joy, we extend our understanding of the question to mean, does the item serve me in my life.
The ambiguity of spark joy may leave the individual stuck with not a clear path to determine if an item should be kept over discarding. By asking the question reframed as serving, an individual can ponder how the item supports them in their life.
If you’re wanting more decluttering questions I have a complete list of ten decluttering questions that can be found at this link. It is available for instant download to aid you in the decluttering process.
Decluttering is challenging especially when you don’t have the right questions to ask yourself as you evaluate each of the items in your home. These questions have helped me as I declutter my own possessions and has also been a great resource for my clients too.
Which of these three questions resonate with you the most?
Southern California based Professional Organizer, Sandy Park, owner and founder of Tidy with SPARK shares her joy of organization with her clients that she serves in Orange County as well as the hundreds of thousands of followers on her combined social media platforms. Connect with Sandy through her website or by connecting through her social channels.