Home Decluttering Reflections / How Should You Let Go of Things?

Keep this sentence in mind: “If you feel that you have not used this thing in the past three to five years, and will not use it in the foreseeable next three to five years, then even if you continue to keep it, its value to you is almost zero.”

This sentence is the principle I most often use to remind myself when tidying up at home.

Why Is “Letting Go of Things” Harder Than “Storing Things”?

Many people think that tidying up means buying a few storage boxes and sorting things neatly. But the real difficulty is never the storage technique, but making choices. The reason we cannot let go of things is often because:

• Reluctance: feeling that the item is still perfectly good and throwing it away is wasteful.
• Fear of regret: worrying that you might suddenly need it someday.
• Emotional attachment: objects carry memories, and throwing them away feels like betraying the past.
• Future fantasy: always feeling that “someday I will use it.”

These mindsets fill the home with things kept “just in case,” while the space you truly need is filled up by these “maybes.”

The Core Principle: The Three-to-Five-Year Rule

Back to that sentence. Its logic is actually very simple:

If you have not used something in the past three to five years, and will not use it in the foreseeable next three to five years, then even if you continue to keep it, its value to you is almost zero.

Three to five years is a sufficiently long observation period. If something has not been put to use for so long, it means it was never a necessity in your life. And since you predict you will not use it in the next three to five years either, keeping it only hands your space and energy over to a “maybe” that will never come true.

In Practice: How Do You Apply This Principle?

1. Tidy by Zone, Don’t Throw Everything Away at Once

Tidying the whole home at once will drive you crazy. It is recommended to start with one drawer or one cabinet, narrowing the scope to reduce the psychological burden.

2. Ask Three Questions About Each Item

• Have I used it in the past three to five years?
• Will I use it in the next three to five years?
• If I did not have it now, would I go out of my way to buy it?

If two or more of the three questions are “no,” you can consider letting it go.

3. Set Up a “Hesitation Box”

For things you really cannot decide on immediately, put them in a box and write the date on it. If you have never opened it after three months or half a year, dispose of the whole box. This effectively overcomes the “fear of regret” mindset.

4. Give Items a New Life

Letting go of things does not equal waste. Items in good condition can be:

• Donated: given to people who truly need them.
• Resold: sold on second-hand platforms to recover part of their value.
• Recycled: handed over to the correct recycling channels.

Letting items go where they can be of value is more meaningful than letting them gather dust at home.

What Do You Gain After Letting Go of Things?

• Space: cabinets are empty, walkways are wider, and the home becomes easier to breathe in.
• Time: with fewer things, the time spent finding things and cleaning is shorter.
• Money: you are clearer about what you own, reducing duplicate purchases.
• Mood: with a fresh environment, your thoughts become clearer too.

Summary

The essence of tidying up is not to store things beautifully, but to re-decide what is worth keeping in your life. That sentence, “not used in the past three to five years, and will not be used in the next three to five years,” is a simple ruler that helps you measure the true value of each item.

When you are willing to let go of those “maybes” that will never come true, what remains will be the people and things that truly matter. Letting go of things is, in fact, making space for a better life.