The biggest challenge, and the first step to getting organized, is to shift the way you think about your belongings. Every single item you own or that lives in your space is a weight or strain on you in terms of time, money, energy, and space. Even that seemingly insignificant extra rubber band that is sitting in your junk drawer has a weight. These small things, in addition to everything else, add up. 

You are more than your belongings but it’s really hard to get out from under their weight without shifting your mindset. 

It’s estimated that the average American spends 1 year of their life looking for lost items. 

The time and energy you spend rummaging through piles, looking for the items you've misplaced, and tidying up your space adds up.  This is not how we are meant to live.  To free yourself from this cycle is something you deserve. 

In order to change your mindset, you must become conscious of the weight of each of your belongings and the collective. The idea of understanding the weight of your belongings and only owning the items that serve you is called Mindful Ownership.

Here are a few things to consider about your belongings as you work toward mindful ownership:

• When you reach for something in your space, do you have to move other items to find it?

• How much time do you spend looking for belongings? 

• Do you find yourself putting off cleaning up messes of clothes and other belongings because you don't have time or energy? 

• Do you find that even when you organize your space, it gets messy again quickly thereafter?

• Do you feel like you don't have enough space for your belongings?

• Do you feel anxious when you look at your space?

• Do you feel like organizing is a chore?

If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, it's time to consider which items in your space you truly need, use, and cherish. The value that your items give you should be greater than the strain that they provide or else they should go. 

It's also critical to start thinking thoughtfully and intentionally about the items you bring into your space. Before you bring anything new into your space you must consider its weight. Is it really worth buying that top you only semi-like because it’s on sale? Is it worth the strain of finding and keeping a place for it in your closet?