You know the stuff. The ice cream maker you might use next summer…
The dress you might wear again if the right event comes along…
The box of cables you might need for a device you’re not even sure you still own… 🫠
These are the things that clutter up our homes—not because we love them, but because we’re unsure.
We’re worried that we “might need it someday.”
That phrase—”I might need this someday”—is responsible for more household clutter than possibly any other statement.
But not anymore! 👉 If “I might need this someday” is the reason you have so much stuff, I’ve got the easiest trick to help you decide what can stay and what should go—without the mental gymnastics.
Why We Get Stuck in the “Maybe” Loop
Decluttering decisions ask a lot of our brains. We have to weigh future possibilities against present realities, navigate emotional attachments, consider financial implications, and process dozens of “what-if” scenarios—often in the span of seconds as we hold an item.
With that much mental complexity, it’s no surprise that we default to keeping things “just in case.” In the moment, it feels easier to store the item than to think your way through the mental olympics.
But what if we could take all that overthinking out of the equation and let your actual habits speak for themselves?! ↡
Introducing Dot & Ditch!
This simple method has helped hundreds of my students break through their decluttering plateaus with minimal stress. Here’s how it works:
1️⃣ Place a small red dot sticker on anything you’re unsure about keeping.
Get a pack of colored dot stickers (I use these ones!). As you go through your home, place a dot on any item you’re struggling to decide about. Don’t overthink it—if it triggers the “but I might need it someday” response, it gets a dot.
2️⃣ If you use the item, remove the dot immediately.
This is your evidence that the item is actually serving you. The moment you reach for that specialty kitchen gadget or pull out that “just in case” sweater, peel off the dot. It’s earned its place in your home!
3️⃣ After 90 days, anything still wearing a dot goes.
This is where the magic happens. After a full season, you’ll have clear, objective evidence of what you actually use versus what you just think you might use. No guilt necessary—the dots have spoken. 😘
Why This Works Better Than Willpower Alone
Years ago, my husband found a fluorescent-green, plastic sled sitting next to a dumpster. It was in perfect condition, so he happily dragged it home and wedged it in our storage closet.
While I did point out the fact that we lived THREE HOURS from the nearest snow (😂), I didn’t push it. After all, what if we did go sledding someday? The kids would love it!
Two and a half years later, as we were packing to move from one townhouse to another, we came face to face with that sled and laughed at ourselves, because while we HAD taken the kids sledding once, we’d completely forgotten about that sled and had rented a couple of inner tubes instead. 😂
If I’d known about Dot & Ditch back then, we might have saved ourselves two years of storing something we never even used!
And better yet, because the dot method takes so much emotion out of the equation, my husband and I probably wouldn’t have even fought over the decision!
That’s the beauty of this method. It bypasses our emotions and rationalizations by giving us neutral data. It replaces guilt with evidence.
Your Turn: Start Small
If you’re intrigued but overwhelmed, try the Dot & Ditch method in just one problem area first:
- That drawer of kitchen gadgets
- Your collection of “just in case” office supplies
- Those clothes you’re keeping “until they fit again”
- The bin of toys your kids have outgrown but you can’t seem to part with
Pick one spot, apply your dots, and let time reveal what truly deserves space in your home and life.
**Working on seasonal items? You might consider doing a second color of dots (say, blue!) for items that can stay for SIX months (instead of three) before you decide.
Gentle reminder:
Your home isn’t a storage unit for theoretical futures. It’s a living space for your actual, present-day life. A life that’s pretty darn good—but will get even better when you have less stuff to manage. 🤍
Ready to let evidence guide your decluttering decisions? Reply and let me know which area you’re going to “dot” first! I’d love to hear how this method works for you!
Cheering you on!
Erica
PS. Excited to try Dot & Ditch? I’ve created an Instagram version you can easily send to a friend who might need this simple system too! You can find that here. 🤍
—
The Life On Purpose Movement
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