Karen Kingston, professional organizer, Feng Shui expert, and author extraordinaire, developed this simple test to determine which items in your home should stay and which should go. As you can see, it’s far less complicated to clear clutter than you might think. Just ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. Does it lift my energy when I think about it or look at it?

Recognizing whether you fell energized or not is the most reliable part of the clutter test, Your mind can fool around with you and invent all kinds of excuses so that you get to hang on to stuff, but your body knows the truth and never lies. Trust the feeling in your body.

2. Do I absolutely love it?

If so, does it really inspire me or is just “nice”? Do I already have enough of this type of item for my needs? In spite of how much I love it, does it also have sad associations in my life?

3. Is it genuinely useful?

If so, when did I actually last use it? When, realistically, am I likely to use it again?

If the answer is not a resounding yes to question 1, and an equally resounding yes to either question 2 or 3, then what is it doing in your life?

From Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston

Start asking yourself these questions as you go through your house and I guarantee you’ll start to see things with a very different set of eyes. Suddenly, those “charming” candlesticks that Aunt Pearl gave you as a wedding give in 1975 just might not seem quite as important or meaningful anymore.