It’s 11 PM on a Tuesday, and you’re staring at your phone, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram stories of people you haven’t spoken to since high school. Their perfectly curated lives make yours feel somehow smaller. You know you should sleep, but this has become your nightly ritual – along with promising yourself that tomorrow will be different.
In the corner of your bedroom sits that expensive exercise bike you bought during the pandemic. It’s now an expensive clothes hanger, silently judging you every morning. The guilt of that investment keeps you from letting it go, even though its presence reminds you daily of what you perceive as failure.
Your camera roll is full of screenshots of inspirational quotes and workout routines you’ve never started. Your kitchen drawers overflow with gadgets promising to make you a master chef, while you order takeout for the third time this week. That online course you bought in March? It’s still sitting at 7% complete, joining the graveyard of other well-intentioned purchases.
We all do this. We hold onto things because letting go feels like admitting defeat. That language learning app subscription? “I’ll get back to it soon.” Those jeans that don’t fit? “Just a few more months.” That toxic friend who always leaves you feeling drained? “But we’ve known each other forever.“
The truth is, we’re not just holding onto things – we’re holding onto versions of ourselves we think we should be. The aspiring photographer with the untouched DSLR camera. The future novelist with the empty journal collection. The would-be entrepreneur with unread business books piling up on the nightstand.
Think about your morning routine. How many minutes do you spend rummaging through cluttered drawers, searching for things you rarely use? How much mental energy do you waste feeling guilty about unused purchases or unmet goals? That’s not just lost time – it’s lost life force.
Last week, I met someone who finally deleted their ex’s number after three years. “I kept it just in case,” they said, “but ‘just in case’ was keeping me from ‘just now.’” Sometimes our greatest growth comes not from what we achieve, but from what we release.
Your home isn’t just filled with items – it’s filled with decisions unmade. Each thing you keep is a tiny contract with your energy. That craft supplies corner isn’t just taking up physical space; it’s occupying mental real estate. Every time you see it, your brain processes the guilt, the potential, the “someday” promises.
As 2025 approaches, consider this: empty space isn’t failure. It’s possibility. That cleared-out closet isn’t a reminder of money spent – it’s an invitation to the future. The deleted social media apps aren’t a disconnection from the world; they’re a reconnection with your present moment.
You don’t need to carry everything you’ve ever been to become who you’re meant to be. That’s not growth – that’s hoarding. Growth is discerning. It’s brave enough to say, “This no longer serves me,” even when the thing in question cost you money, time, or years of identity-building.
Ready for a different kind of New Year’s resolution? Instead of adding more, let’s subtract. Instead of “New Year, New You,” try “New Year, True You.” Because maybe, just maybe, your best self isn’t buried under more acquisitions – it’s waiting under fewer distractions.
What’s taking up space in your life? The real question is: what could fill that space if you dared to clear it?
As 2025 beckons, consider this: every item you release creates space for a deep breath. Every digital cleanse makes room for real connection. Every goodbye to what no longer serves you is a hello to who you’re becoming.
✍️ A Note From the Author
Dear Reader,
I wrote this piece late one night while looking at my own cluttered desk, wrestling with the same challenges I’ve described here. If these words resonated with you, know that you’re not alone in this journey of letting go. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is simply create space for what matters most.
Here’s to your journey of intentional living,
📚 Recommended Reading
Want to dive deeper? Read “The Mountain Is You” by Brianna Wiest. It’s not just about decluttering your space – it’s about understanding why you created the clutter in the first place. Because sometimes, what we need to let go of isn’t just the physical stuff – it’s the stories we tell ourselves about why we need it. Available at https://innersoulwhisp.com/books/the-mountain-is-you-transforming-self-sabotage-into-self-mastery/