Get rid of or keep? My endless cycle of decluttering

I’m getting down to the stuff where it’s harder to let go. I’m not satisfied yet, but it’s a challenge to get rid of what’s left. All of the obvious things are gone. The clothes that don’t fit, the random stuff in the corner of the closet I didn’t know I had, the papers piled about. Now I’m left with the shirt I like, but probably don’t wear enough. The books I want to read, and yet somehow never pick up. The things people recently gave me that I feel guilty about getting rid of.

I read blog posts about decluttering and stalk reddit threads with before and after pictures. I constantly encourage my friends and family to get rid of things and to not buy things they don’t really need.

But I’m still not quite satisfied.

This is where we stayed in Madrid. I liked how open and decluttered it was. I’m trying to get my home to feel the same.

And to be honest, I’m slightly annoyed with all of the bloggers and people who have decluttered and cut back who say that you just know when enough is enough. Part of me thinks I haven’t cleaned out enough stuff, that I would like to have fewer things still. But a voice in the back of my mind questions if I will ever be satisfied.

Do I want to live in a stark room with hardly any things? Would I be happier if I removed 10 more pieces from my dresser? I really don’t know. I’m so caught up in my cycle of decluttering.

I’m also aware that it’s an odd thing to worry about, but at the same time, I want to see the finish line. I want to be able to say “this is it,” and stop constantly racking my brain for another item to get rid of. I want to go home and enjoy the space I have, not dig through it to find one more thing to remove.

But every time I think of stopping, I realize I’m not there yet. The excess items weigh on my mind, and I haven’t yet found my balance. There are days where I envy the people who can live out of a backpack for months on end, and others where I think I’m almost down to my essentials and the things that add value and happiness to my life.

Perhaps I need to stop reading blog posts. Or maybe I need to set aside a day and do one final, harsh cut. Or maybe I need some space from my stuff. Or perhaps I’m really just over-thinking it and I’ll just know when I’m done.