Letting Go of the “Someday” Pile

We all have a “Someday” pile—a collection of items, tasks, and ideas we hold onto not because they are useful now, but because of the potential they might hold in an ambiguous future. This habit of deferring decisions on these items creates a low-grade background anxiety and consumes valuable mental and physical space that could be better used for present needs and joys. Letting go of the “Someday” pile is a critical step in reclaiming your focus, energy, and living a more intentional, minimalist life. By systematically addressing this clutter, you can free yourself from the weight of unfinished business and create room for what truly matters today.

What Exactly Is the “Someday” Pile?

The “Someday” pile isn’t just a physical box in your attic; it’s a mental and digital construct as well. It encompasses all the things you tell yourself you will get to “someday,” but that day never seems to arrive. This pile is fueled by optimism, fear, and a reluctance to make a final decision, trapping you in a state of perpetual planning without action.

Physically, it might be the craft supplies for a hobby you never started, books you intend to read but feel obligated to keep, or kitchen gadgets you used once. Digitally, it manifests as hundreds of unread articles saved to a “read later” folder, online courses you’ve purchased but never begun, or half-finished projects on your hard drive. Mentally, it’s the list of skills you want to learn “when you have more time” or the trips you want to take “one day.”

The psychological cost of this pile is significant. Each unfinished item represents a tiny, open loop in your brain, a small commitment you have failed to meet. Collectively, these loops create cognitive load, subconsciously reminding you of your unmet goals and sapping your mental energy. Letting go isn’t about admitting failure; it’s about making a conscious choice to close those loops and redirect your energy toward your current priorities.

Quick steps to identify your piles

Physical Scan: Walk through your home and note any clusters of unused items—a drawer of cables, a shelf of unread books, a closet of clothes that don’t quite fit.
Digital Audit: Check your browser bookmarks, “Read Later” apps (like Pocket or Instapaper), and downloaded folders for囤积的材料 (tún jī de cái liào - hoarded materials).
Mental Note: Jot down all the “I should really…” and “I’d like to someday…” thoughts that pop into your head over a day or two.

A Simple Framework for Making the Decision

The core challenge of the “Someday” pile is decision fatigue. We avoid dealing with it because we lack a clear, effortless system for deciding what stays and what goes. This three-question framework provides that system, removing the emotional weight from the process and replacing it with practical, action-oriented criteria.

First, ask: “If I didn’t own this already, would I buy it or commit to it today, at full cost?” This question cuts through the sunk cost fallacy—the tendency to continue an endeavor just because we’ve already invested resources into it. Be brutally honest. You might have paid $50 for a specialty kitchen tool, but if you wouldn’t spend $50 on it right now, its value to your present self is zero.

Second, ask: “What is the specific, actionable plan for this item?” Vague intentions like “someday” or “maybe” are not plans. A real plan has a time and a place. If you cannot articulate the next concrete step and when you will take it (“I will read this book on my vacation next month”), then the item is just clutter. If you can define a plan, immediately schedule the first step in your calendar to transform the intention into a commitment.

Third, and most importantly, ask: “Does this align with my current priorities and values?” Our interests and goals evolve. The person who bought a book on advanced Python scripting five years ago might now be focused on woodworking. Holding onto the book out of a sense of obligation to a past self is a disservice to your present self. Honor who you are now, not who you thought you’d be.

Example: Deciding on a Pile of Magazines

You have a stack of magazines with articles you meant to read. Applying the framework:

Would I buy it today? No, you wouldn’t go to a store and buy a six-month-old magazine.
What’s the specific plan? You have no plan to read them; they’ve been sitting there for months.
Does it align? Your current priority is reducing clutter, not adding to your reading backlog. Decision: Recycle the entire stack. If one article title truly captivates you, quickly search for and bookmark the digital version online, then immediately let the physical copy go.

The Letting Go Process: From Decision to Action

Making the decision is the mental work; following through is the physical (or digital) work. This process is about executing your decisions with minimal friction and maximum finality. The goal is to create a clear separation between the decision phase and the action phase, preventing you from re-debating every item.

For physical items, have four boxes or bags ready before you start: Trash, Recycle, Donate, and Sell. The “Sell” category should be used sparingly; unless an item is truly high-value, the time and effort required to photograph, list, and ship it often outweigh the financial return. Donating is usually the faster, more efficient option that still gives the item a new life. Handle each item only once—decide its fate and immediately place it in the corresponding container. Do not create a “maybe” pile. As soon as your session is over, remove the containers from your home. Take the donate bag directly to your car or schedule a pickup.

For digital clutter, the process is similar. Create temporary folders: To Delete, To Act On, To Archive. Go through your “Read Later” list. For each item, decide: is this still relevant? If not, delete it. If it is, either read it now or, if it’s a long-form article, schedule 20 minutes in your calendar later today to read it and then delete it. For old projects, be ruthless. Archive anything that is a legal or financial record, and delete the rest. Unsubscribe from courses you will never take; the money is already spent, and holding onto the guilt is unnecessary.

How to execute without regret

Set a Timer: Work in focused, 20-minute bursts to avoid fatigue. The urgency created by a timer helps you make quicker, more instinctive decisions.
Celebrate the Space: After removing the clutter, take a moment to appreciate the newly freed space—a clean drawer, an empty shelf, a tidy desktop. This positive reinforcement strengthens the habit.
Focus on the Gain, Not the Loss: You are not “losing” a potential hobby; you are “gaining” mental clarity, physical space, and time for your current interests.

Cultivating a “Someday”-Free Mindset

The final step is proactive prevention. Letting go of your existing pile is a massive achievement, but the goal is to stop a new one from accumulating. This requires shifting your mindset from one of scarcity and fear (“I might need this!”) to one of abundance and trust (“I can acquire what I need, when I need it”).

Adopt a one-in, one-out rule for physical possessions. If a new book comes in, an old one must go to the donate pile. This forces conscious consumption and naturally caps the amount of stuff you own. For new ideas and inspirations, use a “Someday/Maybe” list in your note-taking app—but with a crucial rule: review this list every single month. During the review, most items will be deleted because the initial excitement has faded. For the few that remain exciting, you must promote them to your active project list by defining the very next physical action required to start.

Embrace the minimum viable action. Instead of buying a full set of expensive oil paints because you might want to paint, buy a small, beginner’s set. Instead of saving dozens of articles on a complex topic, read one foundational primer. Start small, validate your interest, and then—and only then—invest more resources. This approach respects your time, money, and space while still allowing for exploration and growth.

Decide immediately on new incoming items (mail, downloads, gifts).
Schedule a monthly “Someday” review to purge your lists and digital saves.
Implement a 48-hour waiting period for any non-essential purchase over a certain amount.
For every new commitment you consider, ask: “What will I have to say ’no’ to in order to say ‘yes’ to this?”
Practice digital minimalism: unsubscribe, unfollow, and regularly clear your browser cache and downloads folder.

Conclusion

The “Someday” pile is a monument to our past selves’ ambitions, but it often becomes a burden for our present selves. By recognizing its true cost, employing a simple decision framework, and taking decisive action, you can dismantle this clutter for good. The space you create—both physically and mentally—isn’t empty; it’s full of potential for the life you are actually living right now. This week, choose one small “Someday” pile—a single drawer, your bookmarks bar, or your podcast queue—and apply the decision framework to set yourself free.