De-Clutter Your Life
There was a very interesting article in a 2009 publication REAL SIMPLE about the top causes of clutter. We are always hearing less is more but how do we really part with those items that we aren’t using but some day we “just might”…
Reason One – I will offend the person that gave me the gift
I know we have all thought that if we toss out something that was a gift we will feel very guilty. It is almost like we are disrespecting the person that gave it to us. But can you imagine if we kept every gift that we ever received! These feelings of guilt are not only about receiving gifts but items that we have inherited as well. Most of us feel that if we do not hang on to the items of the person from our past then we will some how forget them. Try to keep only one or two items from that love one and cherish the memories more than the articles. This way you have something special that you can look at often and honor that person’s memory properly.
Reason Two - I might need it one day
Keeping things around makes us feel prepared. But honestly do you really need an old tent that you used when you were a boy scout! You probably wouldn’t even fit it in now. Or do you really need that dress that is two sizes to small because one day we may get back in it. A good rule to have is that if I haven’t used it or wore it in the last year then it needs to go.
Reason Three – What if it is worth something
I know we have all thought this when we are watching that program the Antiques Road Show. It's easy to wonder whether we have some piece of junk that might be worth a bundle. So stop guessing and go find out. Take it to an appraiser to find out what it is truly worth.
Reason Four – If I file the papers away I will never remember it
We have so much paper in our lives that the piles just keep getting bigger and bigger. Many of us think that if we put our bills away we will never pay them. When the bills are buried under so many others how will you ever remember what is due when. Put your bills and important papers in a cabinet, file folder or even a nice neat pile in the same place. Designate a logical home for every object, paper and pile.
Reason Five – How Can I abandon this object
Many of us place human qualities and feelings on our objects. We can’t just discard them, unwanted and unloved. We want to find them “good homes”. While we wait to find that perfect place for unwanted article, all it is doing in your home is collecting dust. To satisfy your desire for perfect placement, look for a charity with which you feel a connection with and give your article a new lease on life.
Reason Six – I want to de-clutter, but I can't get motivated”
According to Daniel Hommer, M.D., chief of brain imaging at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in Bethesda, Maryland, and an expert on motivation, says it may be due to a phenomenon known as delayed discounting. If it takes a long time to reach a goal, you value that goal less than if you could reach it quickly, making it harder to get started”. Personally I think we get overwhelmed by tasks that we really can’t ever see an end. That is why I think we should take baby steps. Don’t try to organize your entire house or even a whole room. Just tackle the closet. Once you have succeeded you will feel better and want to take on more.
Reason One – I will offend the person that gave me the gift
I know we have all thought that if we toss out something that was a gift we will feel very guilty. It is almost like we are disrespecting the person that gave it to us. But can you imagine if we kept every gift that we ever received! These feelings of guilt are not only about receiving gifts but items that we have inherited as well. Most of us feel that if we do not hang on to the items of the person from our past then we will some how forget them. Try to keep only one or two items from that love one and cherish the memories more than the articles. This way you have something special that you can look at often and honor that person’s memory properly.
Reason Two - I might need it one day
Keeping things around makes us feel prepared. But honestly do you really need an old tent that you used when you were a boy scout! You probably wouldn’t even fit it in now. Or do you really need that dress that is two sizes to small because one day we may get back in it. A good rule to have is that if I haven’t used it or wore it in the last year then it needs to go.
Reason Three – What if it is worth something
I know we have all thought this when we are watching that program the Antiques Road Show. It's easy to wonder whether we have some piece of junk that might be worth a bundle. So stop guessing and go find out. Take it to an appraiser to find out what it is truly worth.
Reason Four – If I file the papers away I will never remember it
We have so much paper in our lives that the piles just keep getting bigger and bigger. Many of us think that if we put our bills away we will never pay them. When the bills are buried under so many others how will you ever remember what is due when. Put your bills and important papers in a cabinet, file folder or even a nice neat pile in the same place. Designate a logical home for every object, paper and pile.
Reason Five – How Can I abandon this object
Many of us place human qualities and feelings on our objects. We can’t just discard them, unwanted and unloved. We want to find them “good homes”. While we wait to find that perfect place for unwanted article, all it is doing in your home is collecting dust. To satisfy your desire for perfect placement, look for a charity with which you feel a connection with and give your article a new lease on life.
Reason Six – I want to de-clutter, but I can't get motivated”
According to Daniel Hommer, M.D., chief of brain imaging at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in Bethesda, Maryland, and an expert on motivation, says it may be due to a phenomenon known as delayed discounting. If it takes a long time to reach a goal, you value that goal less than if you could reach it quickly, making it harder to get started”. Personally I think we get overwhelmed by tasks that we really can’t ever see an end. That is why I think we should take baby steps. Don’t try to organize your entire house or even a whole room. Just tackle the closet. Once you have succeeded you will feel better and want to take on more.
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