Life is cluttered, and so is your home! Often, we get sucked into buying things, and then we do not use them. I have a pair of ice skates that I have never used. They are dull and old now, and should have been given to someone who really could use them.
But I have them! So, they sit in a storage room, just like this one pictured here. The mix of cold weather items with summer garden equipment is a common sight, especially in areas where freezing temperatures make it necessary. This can be a challenge, as often, you forget where things are, and end up then borrowing the neighbor’s tool, and then returning it down the way.
Stop this endless stack of stuff, but analysis. It only takes a few minutes a day. But, if you do a little each day, and keep up with the ongoing mess coming into the house each day, your home will sparkle with organization.
Look for storage, that has open areas for new items
Just because you are looking for ways to evolve your new life into shelves and buckets of bins, does not mean you will have a way to find your precious items. Some things can be donated, some can be tossed, and some need to be saved. Again, here are your categories:
1. Donation
2. Toss
3. Save
Each item in your home needs to be looked at objectively, in this manner: How often do I use this, is it something I really need, does it still work, and will I use it again in the future. Answering these questions can be hard, because what happens, often is there is emotion tied to each item. This must be handled slowly, and quickly.
The Crystal Punch Bowl
One way to do this, is to work on a small area of clutter each day. Give yourself 5 minutes where to take 10 things, and answer the 3 main sort questions. If you come up with emotion tying you to an item, give yourself some time to objectively work through your connections. Here is an example:
Your Aunt Mary had a punch bowl, that was your pride and joy, when she gave it to you. It is the only item from her, and it is a large crystal bowl, with many cups, spoons, and plates for 20 people. It is a lovely large bowl, and is so beautiful. It sits in your closet, near the front door, and going through your hallway closet, you find it there. It has sat on the shelf, for over 6 years, never being opened.
Since this is the only item you have to remember your Aunt Mary, but it is a large and huge item, you have a conundrum. You love it, just not the amount of space it takes up. It is such an amazing and beautiful piece of crystal!
Here is my suggestion for this situation. And, it can be handled on a Monday evening back from work. No big deal!
Once the dinner is done, and you have a moment to clean, go to the closet, and take out the punch bowl and all of its boxes. Wow, that really took up a lot of space! All of the kids hats and mittens would easily fit in that spot. And, I will never ever use it. It is something special. Yes, that is true. But wait, isn’t your friend Anne opening a catering company? I bet she would love this!
Getting on the phone with Anne, you have now completed your five minutes of cleaning, but boy how successful you have been! Now, you have opened up a spot for winter gear. For your handbag at the end of the day. For some games you play on a regular basis. And, your friend was thrilled to receive the bowl. You can always borrow it, when you need it. She is a good person, and was very happy to place it into use.
The point of this story, is you are working through your problems, and doing it consistently. You are letting go of past excuses. You are learning new things, and opening your mind to new open spaces. Cleaning out old items is more than just stuff, it is working on sending your old mindset packing as well.