The way we feel about our homes influences us every day. I think we all want to be happy in our own homes. Here are three removal guidelines that will make our homes happier.
When I saw that it was my Mom on my caller-ID this morning, I smiled to myself. I always enjoy hearing from her. It’s nice to chat, listen to her current news, and share my own. The news I shared with her today was about the 30-Day Minimalism Game that my husband and I are participating in for the month of June. I explained that the game is played by getting rid of one thing on the first day of the month, two things on the second day of the month, three things on the third day, and so on. Whoever can go the longest and get rid of the most things, wins. She was amazed that we would play such a game, and impressed that we were still at it on day 15.
I shared with my Mom how we got inspired to play the game after bringing the film Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things to a local theater, and viewing it with 80 other interested viewers. It was an inspiring film that moved my husband and I into action. As of this date, we have each gotten rid of 120 things. So far it hasn’t been too difficult for either of us, but the game instructions warned us that it gets much more difficult after two weeks , which is now. (I’ll be writing more on the subject when the month is over.)
My Mom shared that she has been cleaning out and getting rid of stuff also. She mentioned that she got rid of some extra bed pillows that she wasn’t using. She also went through her wardrobe and got rid of some clothes that she doesn’t wear. The last thing she mentioned was donating her old greeting cards to St. Judes for recycling. This made me smile even more.
It’s always wonderful to get a phone call from my Mom, but it’s even more special when she shares her organizing stories. As a Professional Organizer I can’t helped but get pumped up when I hear stories about other people organizing and cleaning out their spaces. If you have a story to tell please share it with me.
©June 2016 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All Rights Reserved
Did you know that the amount of items you have on your refrigerator can be an indicator of how much clutter you have? So, if your refrigerator is loaded with items, remove 50% of them, and keep them off for at least 3 months. This may motivate you to reduce clutter in other areas in your home as well.
Sometimes it’s easier to know what we don’t want, than what we do want. If that is the case then start there when organizing. By removing those items we know we don’t want, we have less to look at, deal with, and decide upon. This helps us feel in control and less stressed.
We all hold onto things for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons are valid and worthwhile. For example, I’m holding onto my Grandmother’s necklace, because it’s a beautiful piece of jewelry that I enjoy wearing, especially when I want to be reminded of her. Unfortunately, some reasons for holding onto things are not valid or worthwhile. For example, the only reason I’m holding onto my (never used) serving dishes is because they were a gift. When the reason for holding onto something is not valid or worthwhile, it could be a clutter excuse. Clutter Excuses provide us with reasons to hold onto something, so we don’t have to make the (potentially difficult) decision to get rid of it. I find that honesty is the best policy when it comes to making decisions. By honestly answering thought provoking questions regarding why we are holding on to something, we can truthfully evaluate it’s significance in our lives.
A common clutter excuse I hear is, “Someone gave, or bequeathed it to me.” I believe that a gift is meant to bring joy, and that no gift-giver wants their gift to be a burden. Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s a burden and time to let it go.
Another common clutter excuse I hear is, “It’s still good.” Not everything we part with is broken or unusable. It’s okay to get rid of items we don’t need, want, or use, even if they are still workable and usable. There are several options available to us when passing on items like this, and removing them provides us with a less cluttered space. Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to pass it along to someone else.
I don’t have any children of my own, so I don’t use this common clutter excuse, “I’m saving it to pass on to my children.” Have you uttered this excuse? If so, answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to stop saving and let it go.
It does take time to make decisions and get rid of stuff. Have you ever used time as an excuse? “I don’t have time to deal with it.” Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to make time.
As I mentioned before, we all hold onto things for a variety of reasons, but the best reasons are valid and worthwhile. I hope these questions help you conquer your clutter excuses and provide you with peace of mind.
© May 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All rights reserved
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