The simplest way to organize
The simplest way to organize is to have less. The simplest way to have less is to buy less. The less we have the less we have to organized, maintain and manage.
Tag Archive for: simple organizing
Let go of Someday
Do you hold onto things because you think you might need them someday? It’s tempting to believe in someday. However, I want you to reconsider and think about these possible scenarios.
Someday arrives and…
- You can’t find that specific item you’ve been holding onto for all these years. It’s not where you thought it was.
- The thing you saved is no longer in working condition and you have to purchase a new one.
- You can’t get at it because it’s buried under a pile of stuff.
- You’ve wasted so much time looking for it, you’ve decided it’s easier to make do without or to find an alternative solution.
- You’ve decided to let it go, but it no longer has any value. No one wants it, and you have to pay to get it out of your house.
In my 14 years of helping people organize their homes, these scenarios happen all the time. People cling to items thinking they will be of value at some point in the future. They can’t pinpoint when that timeframe is, so they use the word someday. However a much more common occurrence is the someday they’ve been waiting, and waiting and waiting for, never arrives!
I do want to point out the difference between being prepared for possible emergencies and disasters verses holding onto items for a hypothetical someday. When you build an emergency kit you’re taking precautions to protect you and your family. When you cling to items that you MIGHT use SOMEDAY you’re avoiding making a decision on these items.
Therefore I urge you to let go of someday! Make room for today.
©October 2021 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer All rights reserved
Best way to decided about clothes
The cool weather of fall is upon us. It’s time to reintroduce sweaters and corduroy pants into our wardrobe. A great way to decided if you’d like to keep the summer clothes you’re packing away is to describe them. Limit your description to one or two adjectives per item. For example, hold up a summer dress and say, ” You’re colorful and fun. I’ll keep you.” or “You’re drab and dated. You must go.”
Try it and let me know if it works for you.
Could you find me a spoon?
If you invited me into your home could you find me a spoon? Of course, but what about a postage stamp, last year’s W2 form or tweezers? Are those things stored in a place that is easy to locate? Having a designated spot for things is the guiding principle of organization. So, treat every item as if it were a spoon and give it a designated storage spot.
Most important question when deciding to keep
Editing our possessions annually is a healthy organizing practice. This helps us prevent clutter build up. When editing our belongings there is one question we can ask ourselves to help us decide weather to keep or not keep something. That question is, “Would I buy it again if I didn’t already own it?”. If the answer is ‘no’ then let the item go.
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