Borrow instead of buy. The concept of borrowing doesn’t only apply to library books. I often borrow my sister’s sewing machine and my friend’s garden tools. This allows me use of these items without having to store, organize, or maintain them. This tip works best if it’s for something you use occasionally. If you use a small item more than four times a year it’s worth owning. A larger item requires more usage before being worthy of purchase.
Stagnant means lifeless, inactive. Do you have stagnant things in your home? Do you have things that have outlived their usefulness? I think we all do. The longer we live in our spaces the more comfortable we get with our surroundings. It becomes easy to ignore papers that don’t require action, gadgets we tried once, and random things that have become part of our decor. After a while we don’t see these things any longer. They morph into the background of our homes.
After attending a conference session on Feng Shui I decided to get rid of stagnant things in my home. I’ll list 10 stagnant things I removed my home to help you get motivated to do the same.
These 10 stagnant things may not seem like much, but they have a way of piling up and cluttering our homes. I encourage you to take a good look at your home and reevaluate what’s in your space. If you find stagnant things, get rid of them. You’ll improve the energy of your home (Feng Shui) which will have a positive impact on you.
©June 2021 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All Rights Reserved
We all have sentimental items. Saying goodbye to those items can be difficult. A prolonged goodbye is not a bad thing. It may take more than one pass to be ready to let it go. Start with the least sentimental stuff and work your way towards the things that hold more memories.
A maybe box is a good option especially if you need some time to think about your decision to let go or not. While you’re deciding remove those maybe items from your every day living space.
Going paperless sounds like a great idea, but unfortunately, there will always be some papers we need to keep. These papers are often referred to as vital documents. I recommend keeping only one of them, the most recent copy and keeping it in a safe spot. I use a portable fireproof lock box for my important documents.
If you have questions about papers that are not listed above please refer to my blog article titled Paper: what to keep and for how long. If you’d like more guidance, below are some questions you can ask to help you determine what’s worth holding on to.
What is the specific need and use of this paper?
Is this current and up-to-date information?
Did I request this information?
Will this paper help me complete a project I’m working on now?
Are there tax, legal, or insurance reasons to keep this paper?
Is this information important and referred to often?
When have I needed to reference this type of information? How often?
How easily can this information be obtained elsewhere or again if needed?
Will this information be outdated by the time I need it?
What is the worst that will happen if I throw this paper away?
Is doubt and indecision the only reason for keeping this paper?
Paper management can be challenging, but the more often you make decisions the better off you’ll be.
©May 2021 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All rights reserved
Empty space does not equal available space. Allow yourself some breathing room and wiggle room. Spaces will function more efficiently if they are not over stuffed. Allow yourself empty space in closets, file cabinets, kitchen cupboards, dresser drawers, and book shelves. This will make organizing and maintaining those spaces much easier.
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