Two months later, I'm still trying to keep some of my New Year's resolutions. I know I need to get rid of a lot of stuff to get organized and live more comfortably in my home, but it's really hard for me. I can never make a decision and am afraid I'll be sorry if I donate or toss something. How can I get past my indecision?
"So now you're really ready to reduce the clutter, clean out that closet, or generally simplify your life," says Becca Clark, professional organizer and owner of Creative Convenience and Your Best Move, LCC. "But how do you decide what to keep and what to put back into the universe?"
Clark, recalling a quotation by professional organizer and author Peter Walsh -- "Each pile of clutter is a monument to a series of small procrastinations. It's all about those deferred decisions. Now it's time to make choices, including that overriding one about how you want to live your life."
She advises those wishing to clear the clutter from their own homes to ask themselves these questions as they sort through their own monuments to procrastination:
General items
Was it a purchase mistake? If so, hanging on to the unused and unloved does not make it better, nor does it return value for your investment.
Would I buy it again?
How much can I get (cash, tax deduction, warm fuzzy) by letting go?
Am I ever seriously going to finish this hobby, project or craft?
How difficult would it be to replace if I changed my mind later and pined for it? That satin evening bag bought at a Paris flea market on your honeymoon? Pretty hard to re-create, so keep it. The ancient black cardigan from Lands' End? Easy -- let it go.
Best-selling authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known as The Minimalists, suggest what they call the 20/20 rule. If you can replace something for under $20 in 20 minutes or less, then get it out of your way.
Paper
Am I legally required to keep it?
Can I find the information more quickly online?
Clothes
Do I love it and feel great in it?
Have I been looking for the necessary other piece or accessories for more than a year? If so, accept that you either are not going to find the elusive missing parts or you don't really care enough about this piece to conduct a thorough search.
Does it fit? If not, is it within a reasonable number of size ranges of my current measurements to justify keeping it?
Is it stained or worn, and how would I feel if I ran into a fashionable friend, old flame, my mother, my boss, etc., while wearing it?
Final point: Unless you are a painter, keep only two ratty old outfits to paint in -- maximum.
Memorabilia
Do I have anything else that reminds me of this person or event? Or would a photo be enough?
Is this really a happy memory? People often hold on to mementos that bring up feelings of loss or hurt. Shed that bad energy to make room for more exciting, joyful or loving things to happen.
Is there genuine intrinsic value as an antique or collectible now? Not 25 years from now, maybe, hopefully -- like Beanie Babies.
If it was a gift, would I feel guilty for very long if I let it go? And would the giver truly want me to feel guilty? If they would prefer that you feel bad and sad then reconsider the gift and the giver. You are not obligated to provide stuff a permanent home just because someone else gave it to you.
-- Linda S. Haymes,
for the Democrat-Gazette
HomeStyle on 03/11/2017