Organizing by Simplifying
How To Start Getting Rid of Stuff – Get Rid of “Maybe” Items

In a day or so we’re going to look at some ideas for what to do with sentimental objects you’re keeping around. But first, I wanted to see how getting rid of maybe items is going for everyone. If you’re having issues, I wanted to point out some easy tips for people who are having trouble getting rid of their what if items. If you can’t get rid of basic what if items, then managing sentimental what if items is going to be near impossible. Here are some tips:

Bring in someone who could care less about your stuff: Have a pal come visit for a day of organizing. If you’ve got stuff to get rid of, and it’s hard for you, a person who could care less is really helpful. Note that a person who could care less is almost anyone but you. Almost no one will have the same attachments to your what if items as you do. Better yet most people will say so. For instance, most people will gleefully point out that it’s just plain silly to have three colanders because seriously, when will you ever be able to physically drain three pots at once? Another person’s view point on what’s worth getting rid of can really help your clutter purging process.

Create a keep and don’t keep box only: When sorting clutter you only need these two boxes. Some people add a third box, the “not sure” box. Not sure boxes are almost totally useless. If you can’t decide between worth keeping and not worth keeping, it’s likely not worth keeping and should go into the don’t keep box. The only time you should put a maybe item in a box is if you plan on seriously re-visiting the box in a month, as I talked about here. This tactic should be used sparingly though.

Play the fast sorting game: Don’t dwell. Half the problem of sorting clutter is the dwelling process. I’ve seen folks dwell for days over a set of silverware. For pete’s sake you can always buy another set. The best (and sort of interesting) way to beat the dwell syndrome is to go fast. This works well with clothing, because clothing can be tossed quickly. Gather a pile of clothes. Grab one and immediately say keep or don’t keep; the first thing that comes to your mind. You can do this with all items and it’s always fun to see what you’ll say. I did this with about 1/2 of my book collection and it was shocking what I gave up. I don’t miss any of them either.

Sort visible clutter first: If you tackle the clutter you can see vs. the boxes stored in your closet, you get a cool prize; instant visual benefits and satisfaction. Your home will start to look better and feel better right away. Bonus, it gives you clutter reducing confidence to tackle the harder sentimental items.

Don’t get discouraged: On TV when you see people come in to a declutter an area, or you read a book with examples of clearing clutter, the time line can throw you. It seems quick to declutter when you see or read about a pro doing it, but the real-life process can take time. Go drawer by drawer and shelf by shelf. Don’t save give-a-way items, keep on making a weekly trip to the Goodwill. Every small box of stuff that leaves your house is one small box less of stuff in your house. It’s a big deal – small steps that will eventually add up.

The next post on simplifying will be on the sentimental what if items, which are tough, so if you’re having issues with basics, leave a comment, and hopefully another reader or I can offer some more advice.

Post from: Blisstree

Revisiting “What If” Items – Tips for Clearing Clutter

The biggest issue surrounding clutter build-up is honestly that people simply buy too many things. However, we’ll discuss tactics for avoiding bad purchases later on. Today, we’re going to look at how you can start clearing out the clutter you’ve already accumulated.

For some people this is an easy task. Some find it harder, and still others find it near impossible. I actually know someone who finds it almost gut wrenching to get rid of anything. She’s a true pack rat – but to her this stuff is necessary. She recently moved and she asked me to help her clear out her back rooms. Three rooms full of boxes of stuff, rooms that no one ever goes in, and stuff that no one ever sees, yet she can’t just let it go. It took us three days to sort through about 10 boxes because we’d go back and fourth – me saying, “When are you ever going to use this?” And her saying, “You never know.”

That said, the very first tip to getting rid of stuff and reducing clutter is…

“You never know” or “Maybe one day I’ll use them” items are things you need to let go. I know so many people with boxes, and spaces full of “You never know” stuff.

Here’s the problem. While you own these maybe items, you still need to store them, sort them, clean them, and think about them. Maybe items are items that do nothing more than waste space and time. Here are some items like this that you may have laying around:

• Baby clothing for when you maybe have that next baby.
• The exercise bike you might use to get into shape – plus the drawer full of exercise clothes.
• Magazines from 2002 that you might go through and pull the interesting articles from.
• A monkey shaped cake pan, because you never know when someone might want a monkey shaped cake.
• 8 pairs of jeans that fit you five years ago. BUT they might fit you if you rode the darn exercise bike!
• Notebooks full of college assignments. What if you decided to go back to school and needed those note?
• 10 cans of organic tomatoes that were on sale. The big fatty ones, for when you eventually learn to make homemade spaghetti sauce.
• A shed full of gardening items; seeds, pots, bags of soil, and more. But really, don’t you always buy your veggies at the store?
• Craft supplies you’ve been saving in case you need to make something crafty spur of the moment.
• Romantic candles you never light.
• 30 sets of coasters – your family doesn’t use coasters – but they are kind of cool to collect. At least you have the biggest, coolest coaster collection on the block!

This is all stuff I know people have. There are hundreds of other maybe items that people own. I even own a few – which is annoying. Among my own maybe items are some baby girl dresses (you know, for when I get that daughter) and extra photo albums (for when I finally get them filled up). On the plus side I recently realized that they are just maybe items and so they’re on the way out.

This week your goal is to get rid of 5 maybe items.

Trust me, you have 5 maybe items.

If that’s too hard then write down 5 maybe items you own on a piece of paper. Think about it all week. Are you honestly, really, 100% sure, that the golf clubs, the camping gear, the old books will come in handy. If you’re not sure pack them up and put the items somewhere where you can’t see them for a month. If you don’t miss them at the end of the month, if no one in the house said, “Hey, where did the golf clubs go?” then get rid of them.

If you can get rid of 5 maybe items each week, that’s a really big step toward decluttering your world. It will become a huge deal. As you clear stuff out, space will appear, your dusting load will lighten, and you’ll feel a lot better. This is only one step on the road to a more simple, more organized, and easier way of life – but it’s the most important step.

Why is this step so hard? Because it forces you to look at what really matters. It means you have to be sickeningly honest with yourself and admit who you are.

It might feel a little sad to get rid of that gardening stuff, because that really does prove that you aren’t going to be a gardener, no matter how cool it sounded. It’s depressing to get rid of the jeans that you wish you still fit into, but maybe once you clear out the clutter of your life, you’ll have time to workout, and then, guess what, you can buy new skinny jeans.

Are there any maybe items you should have around?:

Yes. Items like safety supplies, first aid kits, extra water in case of an emergency, etc. Stuff like this is all ok to have around. I hope that they stay maybe items, maybe you’ll never have to use them, and that’s perfect. As long as you’re not excessive, emergency items aren’t technically maybe items.

Let me know in the comments which 5 maybe items you’re going to toss this week (or pack up). Next up in the how to organize by simplifying series, we’ll look at how to stop the inflow of new maybe items. We’ll also eventually look at how to handle maybe items that you feel are sentimental. Sentimental maybe items are a whole other ballgame from typical maybe items, but we can deal with it. I’ve got some ideas.

Post from: Blisstree

How To Start Getting Rid of Stuff – Get Rid of “Maybe” Items