Advice I Give Myself

 Recently, I feel the need to reorganize and de-clutter. My recent road trip involved collecting things left behind and driving in a car overstuffed with clothes I probably no longer need and more than likely don’t even want anymore.  I realized how long I hold onto things unnecessarily.  I wore a pair of jeans I have had since high school and then saw a picture of myself in them and grimaced…time to let them go and time to dig in and let go of other things too.

I try to be a conscious buyer and have noticed the difference in many areas of my life. It’s good. I only want to own things I love and that I feel good about buying. I have realized that the purchases that give me the most pleasure are experiences. I want my purchases to reflect that as a priority in my life. Also, it is better for the natural and my own environment.

I called a consignment shop yesterday and plan to use my Sunday to clean out the closets.

My guidelines for letting go of the stuff and getting organized:

1. If I haven’t used or worn it in a year, it goes.

2. If it doesn’t look good on me, it goes, no matter what I paid for it.

3. Pretend like I’m moving, would I want the item to come with me to a new place?  Whenever we move, most of us are shocked by the amount of stuff we manage to collect and I’m no exception. Why am I holding onto a flower lei that I got at a party 5 years ago?

4. Go through notes and type up the things I need to know or that will serve me in google docs, paper gets recycled. Books I’ll never read again go to the library.

5. If it’s broken, it gets fixed, or tossed. If it is dingy, ugly, or tattered, it goes (thinking about night shirts, socks, and underwear here).

6. Anything that reminds me of an unhappy time or experience, goes out.

7. Use these questions about my thoughts and things to guide my decisions. “Who am I? What do I want for my life? What do I want my space to feel like? Will this item serve me?”

Clearing out clutter helps reduce anxiety, saves time in the long run, gives you room to expand, and space to think. Clutter drains our energy and stagnates thoughts and emotions. Sell your stuff to a consignment store or have a garage sale and use the money for an experience!