Organizing Your Home: What to Get Rid Of, What to Keep, and Where to Start
Are there things that are cluttering up your home that you want to get rid of but you’re afraid you may need them in the future?
The most common two questions I get as a professional organizer are:
“How do I decide what I can get rid of?”
“How do I know I won’t need that item again?”
In this article I will reveal the secret: knowing what items to get rid of, what items to keep, and where to begin.
What to Get Rid Of: Get rid of everything in your home that is not meaningful or useful. How do you know whether you’ll need that item again!? You don’t! You only know you don’t need it now. What you must believe is this: you’ll have the resources to get it again, because you had the resources to get it the first time. Trust the market place. It’s as eager as you are to exchange stuff. If you ever need that item again, you can easily find a substitute on Craigslist, eBay, or one of the many online free markets across the US.
Let’s just say you sell an unused bookcase on Craigslist for $40 and that one year later you decide you need a bookcase. You will be able to find one within a week or two. Usually you can find one that even better suits your needs. In addition, you have had $40 in your pocket for the past year.
What to Keep: Keep items that are either useful or meaningful. If you tend to love memorabilia, but cannot let go of it, try this simple three-step process.
1. Prioritize the items you value and keep the top 10 things that mean the most to you.
2. Display your items to honor your memories. Frame a special t-shirt, hang unique items on the wall, or create a shadow box of meaningful jewelry, news clippings, etc.
3. Find a single, large bin or box (less than 15 gallon) for each family member. Pull out favorites and fill the bins. Bless another person by donating or selling the remaining items.
Where to Get Started: Prioritize all the areas you want organized and make a list. Begin with the area you use most often. In one area:
Start by removing stuff that is definitely recycling or garbage. You will, most likely, get distracted but only focus on garbage; don’t touch anything else. Here is a tip for focusing: play your favorite song and have all garbage removed by the time the song ends.
Next, place three large bins in your working area. One bin for things to be donated, one for things that can be sold, and one for things that belong someplace else. If needed, you can get more bins. When done sorting, move the bins to a different area.
After all items have been sorted you can begin organizing. Organize only the items you are keeping. Re-evaluate the area. What specific purpose should it serve? How can you make the most of the space? Is there a way to use the walls to display items and keep them off the floor? Let the answers to these questions direct the organizational process.
If you get stuck on one of these steps, or if you need help maximizing your space, consider hiring a professional organizer. Check with the National Association of Professional Organizers (napo.net) to find a qualified organizer in your area.
Heidi DeCoux is publisher of Life Made Simple e-Magazine, a professional organizer and creator of the Fast-Filing Method home office filing system. Heidi energizes her readers’ by simplifying their homes … schedules. For more info, free tips, and to receive her FREE Report: The Fast … Easy Way to Get Organized and Stay Organized Forever, visit ClearSimpleLiving.com
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Tags: Home Improvement, home organization, living simple, Organization for the Home, organizing tips, organizing your home