You’re stuck on an item — not sure if it’s a keeper or something you can throw away, today I’m going to give you five questions you can ask yourself to decide if that item belongs in your home storage or not.
Of course, not all of these 5 things will work each family, but it’s a good place to start — so be sure to pick the ones that work for you! AND be sure to read on for why One of the key points that many people miss when organizing is at the end. 🙂
And, before we get started, if you want to let loose, be sure to take the 5 word challenge. It really helps simplify the process and helps you do it faster — which probably sounds pretty cool!
Ok, on to the questions….
I say “throw away” because sometimes that means donation, sometimes it means trash. It depends on the item and how best to remove it from your home. I’m a big fan of donating when it’s right, but sometimes trash is your best bet!
How much or how easy to replace it?
So often we hold large things we don’t use take up a lot of space and the big question — how easy is it to replace?
Can you find it under $30 at a local big box store? Then it might not be worth it to “pay” to store it in your home “just in case”. For everyone, that dollar amount will be different, but so often we keep things that we can use ONCE that we could easily borrow from a friend maybe, or grab at a big box store in case we need it .
Remember: Every item you keep in your home pays “rent” to be there. It increases your inconvenience and replaces something else you could have at this point — are they good “tenants”?
Can anything else do the same job?
The kitchen is the worst for this. I keep some gadget that separates eggs, when in reality I usually just use eggshells to do the job.
Can anything else do the same job?
Is this something that makes life THAT much more convenient? If not, throw it away.
I know I gave my mom a MILLION of those disposable gadgets to do what she did in the kitchen. Even if it was a gift, it’s okay to throw it away!
Will my kids treasure it when I’m gone?
I just had a few nice days for my parents to move from a 6,000 square foot house to a 900 foot condo. It really puts the spotlight on what your family WANTS to keep and what no one really cares about.
At a certain age you will realize that your stuff should be taken care of by someone else — and they do really do you want this item?
I will say that there are items that I still treasure, but there was A LOT that we held on to for years that didn’t make sense and were dealt with by the estate sale.
Of course, it’s okay to keep things you still love, but if that number is large enough, you might want to question whether your family will also treasure it.
Would I move it to a new, smaller house?
As I said above — as you start to scale back things become much clearer.
So often we keep A LOT in smaller spaces in our home when we would be happier with less to take care of, even in our larger homes.
Asking yourself if you’ll put in the effort to move the item to a new home is a great way to clarify what matters and what matters less.
Why do I struggle with this?
Finally, Unclogging should be a fairly quick task. There should be a few hard yeses to things you love and use often. There are probably also a lot of no’s for things that you’re just not in love with anymore.
I think it’s important to look at a few things:
- If you are having a lot of trouble (with many species)maybe it’s time to work on your mindset — WHY do you want to unload this area and is it really worth your time to build a smooth running system?
- If this is just one item you struggle with — ask yourself why?
- Is it a gift from someone you love? Remember this relationship and how important they are to you.
- Does it remind you of a bygone era? Remember how great those days were and send this item with love to other people who are going through the same things.
- Could a photo of the item still bring you joy as you look through your photos. This is an easy way to remember something without having to keep it.
I think too often We don’t think about our mindset as we enter the decompression sequence and the organization of our home.
I know I often forget my own mindset as I set tasks like this. But I have found a solution.
The Organized Home really dives what you want for each specific area. When you are sure of your purpose and what you want out of things, I think organization comes very easily.
Plus, I give you ideas for systems that work to get you started with this in your home. You can start today with just a few dollars, then cancel when you’re done (no obligation to stay).
You’re not sure you are enough ready for the full run. Join me in my totally free 5 word organization challenge!
