10 Things You Can Let Go Today

Photo by Mister GC

People often are afraid that they’ll miss things when they let them go. 

When I ask clients how they feel after they’ve cleared out their clutter, they rarely say they’re sorry about not having something anymore.

 

Before you let go of something, ask yourself if you use it regularly, if you could borrow from someone if you needed it, or if you could replace it quickly and inexpensively. Skis? Maybe not. Fondue pot? Maybe so. You make the decision, based on your criteria.

 

In the meantime, here are 10 things you can toss right now and never miss:

1.  Old newspapers – they’re not news anymore

2.  Old magazines – the content in most magazines is repeated regularly

3.  Expired medicines – prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can become hazardous when they’re old; dispose of them properly in the trash, don’t flush them!

4.  Old spices – they lose their pungency after a year or so

5.  Pencil stubs – even more so if the eraser is gone

6.  Twist ties – sure, keep a few, but do you need 60?

7.  Rubber bands – see twist ties, above

8.  Unidentified electric cords or cables – if you don’t own the product they went to, they have no value (Note: when you get a new piece of electronic equipment, take a minute to label the cords)

9.  Product information and warranties for things you no longer own

10. Receipts for food, gasoline, or anything else that you’ve already consumed

 

Are there other things that would be easy for you to let go?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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10 Things You Can Let Go Today

Photo by Mister GC

People often are afraid that they’ll miss things when they let them go. 

When I ask clients how they feel after they’ve cleared out their clutter, they rarely say they’re sorry about not having something anymore.

 

Before you let go of something, ask yourself if you use it regularly, if you could borrow from someone if you needed it, or if you could replace it quickly and inexpensively. Skis? Maybe not. Fondue pot? Maybe so. You make the decision, based on your criteria.

 

In the meantime, here are 10 things you can toss right now and never miss:

1.  Old newspapers – they’re not news anymore

2.  Old magazines – the content in most magazines is repeated regularly

3.  Expired medicines – prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can become hazardous when they’re old; dispose of them properly in the trash, don’t flush them!

4.  Old spices – they lose their pungency after a year or so

5.  Pencil stubs – even more so if the eraser is gone

6.  Twist ties – sure, keep a few, but do you need 60?

7.  Rubber bands – see twist ties, above

8.  Unidentified electric cords or cables – if you don’t own the product they went to, they have no value (Note: when you get a new piece of electronic equipment, take a minute to label the cords)

9.  Product information and warranties for things you no longer own

10. Receipts for food, gasoline, or anything else that you’ve already consumed

 

Are there other things that would be easy for you to let go?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Quote: Don’t Overthink It

Photo by anankkml

Last weekI had a speaking engagement and people asked variants of the same questions I hear regularly: Where do I start? Where can I take my stuff? How much should I keep? Where’s the best place to put it?

I assured them that it doesn’t matter where they start or who ends up with the things they don’t want anymore. Those aren’t the big issues.

Asking yourself how you want to live is the big issue.

 

To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing. - Eva Young

 

Too often, people get tangled up in all the planning they think they need to do before they can start an organizing project. The planning then becomesthe project and nothing changes because all the energy was spent on creating an elaborate plan instead of digging in to the clutter.

Don’t think too hard about every little detail and all the possible downsides of every decision. If you aren’t comfortable living the way you do, you know you need to make some changes. Start small. Make a decision. Live with it. Make another. Make an adjustment. Keep at it.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook.com and pinterest
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Quote: Don’t Overthink It

Photo by anankkml

Last week I had a speaking engagement and people asked variants of the same questions I hear regularly: Where do I start? Where can I take my stuff? How much should I keep? Where’s the best place to put it?

I assured them that it doesn’t matter where they start or who ends up with the things they don’t want anymore. Those aren’t the big issues.

Asking yourself how you want to live is the big issue.

 

To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing. - Eva Young

 

Too often, people get tangled up in all the planning they think they need to do before they can start an organizing project. The planning then becomes the project and nothing changes because all the energy was spent on creating an elaborate plan instead of digging in to the clutter.

Don’t think too hard about every little detail and all the possible downsides of every decision. If you aren’t comfortable living the way you do, you know you need to make some changes. Start small. Make a decision. Live with it. Make another. Make an adjustment. Keep at it.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook.com and pinterest
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Clutter Roundup



Illustration by Stuart Miles

Every day I read articles about organizing and productivity and I mention the best ones on twitter. In case you’ve missed them, here is a roundup of some recent articles about clutter:

How to downsize a lifetime of your parents' stufffrom @grandparentscom

Less is more when it comes to clutterby @kmsYGGfor @pokjournal

10 quick tips for organizing paperat home from @mental_floss

The uncluttered gift of presencefrom @joshua_becker

All is not lost. @zannsplace finds that clutterclearing is possible @culpeperse

You can find more of my tweets here: https://twitter.com/OrganizedMarcie

Have you read anything about clutter you’d like to share?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

Clutter Roundup



Illustration by Stuart Miles

Every day I read articles about organizing and productivity and I mention the best ones on twitter. In case you’ve missed them, here is a roundup of some recent articles about clutter:

How to downsize a lifetime of your parents' stuff from @grandparentscom

Less is more when it comes to clutter by @kmsYGG for @pokjournal

10 quick tips for organizing paper at home from @mental_floss

The uncluttered gift of presence from @joshua_becker

All is not lost. @zannsplace finds that clutter clearing is possible @culpeperse

You can find more of my tweets here: https://twitter.com/OrganizedMarcie

Have you read anything about clutter you’d like to share?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

What's in Your File Cabinet?

 

People often tell me that they accumulate piles of paper because their file cabinets are full. In honor of National Archive Your Files Month, take a look at what you’re keeping where.

• Active files are those that you use regularly, for work in progress
• Reference files are those you use less often, to refer back to when you need information
• Archives are for things you probably never look at but need to keep, like old tax files or documents related to the purchase of your house

If your file cabinet can’t take another piece of paper, chances are good that you’re holding on to stuff you don’t need or keeping it in the wrong place.

While you’re sorting tax paperwork, weed through your papers and let go of the ones that have lost their meaning.

Talk to your tax preparer about the documents you need to keep to back up your taxes, as well as how long to keep them. Tax files don’t need to be kept with your daily files. You can box up tax files and put them in a less accessible place like a closet or under a bed.

I recommend a fire- and water-resistant safe for archive files like birth certificates, passports, car titles and home deeds. Rather than having those documents in a safe deposit box at the bank, you can access them more quickly when they’re in your home.

Do you keep your archive files in a separate place from your working files?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter,  facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

 

 

 

What's in Your File Cabinet?

 

People often tell me that they accumulate piles of paper because their file cabinets are full. In honor of National Archive Your Files Month, take a look at what you’re keeping where.

• Active files are those that you use regularly, for work in progress
• Reference files are those you use less often, to refer back to when you need information
• Archives are for things you probably never look at but need to keep, like old tax files or documents related to the purchase of your house

If your file cabinet can’t take another piece of paper, chances are good that you’re holding on to stuff you don’t need or keeping it in the wrong place.

While you’re sorting tax paperwork, weed through your papers and let go of the ones that have lost their meaning.

Talk to your tax preparer about the documents you need to keep to back up your taxes, as well as how long to keep them. Tax files don’t need to be kept with your daily files. You can box up tax files and put them in a less accessible place like a closet or under a bed.

I recommend a fire- and water-resistant safe for archive files like birth certificates, passports, car titles and home deeds. Rather than having those documents in a safe deposit box at the bank, you can access them more quickly when they’re in your home.

Do you keep your archive files in a separate place from your working files?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter,  facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

 

 

 

Reader Question – How to Handle Other People’s Clutter

As difficult as it is for many people to manage their own clutter, it’s even tougher when you’re faced with someone else’s stuff. A reader asked how to get family members to commit to letting go of clutter.

When only one person in a household is committed to the process, you are going to feel offended when your efforts aren’t respected by others. You lose motivation when your work is discounted and when family members attempt to disrupt the work you’ve done, it can lead to anger all around.

It’s not easy to make changes and it’s even more difficult when you don’t have buy-in from others.

When parents complain that their kids leave stuff strewn about the house, I ask if they’ve set up systems and trained their kids so that the systems work. Even small children can be taught to place dirty clothes in hampers and put toys away before bedtime. Teenagers can be taught, too.

The most important thing to remember is that everyone wants to know What’s In It For Me? People who haven’t been expected to pick up after themselves need a reason to start now. Find some payoff: it’s easier to get ready in the morning, you won’t be fighting all the time, there’ll be more time for fun things, etc.

Sometimes, the best way to handle other people’s clutter, however, is to let it be. Allowing a cluttered space (e.g., closet, garage, basement, shed) that can be closed away from the rest of the home, in return for keeping common areas uncluttered, may be the best compromise.

Do you have challenges with other people’s clutter?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!