Clean Out Your Stuff
Is this a conversation you have at home?
We have no place to put stuff.
We have too much stuff.
We don’t have the right stuff.
We don’t have the latest stuff.
We don’t have enough stuff.
Our house is filled with stuff.
Some of the stuff isn’t even our stuff.
Some of this stuff came with the place.
We don’t remember when we bought this stuff.
We don’t know why we bought this stuff.
We have no idea what this stuff is for.
To have ownership of stuff and not use or enjoy it is a waste of space.
We have ten unopened boxes of stuff in the basement that moved here with us twelve years ago. I have threatened to put bows on boxes and stick them under the Christmas tree. Whatever is in them at this point would be a surprise. They are going into the trash, unopened. Obviously, we haven’t missed whatever is in there.
Besides going at it blindly, here are some ideas for clearing out your stuff:
1. Put it in view.
If you love it, call it art. Set it on a shelf or hang it on a wall because it makes you happy every time you look at it.
2. Give it away.
Clean and pass on clothes or household items in good condition to friends and strangers. A young homeless woman could care less about your color choice of puffy coat (Orange, really?) because it’s cleaner and warmer than anything she owns. It’s called charity.
3. Repurpose it.
Cracked bowls for planters, old tee shirts for pillow stuffing. Pinterest is loaded with ideas for taking stuff and turning it into other stuff. It’s called recycling or upcycling. If you or someone else has no use for it,
4. Throw it out.
Stuff that serves no good purpose to you or anyone else has no place in your space. Yeah, sure, GoGo boots will make a comeback someday but your feet won’t. Chuck ‘em, and the four other bags of groovy outfits from high school. It’s called trash.
Clear out, clean up, purge, whatever you call it, just do it. Holding onto stuff doesn’t make it last longer. Holding onto stuff for years because you think someday you’ll need it, suffocates your space. Grandma’s set of whisk brooms has a new name: Roomba.
Cleaning out gives you room to breathe. Before you bring more stuff in, admire your cleared out space. It took a weekend of purging but I am still admiring my neat closet. And now there really is absolutely nothing to wear.
BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!
Original graphic: Stephanie DelTorchio
Image: Pixabay