New Reminders: Decluttering
by Ardith Hoff
Decluttering is a deliberate decision to free ourselves from the overwhelming accumulation of possessions, commitments and thoughts that no longer serve a purpose for us. Some of us think we have controlled things well because we have moved frequently, until we look closely and realize that some boxes have moved with us several times and have never been opened. Some of us think we have kept things under control because we have a clutter free-living space but then remember that we have a room, attic, basement or a storage unit full of things. “Out of sight, out of mind”, does not solve the problem, it just puts off dealing with it for a while.
“A place for everything and everything in its place” works for people who have room for everything to have a designated place, but it too might be misleading. Having everything in a place does not guarantee that you can find it, unless you are one of the few who have a perfect inventory system that helps you keep track of where everything is or have a label on every container that tells what’s in it for easy retrieval.
Some questions to ask ourselves are:
Why am I hanging onto this? Wrong answers might be: “It might come in handy someday” “Because a dear person gave it to me", or “Because it cost too much to just discard or donate”. The only right answer is: “I have a very specific use for it in the near future.”
Have I used or worn this in the past two years? If the answer is “No”, then think further, about the odds you will use or wear it in the next year and does it even work or fit anymore. Yes, styles sometimes do come back around, but always enough different that it isn’t going to work for you, even if you haven’t changed shape. Sell it, toss it or donate it!
Should I sell this thing and get some cash? The answer is “Probably”, but the questions are: “Do I want to go through the hassle?” “Do I have time, and will I actually do it right away or will this thing take up space for another year or more while I procrastinate?” If you are good at following though and have an easy way to sell things, DO SELL! But if you aren’t, DO DONATE! Some people in need should have the blessing of getting something they can use, at a bargain price, and you can write its value off your taxes as a donation to charity.
“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord and He will repay him for his deed.” Proverbs 19:17