Let it Go!

Maintaining a tidy home typically involves having a bag or box of items ready to donate. Our family has one bag upstairs near the bedrooms, and a larger bag or box in the garage. Once they’re filled, it’s time for a Goodwill drop off. Working with clients, I’m constantly talking about items that are no longer wanted or needed and what to do with them. Many are concerned about the “afterlife” of their stuff. So many emotions and judgments are wrapped up in letting items go: guilt for spending the money, guilt because it has to go to the landfill, sadness in the memories the item evokes.  

Letting go of objects is not a waste, it’s an act of ownership. Ownership means responsibility, but not to the object!  You are responsible for how that thing affects you and your ability to function. That is where the real value of anything is found. By deciding to own my closet I could recognize that the blazers that no longer fit were getting in the way. Then it was easy to let them go find a new home with someone who might get real use out of them.

I’m often asked how much of something is appropriate to keep. It can be paper, books, shoes, Tupperware, you name it. The answer is always the same:

1. First ask yourself if the amount you have feels right, or is it a drain? If it really feels right the question usually doesn’t come up, so moving on… If it’s a drain, it’s time to face the process of letting go.

2. How much room do you really have? Our spaces have limits and anytime things are boxed up or in storage, you have surpassed the “reasonable” marker. In order for an amount to be reasonable, it simply has to fit the space you have.

3. The bottom line is that no one can tell you what enough is…in your heart you know when you’ve crossed the line.

• There are only a few exceptions to the “boxed up/ storage” guideline:

  • Papers and records that are archival material; legal, family, business

  • Temporary storage of things like inventory, or possessions that are in transition (from kids, parents, a move) Key word: temporary

  • Seasonal household items that are accessed periodically

  Otherwise any amount of books or clothes should fit the place you keep them…and feel right. 

If you live in the Seattle area and are looking for help organizing your home, I am here to help! You can book an appointment or contact me using the buttons below.

Happy Organizing!