WINTER
TIS’ THE season for rest, reflection AND LETTING GO OF EXTRA STUFF.
During the quiet moments of winter, we can slow down and reflect on the passing year.
It’s also a time for families and friends to gather together and celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Before buying and receiving more things for the holidays, let go of extra stuff in your home.
LA Times reported that the average American home is filled with a staggering 300,000 items.
According to the Professional Organizers of Canada, 83% of Canadians say they are extremely disorganized, and 91% of Canadians feel clutter negatively affects their lives.
Here are some practical tips to guide you in letting go of extra stuff in your home.
Know your priorities. Which belongings in your home are the most important to you? Which activities in your life do you want more time or space for?
Enough is enough! We tend to collect items that we love. A lot of them. I love arts and crafts, so I tend to accumulate lots of paints, ribbons, cards, etc. Determine what is enough and stick to it.
Remove stumbling blocks. Before entering your space of excess, identify which item will be easy to let go of and which will be a challenge. Determine the reasons why it is challenging to let off the items. The reasons are your stumbling blocks.
Most of the stumbling blocks are as follows:
I might need it someday. If you can’t come up with a definite date for ‘someday,’ set an arbitrary date up to six months out in the future. Put the item in a box, write the date on the outside of the box, and move on. If ‘someday’ comes and goes and you have not used the item, you are now free to give it to someone who will actually use it.
I paid so much for this. Sure! But you already spent it! It’s no use feeling guilty looking at it but not using it. Let it go. Donate or sell it.
I can sell it. Alright! So, sell it. Post in Facebook Marketplace and give it for free if it does not sell after two weeks! I am sure you will receive many DMs.
It’s a gift. Well, then, a gift should be used. If not, it is useless. Why not re-gift it to someone who will enjoy using it? You can honour the memory of the gift without holding onto the actual item. You can create a gift logbook. Record who gave you the gift, for what occasion, and why that person is special to you. Focus on the person who gave you the gift instead of feeling tied to the gift itself.
