Five Steps to Start Organizing

Organizing Broken Down Into Five Steps

Organizing can be broken down into five main steps. Organizing a desk, room or home can be completely overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you do with everything? How much will it cost?

So often we don’t do anything because we don’t know how to do it, or it seems too “big” to do anything. But to do nothing accomplishes nothing.

Step 1: Pick your target zone.

Decide what area you want to work on first. Don’t say, my whole house. More like; I want to work on the desk in the corner of the family room. The hard part when you get sorting is to stick to that target zone. You can’t take an item into another room to put away, because then you will see something in that room that you want to move and you will lose focus.

Step 2: Set an appointment on your calendar to start your project.

Try to give yourself at least 2 hours to start your project. Hopefully if you haven’t started too big you can finish. Take “before” pictures. When you finish and take your “after” pictures, it will help to keep you motivated to not let it get back the way it was before.

Step 3: Have your supplies ready to start.

Do not go out and buy a bunch of organizational products. You do not know what you are going to need yet. You may have it somewhere in your home.
I suggest getting
1) Black trash bags for trash
2) White trash bags for donate (so you don’t throw away your donate bags.)
3) Boxes or clear bins
4) Labels – masking tape can do the job and a sharpie marker.
5) Your sorting lists

Step 4: Make Sorting Lists

Just get any piece of paper and a marker and write this on each one:
1) KEEP – Love it, wear it, use it, Can’t live without it
2) DONATE- Don’t like it or use it, doesn’t fit, it is still in good shape.
3) MOVE – It doesn’t belong in this room
4) STORE – Seasonal items, occasional use like camping or skiing equip etc.
5) TOSS – Trash, torn, broken, missing pieces, not in any shape for anyone to use.

Step 5: Start Sorting

Each item in the space needs to be decided on. You have to make fast decisions. Give yourself about 5-10 seconds for each thing. Do not sit and recall memories for each item, or start looking at old pictures. When you do that you are “personalizing” that item. The goal here in order to get through these things is to “depersonalize” the items.  For some extra help, you can read my post on the 5 steps for sorting

 

Jewelry Organizing

Do You Still have a Jewelry Box?

I do!!  Actually I have two of them.  I call it the double stack!  Why do I have two?  Because one was my mine and one was my mothers. When she passed away I kept it.I do not have a lot of “mom” memorabilia, but I do enjoy having this on my dresser.

Because I didn’t want to take up my dresser space with having both of them separate, and I do not get in them very often, it just made sense to stack them.  Does it look good… no, and that is part of the reason I wanted to take care of it.

What a mess huh?

Here is my other jewelry box, the one that used to be Mom’s.

Step One:  Sort

The hard part is going through and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. You decide jewelry just like any other item you have to sort through.  Ask yourself these questions:

1) Do you love it?
2) Have you worn it in the last year?
3) Is it broken or un-usable in some way?
4) Is it valuable or costume jewelry?

Sort into piles:

1) Keep (You wear it frequently, or at least once a year)
2) Sell, ebay or give to family – Jewelry that you don’t want, but is valuable
3) Donate – things you don’t like, wear
4) Trash, recycle – broken, not worth fixing or selling for gold etc.

Once you have sorted out what you will actually wear (I bet there is MUCH less than you thought) you need to put it back into the jewelry box (or whatever means you have to organize your jewelry)

I decided to give this jewelry box (which was mine) to my step daughter.  I didn’t need two and even though I like how this one is laid out a bit better than Mom’s, it wasn’t a big deal.  I wanted to continue enjoying seeing my Mom’s jewelry box on my dresser.

I put back in the items that I knew I would wear. This is really just my nicer jewelry.

I keep most of my costume wearable jewelry in the bathroom on my twirly hook and other Belles Dangle jewelry shelf.

This is the Belle’s Dangle shelf.

I now have just one jewelry box on my dresser that is sorted through. I am going to sell a couple things on ebay (hopefully), I gave a few appropriate things to my step daughter and I will donate the rest that is in good shape.

It looks better, feels better and I have a very happy step daughter.

When was the last time you went through your jewelry?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What would Sandy Suggest? – Mel’s Desk

Let’s Organize it … Shall We?

I have had many people ask me to help them figure out what to do in their rooms.  It is difficult to really organize via virtual means, but there isn’t any reasons I can’t give some suggestions as to what I think they could try.

Mel from MamaBuzz is the first willing participant…. lol  She would like some help with her office. She said she and her husband share this space. But because they have been just using it lately for putting “stuff” in it.

First off let me say that this room doesn’t look bad at all.  I am seeing some really positive things that I want to mention right off the bat

1) Love the shelves on the wall.

2) The file drawers are being utilized. Looks like the one might be part of the desk unit, and if not, it it tucked in nice so that it isn’t taking up extra space.  The other one may be too big to go underneath on the other side.  But even so, it is being used as a surface.

3) I see several organizing elements here, the scrapbook/craft organizer on the left and the vertical file unit on the right hand part of the desk.

From this shot the main problems I am seeing are:

1) Clutter on the desk top

2) “Stuff” on the left on the  floor and more “stuff” on the right hand side of the picture.

Let’s take a closer look at this part of the desk area.

First off I see several things that don’t belong on a desk.  It looks like there may be an apron, or some kind of cloth bag that is yellow, black and white.  I am seeing a calendar that hasn’t been changed since November, Christmas cards in front of the keyboard and a basket full of things that I bet aren’t even used.

I would suggest:

1) Sorting through all the items on the desk.  Go through the steps..

Keep – Do I use it, Love it and Need it?

Donate – I don’t like it, or use it..but it is still in good shape  (Christmas cards can be donated too!)

Move To another Room – Does it belong in this room. If that is apron, I’d say no.

Storage – Season items that do get used but only once or twice a year. (i.e. Christmas decorations, camping gear)

Pitch/Recycle – Trash, broken or torn items. Can’t be donated.

2) Decide if that vertical file has been working for you.  Are you keeping it up?  Or did you start it and never went back to it?

3) Go through that basket and decide if it really is serving a function in that location – or is it just serving as a dumping place for little things?

4) I’m not sure what is behind the vertical file. It appears to be some kind of printer or something. If the vertical file system works, I would move that calendar and basket and move the vertical file in that location against the wall. That will free up some desk space.

5) The rest of that clutter needs to be sorted and moved off the surface.

6) If that is a printer, is it hooked up and working?  Is it used?  If so.. then it stays. If not, then move it off that space.

Zones

The objective here is to keep the zones for items that Mel uses daily.. closest to her chair.

“A Zone” would be the things she uses daily that need to be within reach.

“B Zone” would be things that she uses every few days.  Out and accessible, but it is ok to roll the chair over to them or stand up to reach.

“C Zone” would be things that are used maybe once every 1-2 weeks

“D Zone” would be things that should stay in the office, but are ok to store.

1) Here again she needs to sort first.  There are games that need to go with the kids toys and games.  Looks like a tin from Christmas goodies etc.

2) The craft area looks nice. The question would be: Do you use this for your crafting?  If so, than fantastic. If it has been 2 years since you touched it, then it is time to think about at least packing it up and storing it until you have the time to work on it.

3) I see my stethoscope! LOL  So funny, that is exactly like the one I have lost at my pediatricians office.  Mine is a light purple, and last time I saw it, it was in my locker.  Ok… back to business..

4) Keep the scrap booking if you use it.  I see another machine there, maybe a circuit cutter or laminator?  If it is used, then great.

5) If it is used frequently, leave it there. If not, would it be possible to put on top of the craft organizer?

6) The pink tray that appears to possibly be an “in” box on top of the craft organizer.  First off.. is it an “in” box.  If so, would it be possible to mount something on the wall as you walk into the office for bills and incoming papers?  It might make it more convenient and get that surface freed up.

7) The little black basket beside the craft organizer. What is that being used for?

8) I think most all of this just needs to be sorted through, and relocated, pitched or donated.

Next week we are going to tackle another area of Mel’s office.

Mel – Please pick up my button and put it on your site for participating in the first, “What Would Sandy Suggest” series. If you would like to be featured on What Would Sandy suggest, then please leave a comment and email and we’ll chat.

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This post is linked to:

Tools Are For Woman Too

Organizing: How To Sort the Clutter video

Knowing How To Sort through All your Clutter is an important Step in Learning to Organize a Space

Something as simple as these sorting cards can make your sorting of all your clutter much easier.  They work as guidelines when you have something you aren’t sure about. When you have an item that you just don’t know. Look at that “Keep Card” and read the requirements underneath the “Keep”.
Realize that if you have this much clutter and the room is full, then obviously there is not enough room in the space for everything to stay – so some things will HAVE to go. You can do it!

Tips for sorting:

Take 5-10 seconds per item.  Make fast decisions – don’t start reminiscing with the things you are going through – or you will never get through everything.  Then the time you have put aside to work on your project will be wasted.

Really make sure that if you are keeping an item – you do LOVE it, you USE it and you WANT it.  Does it fit into the plans you visualized for this room? If not donate it.

Make a set of signs for yourself.  You can put the same that I have down on mine, or you can adjust them for yourself.  But be tough! Once you have done enough sorting, then you probably won’t need your signs anymore….but they really help to begin with.

If you want to use boxes to place things in… that is fine – then it makes it easier to carry items to other places – but generally the boxes get filled quickly – so I don’t always use them.

Get Black trash bags for trash, and white trash bags for donate. This will help you to not accidentally  throw things away that should be donated.

I’ve written several posts on sorting, here are a couple of them:

5 Steps for Sorting

Organizing – One Step at a Time

Organizing One Step at a Time

It doesn’t have to be hard to Organize, just break down the steps

You have now blocked out that time on your calendar to Get the Job Done.

What is the next step?  Get Prepared for that day.  How?

Try and decrease distractions.
I suggest black and white trash bags.  Black for trash, White for donate.

Change the mind set.

Stop thinking about it as drudgery, but think of it as organized space coming!

So crank up the music and get in the mood to have an uncluttered area….use positive thinking here.  Visualize what you would like the space to look like.  Think how good it is going to feel when you have accomplished the task.

Start with sorting.

Each item has to be looked at and a quick decision has to be made.

Keep – Do you USE it, do you LOVE it, does it FIT?
Donate – Don’t like it, Doesn’t fit, Don’t use it, Still in good shape
Move – It doesn’t belong in this room. Move out of this space.
Store - Use it but only once or twice a year. Holidays, camping etc.
Pitch – Broken, in no shape to donate (recycle if possible)

Clean

You should have less to put back in your space now.  This is the time to clean out those cupboards or the space good. It isn’t very often that it is probably empty.

You can measure the space to see what kind of organizers you may need (if any). It isn’t a good idea to go out and buy a bunch of organizers unless you have already measured the space and have an idea of what you need.  If you do not want to waste the time here and have an idea of what you think will work, please make measurements before you buy anything.  Then keep your receipts so that you can take the item back if it doesn’t fit or work like you thought it would.

Organize – A few tips

Now put the items that you are going to keep back.

Remember:  Like with Like!
Keep the cans together in your kitchen. Keep the extra office supplies together in your office. Don’t have some of this and some of that in the space.

Zones
Think in zones for your space.  What do you do?  For instances…in an office.  Your Zone A or zone 1 would be the space around your desk chair and desk that you can reach. Things you use daily and often, such as your phone, your pens, your stapler and letter opener.

In your kitchen you can do the same. For instance for your stove area, you should have your pot holders within reach of your stove. Your pots and pans should be near your stove.  For your dishwasher, your plates and glasses should be near it if possible.  Decrease steps when making the space functional.

Have fun organizing and let me know how you feel after a space is done.  It is like a “feel good” moment for me!

Does this clutter make me Late?

How Can Clutter Make you Late?

“What, do you mean by that?” you may say. But clutter and time management can go hand in hand as a problem.
“Where are my keys? I know I just laid them here, maybe they are under this stack of mail.” “I just need to grab that report for the meeting, but where is it?” “Mom, where did my red jacket go? I’m going to be late for school!”
Do any of these sound like your house?
When you have extra clutter sitting around choking up the “clean, clear, calm” space then you also have clutter sitting in your head…choking up your “clean, clear and calm” space of your brain. When you do not have a clear brain to think with, you are going to have too many thoughts…too many things jumbled in your head and lose track not only of what needs to be done, but in what time frame it needs to be done in. Simply put, Too much stuff in your house + Too much stuff in your head = Being Late.
Being late out the door, being late to pick up the kids, being late with reports due, being late paying bills, being late to the meeting – sound familiar?

So what do you do? Clearing out the clutter from your home will result in clearing out the clutter from your head which will in turn help you to focus and plan your day more productively which will then lead to being on time.
Sounds simple doesn’t it….NOT!

How Do I Clear out the Clutter?
Use your 5 signs to designate your piles to sort.

Get white trash bags for your donate and black for trash (so you don’t mix them out when you take them out of your house.
I prefer clear plastic storage bins for long term storage.
Make sure you have some form of labels to label your bins.
Give yourself 2 hours of time if you are able. Do not think you will get an entire room done, just start out with a smaller goal.

Pick up each item, look at it fast and think:
1) Do I use this?
2) Do I need this?
3) Do I like this?
4) What is the worse thing that can happen if I don’t have this?
Don’t spend more than about 5-10 sec. on each item, otherwise memories start popping in and you “personalize” that item. You want to keep it “depersonalized”, otherwise it can be too hard to get rid of.

Teenage Rooms – Where to start?

Usually the first step is to find the floor!

Usually teens (like most of us) have too much “stuff”. There is more stuff than places to put the stuff – so it is easier to just throw it on the floor. Keep in mind this isn’t always the case. My oldest son (at home) has plenty of storage space…but stuff is still on the floor – but he could still stand to declutter again.

Starting at the Beginning means starting with Sorting

Be armed with Black trash bags (trash) and white trash bags (donate).

Then remember your sorting basics.  Don’t spend more time on each item than about 5-10 seconds.  You don’t want to start reminiscing or you will never get the job done.  If they still have all kinds of stuffed animals or toys from their childhood (and they are teens)..help them pick out a couple special ones to keep (if they want to keep any). Take pictures of others if they are having a hard time deciding or not sure about getting rid of things.

If there are clothes that you need to keep to pass down to other children in your family. I suggest clear bins (so you can see what is in them) and be sure to label them well.

Work with them and have them decide: Make paper sorting cards to help remember what to do with their things.

1) Keep – Do I LOVE it? Do I WEAR it? Do I USE it? Does it FIT?
2) Donate – I DON’T like it and will not wear it, It DOESN’T fit, I DON’T use it.
3) Move – It doesn’t BELONG in my Bedroom
4) Storage - This can be season sports supplies or things they need to keep but don’t use but once or twice a year.
5) Trash – It is trash, broken, torn or worn out

Let them just make piles (they love piles anyway right?)  on the floor for the different categories.  If there is not floor space to begin with. I suggest piling everything in one big pile and then going through it.

Organizing a New You! …but how do I start?

Organizing a New You….So what does that mean?   Organize your home, organize your schedule, your kids, your life? Does it seem like the impossible?  It can be done! But be careful not to bite off more than you can chew and end up in “it is too overwhelming and I don’t think I can do it” land.

Here is how to start.

Planning

1) Sit down with a pad of paper, pen, calendar and cup of coffee in a relaxed atmosphere.

2) Make a list of all the things you would like to organize.

3) Now number them in order of importance. (at least the top three areas that drive you the most CRAZY)

4) Put a date beside those top 3 of when you would like to have them completed by.

5) Block out at time on your calendar to start #1 on the list.

Supplies

Do not go out and buy a bunch of things to organize with. Until you know what you are going to end up with after your “sort” you don’t know what you will need. (unless you want to purchase some clear storage bins..but if you do be sure you have shelves to store them on and measure to be sure they will fit.

1) Black trash bags – trash

2) White trash bags – Donate  (separate colors so you don’t throw out your donate items in the trash)

3) Labels for boxes or bins (masking tape & sharpie marker will be fine)

4) Boxes for storage (my favorite are clear bins)

Sort

Make 5 signs for each of the piles you are going to make while sorting. Then for each item only give yourself 5-10 seconds to make your decision (no time to wander down memory lane). Be tough if you want to reclaim your space.

1) Keep – Love it, Use it, Can’t live without it.

2) Donate – Others would put to better use, doesn’t fit, don’t like it, don’t use it (use the white trash bags)

3) Storage – Holiday decorations, speciality items you use (camping, skiing)

4) Move – Items that need to be kept but don’t belong in this space.

5) Trash – Broken, un-donatable. Try to recycle if possible. Use the Black trash bag.

Tips

*It will seem messier before it gets better. Don’t get discouraged and keep going.

*This takes time, don’t think you will get an entire room done in 2 hours. Start with a small area.

* Once you have sorted your items you are ready to reorganize them in an orderly way.

Christmas Clean Up & Decluttering

Christmas Clean Up & Declutting

Our decorations came down today. I don’t like keeping them up after Christmas long at all. It just makes me feel “cluttered”.
I LOVE them up before Christmas, but afterwards it just makes me think of all I have to do to get my house back together..and I am anxious to get things back to normal. When you pull out your Christmas bins to replace your decorations after the holidays….think about how many you didn’t use this year.

I know that each of the 4 bins that we brought up from the basement still had things in them that we didn’t put out. In the Christmas ornaments bins, there are ornaments that I usually don’t put up because they don’t really have any special memories and I don’t really care for them. So know what I did this year? I pitched them. I probably should have donated them, but some had some chips in them or just didn’t make me feel real good about donating….plus the fact that I was in “get rid of” mode.
I opened up those bins and there were items that we didn’t put out….I cleaned those out too.
It freed up some room and just made me feel good.

My advice for Christmas (or any holiday decorations) is:
1) If you haven’t used a decoration in the last 2 years….get rid of it. Pass it one to other family members, donate it or pitch it.
2) If you just don’t like a decoration and there are no special memories attached to it….get rid of it.
3) If it is broken or you can’t use it….get rid of it.

It feels good to have it done.

Toy Sorting and Organizing

Toys can become overwhelming. Your kids get them for Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and any special occasion. How do you tell Grandma “No more toys?” Plus the fact that we love buying them ourselves and watching our kids open them or be surprised by them right? So does that mean we never get rid of them?
Heck no! Other wise your toy room can also look like this. Toys everywhere and no room for the children.

So what do you do?
You need to sort the toys just like you sort through anything.
Follow your 5 sorting tips:
1) Keep
2) Donate
3) Store
4) Move to another room
5) Throw away

You can choose to do this with your child present or without your child there.  I personally do most of my sorting when my kids are not there.  But I have done it both ways. I do have to say that I have never (honest) had one of my kids come back and miss something I threw away.  They know I cleaned and they are usually so happy with how things look that they aren’t upset at all. 

If there is something really special that your child loves and wants to keep…then you can let them keep it. If your child wants to have one keepsake box (and you have the room to store it) then limit them to that box. Even as they grow…only that one box, so if they fill it with toys this year – then next year when they want to add something special they will need to take out something to make room.

The other big thing with cleaning up and getting rid of extra toys is simple: The kids almost feel like they have new toys. There are toys they haven’t seen in months or forgot about because they were buried at the bottom of a toy box. Now they have new batteries and are on the shelf and all of a sudden it is fun to play with again.

Think about it: Do you appreciate your things when you can get to them…remember where they are and can use them…or would you rather have a whole bunch of “stuff” that isn’t usable because you can’t find it.

Remodeling A Room – The Beginning Steps

Remodeling A Room

You have decided you want to redo your teen’s bedroom? Your teen or almost teen has outgrown The Dora the Explorer or Scoobie Doo comforters and are begging you to make their room a little “older”.
Where do you begin?

Steps To Remodeling

1) Take a “Before” picture. I love before pictures…it lets you see how far you have come once you finish the project.

2) Decide on your budget. This is important BEFORE you go shopping for anything. It will determine if you are shopping at a high end store or garage sales.

3) Get some graph paper and figure out your scale. 1 square = 1 foot or 2 squares = 1 foot. Measure your room dimensions and then measure any furniture that will be staying in the room. Then you can cut out the pieces and play with different arrangements in the room.

4) Pick a theme / colors for the room. (That is the fun part!)

5) Clear out the room and clean. Paint if you are going to paint

6) After you know how your furniture is going to fit into the space, then move the new or old furniture back into the room.

7) Add your new decor and you are done.

The Sorting Process

Be sure that when you take things out of the room…you go through your sorting process.
1)Keep
2)Donate
3)Move
4)Store
5)Trash

You can be in on the announcement I made on my show if you watch my momtv show playback!
Or you can wait a couple of weeks and see it on my blog!

You can see my Before and After Remodel posts below.

Room Makeover is in Progress

Walmart Room Reveal

Work On it Wednesday – Getting rid of a “favorite”

Getting rid of something that has been well loved, is super comfortable or is hard to replace is very hard to do. There comes a time that for many items it needs to be done. Chaotic Kitten who writes Dehoarding Diary is working on a challenge today of throwing out a favorite pair of shoes because they have come to the end of their shoe life. She says that she doesn’t own a lot of shoes and these are her favorites…so it is going to be hard to do.
Keep in mind if you have followed my Work on It Wednesday…that Chaotic Kitten is a hoarder and as she has been on this very difficult journey this year to dehoard her home…getting rid of things is much more difficult for her than the average person. Be sure to check out her blog. She is very inspirational!

So how do you get rid of something that is hard to give up…but has worn out and serves no purpose (other than taking up space)?
I wrote a comment to her to be funny….but in all reality it is true. You can take a picture of that special item, so you have a visual memory of it. But the actual item and the space it takes up is gone.

Five Steps for Sorting

Here are the 5 guidelines that I use to sort with!! Take each item and make a fast decision. Don’t worry if Aunt Susie gave it to you and you don’t want to hurt her feelings. Do YOU like it and does it add value to the space? If not, then it is alright to donate it, or give it to another family member who might really like it. Take that item and in 5 fast seconds say to yourself, “Do I love this, use it and want it?” Simple as that. (I know it isn’t really that easy…but the more you do, the easier it gets.) I know there are the complicated items, I know there are the sentimental items.
But here are the basics:

Love It:
1) Love It
2) Use It
3) Want it or Can’t live without it

Donate:
1) Won’t Use
2) Don’t Like
3) Doesn’t Fit

Move It:
1) Wrong Room

Store It:
1) Seasonal
2) Can’t give it up
3) Can’t Use Now

Trash:
1) Broken
2) Torn
3) Can’t Donate

Organizing after Christmas

Use Christmas as a great time to Sort!

Christmas is over and you have lots of new memories, presents along with bags of trash, boxes and things out of place!
I think this is one of the reasons that we get the bug to get things cleaned up and organized. It can also add to the sadness that can feel after all the excitement and anticipation is over.

Grab a white trash bag (for donate) and black trash bag (trash). As you are taking the clothes to put away in your drawer, take 3 minutes for each drawer and quickly go through and pick out the things you have not worn in over a year, or that is too tight or too big and load into the white bag. If it’s torn then put it in the black bag to throw away. If you are seriously going on a diet and realistically think you can fit back into some clothes within the next 6 months, then make a pile for those clothes to go into a bin. Label that bin with a date for 6 months from now and if in 6 months you are not close to getting into them, donate them.
If you have 6 drawers then you have just gone through your dresser in less than 20 minutes.
One way to get through some sorting without taking all day and being too overwhelming.

Decluttering

How To Decide What To get Rid Of?

Trying to decide what to get rid of is a very hard thing to do. That is why it is very helpful to use an outside person (Professional Organizer) to help you. We don’t have the attachments to the objects that you do. It is easier for us to help you make the decision based on need and not on emotions.
Here is a list that was compiled by the NAPO (National Assocation of Professional Organizers) Chat Group.
Here is a good list to read down and help you decide if you want to really keep something.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

General

*Was it a purchase mistake? (if so, it does not make it better to keep it)
*Does it take more time and effort to manage than it is worth?
*Does it make others unhappy to see it? Am I putting things before people and relationships?
*Do you need it? Is it redundant (i.e., do I really need 3 measuring spoon sets)?
*Do I love it? Does it make me happy or unhappy to see it?
*If you were moving, would you pay to have it packed and moved?
*Would you buy it again?
*Is it broken, and if so, are you ever going to fix it?
*Are you ever really going to finish this project (book, quilt, etc.)?
*Can you borrow or purchase another one, if needed, without spending a fortune or having trouble finding it?
*When’s the last time you used it (assuming you knew it was there)?
*If you knew that someone else would really benefit from having this (i.e. if you found a great place to donate it), would that make it easier for you to let it go?
*Is this adding value to your home or business?
*Is this item getting in the way of your ability to find what you need, when you need it?
*Will this help me make or save money?
*How much space does it require (the more it takes, the more critical you should be in your decision to keep it)
*If you keep it, will you remember you have it? If you remember you have it, will you be able to find it?
*Convince yourself that you need to keep it.

Paper

*Am I legally required to keep it (i.e. vital & tax records), and if so, for how long? (a topic for another whole newsletter)
*Will I actually use it/refer to it/need it?
*Is the information still current?
*Can it easily be duplicated or created if needed again (i.e. found on the web)?
*What’s the worst that can happen if you toss it?
*Is it a duplicate?

Clothes
*Is the item in good condition?…does it have stains or tears or is it too worn)?
*Is the item still in style (And no…..1980′s shoulder pads are not going to come back into style in the same exact way)?
*Do you love the item, or even like it? Does it make you feel great to wear it?
*When was the last time I used this item….Would I use it again now that I remember that I have it?
*How many do I currently own of this type of item (maybe 20 pairs of black pants are too many)?
*Does it fit? If not, is it within a reasonable number of size ranges of my current size range to keep it?

Memorabilia
*Do you have anything else that reminds you of this (event, person, time)?
*If we took a picture of it, would that make it easier for you to let it go?
*Am I keeping it because someone gave it to me and I’ll feel guilty if I get rid of it?
*Does the sentimental value exceed the practical value (if so, by all means, keep it!)

Using these guidelines can make it much easier to help you decide if you are going to part with something.