Have Too Much Stuff? - Get Rid of It!!!

Commercials on day-time TV are interesting. This morning, the "suck vac bag" commercial came on and the opening question was "Do you have too much stuff?" The answer from the commercial was "buy the new suck vac bag."

My answer was "GET RID OF IT!" Yes, I actually yelled at the TV. Yes, I felt like an idiot. I couldn't help it. It's was the professional organizer inside of me doing the yelling.

It's like the old adage, "If you have to ask the price then you can't afford it."

In this context, "If you have to ask if you have too much stuff then you have too much stuff."

The funny thing is that when people think organizing they think "keep all my stuff but in a smaller space."

True organizing is only keeping the things that are useful and serve you. Please note, bringing joy or good feelings can be a service. So, you don't have to get rid of your favorite painting when you are seeking to be organized.

If you are looking to be organized in this fabulous new year, then I have a 3 pass system to go through your stuff and get rid of it. You can apply it to any area of your life (office, closet, garage, etc).

Step 1 - Create a holding area.
Step 2 - Move items to the holding area in 3 passes or phases.

• PASS #1 - Remove anything that you haven't used/worn in the past year.
• PASS #2 - Remove anything that no longer fits (your body or decor or lifestyle).
• PASS #3 - Remove anything that is broken.

Step 3 - Keep things in the holding area for at least a week.
Step 4 - Make decisions about items in the holding area. The "I might use it someday" excuse doesn't cut it!!!

• Trash
• Donate
• Keep