How do you decide whether to keep something or throw it away?
Simply ask yourself 3 questions:
Do you need it?
Do you use it?
Do you love it?
If the answer is “No” to these then it may be clutter. Donate it, sell it, recycle it, trash it if you must, or give it away. If not, keep it.
There, that was easy!
Do these 3 subjective questions leave you wishing for more?
Read on for some more thoughts . . . and 5 better questions to consider.
Marie Kondo, author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, famously says to get rid of anything that does not “spark joy”.
I need to use my toothbrush twice a day but I would not say it sparks joy.
So, there is a legitimate category of things you should keep because you use them and without which you could not accomplish basic tasks.
Pens and pencils. Can openers. Kitty litter. Toothbrushes. These objects have jobs and can and should stay in your space.
Then there is the category of things you may not use frequently, but when you need it, you need it.
A great example of this is winter coats in the Gulf Coast of Texas.
With a subtropical climate, you rarely need a heavy coat in South Texas – until it dips into the 30s in January or you travel to Scotland on business in February.
Another example of this is holiday decorations.
Even though you use special holiday table settings only once a year, you aren’t going to throw them away each year and buy all new.
If you legitimately will need something, even infrequently, store these items in your space, and preferably with labels so you can locate them easily.
There are also things you keep around for no other reason than you love them.
This is where “spark joy” comes in handy.
My mother gave me a carved, wooden manatee figurine that is mahogany, highly polished, and has two small wooden paddles that are very delicate.
This object is materially useless. I rarely touch it for fear the paddles will crack so I cannot even use it as a paperweight. But that wooden manatee makes me smile every time I see it.
I love it and it sparks joy, so I keep it.
So, if these 3 questions are subjective and sometimes not foolproof, are there other questions to apply?
Sometimes people say things like “If you have not used it in a year, get rid of it”.
Well, maybe.
But a better question might be “Is this something you will use again?”
But even that can be tricky because you can fall into the trap of “Maybe I will use it someday!”
You can end up keeping a lot of things you will never use again because, well, you might.
Here are 5 better questions.
1. How realistic is it that I will ever use this object again?
Be honest with yourself.
Do you enjoy camping enough to take up all that space in the garage?
Did you learn to snorkel long ago, but you do not plan to do it again?
Did you read that book but not like the ending?
2. Is it taking up much space?
Consider if the space could be better used for something else you love.
Did you buy a piano but only ever dust it?
Do you ever actually sit on the ottoman in your bedroom, or does it just accumulate junk?
Do you have a dining table that seats 20 and you don't enjoy entertaining?
3. Does this object make you feel guilty?
Sometimes we keep things with good intentions, but really just do not want to do it.
Release those items to someone who really will use it properly.
Will you ever learn how to can tomatoes with your mason jar collection?
Do you always mean to do yoga, but you just really don’t want to?
Did your grandmother give you those knitting needles but sewing of any kind gives you anxiety?
4. When you do decide to use it, will it even be nice enough to use?
Sometimes we hold on to things for a long time, knowing we'll want to use it someday, only to discover when the time comes that the version you stored all that time isn't good enough to use anymore.
Release these items to someone who will use it now.
Is the duffel bag you used at summer camp as a kid going to be sturdy enough for your own children to use at camp?
Are the favorite trousers that you’ll fit in when you lose 30 pounds still going to be in style once you lose those 30 pounds?
If you kept those linens for a "special event", will they be threadbare and old-fashioned when you pull them out?
5. And how many do you really need?
We can accidentally stockpile multiple versions of things we need, and end up using the mediocre version because our favorites are hidden in the mass.
Do you need enough coffee mugs for everyone in your home and all your neighbors to have 4 cups of coffee a day?
Do you need to have enough pens and pencils to fill 6 pen holders when only 2 people live in your home?
Do you need to keep all of the Christmas tree ornaments when you never have space to use them all during Christmas?
Thinking you can use something is not the same as using it.
Thinking that you might use something is not the same as using it.
And you don’t need to own something to address every possible situation.
Don’t get caught up in the idea of your “fantasy self”, or the person you wish you could be, which ties you to an identity that you simply aren’t.
Some things you use or need, so keep those.
If you genuinely love it and it brings you joy, keep it.
If it makes you feel bad, get rid of it.
If you go through this process and you still feel cluttered, distill your belongings down to the ones that work best, that you like the best, and that you feel joy to use.
When you're ready to tackle your tough organization project, I am here to help you learn how.
Let's RETHINK organization together.
For more information, visit the RETHINK website today.
Mandy Thomas is a professional organizer fulfilling her lifelong passion for creating order out of chaos. She finds joy in helping people tackle their most overwhelming spaces and collections to create the optimal living space and enjoy their homes.
RETHINK organization is on a mission to help you develop long-term patterns of organization that you can maintain and feel good about long after our work together is done.
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