home > Fly > wellness> Anatomy of...> Habitat
Let Go and Move On
by Gretchen Cook
November 16, 2011
Most people have several reasons why they keep stuff they do not need.
"It might come in handy some day." Sure, if you keep it long enough, but by then it'll be obsolete, out of style, not up to current code or simply too ugly. Unless you live in a Sam's Club Warehouse, when you have to think up a reason to keep something, it is a sure sign you don't need it.
"They sure don't make 'em like this anymore." Right, because it's obsolete, out of style or simply too ugly. If you can't use it, it should go. If you have to ponder an application for an object, get rid of it.
"But it reminds me of junior-year spring break." Sentimental value is often a barrier to shedding useless objects. But think it through. Do you really need another T-shirt, beer mug or a stolen street sign? Your memories exist separately from the items. The same holds true for the lamp from Aunt Wilhelmina. She's not a genie. She does not live inside the lamp. You really don't have to keep the lamp to love her. And if you hate the lamp, does keeping it really honor her?
"To let this go, I have to give something up." Perhaps one of the strongest reasons to keep something is the difficulty of letting go. If I send those size-4 jeans to Salvation Army, I am admitting that I will never be a size-4 again. That's hard. That idea holds for the books on the solar-energy, owner-built home. If I give them away, I am letting go of a fantasy I've held since high school. When letting go, accept the truth. Admit it, accept it, forgive yourself (if necessary), and then move on.
Your de-cluttered life will thank you.
How to De-clutter
1. Obtain six large boxes
2. Label them Return, Repair/Hem, etc., Give away, Garbage, Keep and Maybe.
3. Select one defined area to address such as a closet or drawer—not a whole room or "garage."
4. Pick up each object and put it in one of the six boxes.
5. Go to "maybe" box and sort into other five boxes.
6. Clean the area and then place items in a pleasing way.
Hint: If your "Maybe" box fills up first, you might need to re-read.
posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/16/11 at 07:29 PM. [printer version] Share |
COMMENTS
:: recentcomments
May 25, 2012 | 02:20 PMJRA Says Ugly Garage Ramp Must Go
justjess: Not a problem and for sure, not a priority. In an ecomomy where people are concerned about the State's infrastructure (unstable bridges, sreets in desperate need of repair ...
May 25, 2012 | 02:17 PM
BREAKING: JPS Agrees to Overhaul Discipline Policies, Settles Lawsuit
lizwaibel: Also today, the US Dept. of Education released a resource document that says restraint or seclusion does not reduce the occurrence of ...
May 25, 2012 | 09:32 AM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
notmuch: I'm not sure where the "@" came from, but I think golden eagle's response was directed to me, so I will respond one more time. First, the inclusion of the word "facts" and the phrase ...
May 25, 2012 | 08:01 AM
[Dish] Cobby Williams, Young Gun
Queen601: That first question is classic! LOL
May 24, 2012 | 09:34 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
golden eagle: @notmuch, here are some facts about voter fraud, straight from the Brennan Center's website: Fraud by individual voters is both irrational and extremely rare. Most citizens who ...
May 24, 2012 | 07:14 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
notmuch: Oh, I have hundreds of those right-wing sites, and I couldn't say which ones are more "partisan"--they all include those pesky facts. Yes, when dead voters and multiple voters under ...
May 24, 2012 | 07:11 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
justjess: @ golden eagle. Thanks for the spell check. I didn't just spell assassination wrong ONE time, I did it over and over. LOL! You are right on the mark; I was trying to use the word ...
May 24, 2012 | 06:46 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
golden eagle: I don't think you could've found a more partisan right-wing site than the Daily Caller. The fact of the matter is that the right is using this issue not as a means of improving ...
May 24, 2012 | 06:10 PM
[Dish] Cobby Williams, Young Gun
trusip: WOW! was this a real interview or a joke?
May 24, 2012 | 05:00 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
notmuch: I don't think you could have found a more liberal example of a "non-partisan" site, but even so, their evidence seems to consist of 250 carefully chosen instances in one area of ...
May 24, 2012 | 04:48 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
golden eagle: Rather than using ideological websites to support your argument, I'll use the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice. Really good site.
May 24, 2012 | 04:30 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
notmuch: I might be missing something here, but I am a little confused by Golden Eagle's points: "the fact is that voter fraud is extremely rare"--so it is of no consequence that some ...
May 24, 2012 | 11:26 AM
Nick Hanauer's 'Controversial' TED Talk -- Tax the Rich?
RobbieR: TED is an elite academic conference.
May 24, 2012 | 10:18 AM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
DonnaLadd: No, Darryl, no one blocked you. Stop being paranoid. We just typically open comments in moderation during non-office hours. To me, a bozo isn't someone who disagrees with me. It's ...
May 24, 2012 | 06:18 AM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
Darryl: That's funny that you blocked my last comment...
1e-mail newsletter
Sign up for the JFP Daily Newsletter to receive breaking news, local events, music listings and more by e-mail.
jfp featured event
Jackson 2000 Spring Social
Jun 14, 2012 - Enjoy food from Koinonia and music from Jazz Beautiful with Pam Confer. Meet the board members and learn more about the organization's work in Jackson. more
jfp best bets and recommended
|
Guests online: 218
© Jackson Free Press, Inc. - portions of code by CC with EE. User agreement and privacy statement. |
