Why Is It So Hard to Throw Things Away?
You want to get organized, but as soon as you begin, you feel stuck. You may feel panicked because you are not feeling comfortable with throwing something away. Now you’re back to square one, feeling like you will never be able to get organized. You wonder, “Why is it so hard to throw things away?”.
It makes sense that you want to make the most out of what you own. You don’t want to be wasteful, and you question whether you may need the item again. Here are three ideas to keep in mind as you sort and organize to help you make those decisions.
ORGANIZE FOR THE PRESENT
I encourage you to keep items that you KNOW will be used now. This includes what you use in a year, like seasonal items. You will probably use your Christmas ornaments and bikes as examples. However, will you use those books that you have already read and don’t use as reference? How about the stroller you no longer use now that your children are in school? Or the instruments that no one will play again?
You can donate or sell these items allowing someone else to get good use out of them too.
THINGS CAN BE REPLACED
I know this sounds scary at first read, but it’s said that we may only ever miss 10% or less of the items that we give away. In most cases, we never miss the items at all! Even knowing those percentages you may still feel like, “I can’t throw things away!”
Fujitsu ScanSnap Document Scanner
With papers and information, so much can be found on the internet if you ever needed to find a copy. It makes it easier to make decisions on what papers to keep and what can be let go.
You can also scan papers into your computer, save them online, like on Evernote, on an external hard drive, or BOTH if that would make you feel better.
I love my ScanSnap. It makes it easy to not only upload documents to store, but it has come in super handy when I need to email someone papers. My husband has made the decision to scan most of his papers. He is tired of keeping files and having older documents taking up space. I think it is awesome that he wants to set himself free from his papers.
Papers are what I struggle with the most, so I really appreciate my husband leading the charge!
RELATED POSTS: How to Let Go of Clutter With Three Simple Questions
DON’T LIVE IN THE PAST
Jumbo Scrapbook Storage Box, Black
Do you keep items because it has a memory attached? Do you feel like you ‘should’ hold onto something because it belonged to a family member?
There are some things we like to have because they are special to us, like a piece of china, photographs, or a doll. But if you have no emotional attachment, or multiples of an item, don’t feel the responsibility to keep it.
Who would you be without that item that you are struggling to let go of? The same person, and probably even lighter because you aren’t holding onto your past!
Consider letting it go. You are not your stuff. Living to the fullest isn’t in the past, create a space for today.
You may need to let go of sentimental items over time. Take baby steps. Using a scrapbook storage box can help you to narrow your memory items down and keep them in a special place. I have done this with my children’s memories, my wedding memories, and those that have passed.
These three ideas can support you as you begin to organize and make the decisions you have been putting off. It may feel scary at first, but over time the fear of throwing it away will diminish. You will feel free once you make these decisions.
Letting go of what you don’t need in your life can give you confidence and will make room for new possibilities for your present and your future.
