Letting Go Can be Easy

Many have a hard time letting go and it really doesn’t have to be that way. Now letting go of a person whom you love and he no longer loves you is a boo hoo, hard kind of letting go and it may take time to get over, but you know the saying: If he doesn't love you, let him fly away, unless you want to play zoo keeper. But the decluttering kind of letting go can actually be fun, because of a test question you can ask every time you get stuck holding onto an item that needs to go.

You'll learn what that test question is in a minute. First, here's a little story. Because of a contest called Project CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome) I’ve been in over 100 homes that were crammed with too much stuff. My sister and I would pick a winner in a city and armed with television cameras, newspaper journalists and photographers; we’d go into the home of the winning family and de-junk a room. The “befores” and “afters” were always media fodder.

I remember one specific winner vividly. She was a physician (even doctors can have too much stuff) and she wanted us to help her with her personal, walk-in closet. It was jam-packed with fashions that spanned two decades and four sizes. She dressed well. Her clothes were purchased at high-end dress shops and department stores and most were designer.

One of her biggest roadblocks was remembering what she paid originally for each garment and in the beginning it was hard to get her to let go, especially with garments that had little wear. It seems like when we pay a good price for something and then we don’t wear it, we’ll keep it just in case, by some miracle, we’ll change our mind. NOT!

The doctor had gained about 50 pounds in twenty years and we explained that even if she lost the weight, she wouldn’t want to wear stuff that was out of style, and besides if she lost the weight she certainly deserved to get a brand new wardrobe! With that realization, the closet emptied like we’d pulled the plug on a bathtub full of water.

But what about old shoes, purses, scarves and jewelry? She still wore the same size shoe and purses, jewelry and scarves don’t have a size. This is when I thought up “the question.” I had her hold each item, one at a time, and ask this question: “If I were at a second-hand store like Goodwill or the Salvation Army, would I buy this?” The question made her focus like we do when we shop, and when she really scrutinized a pair of shoes for example, suddenly the worn heal or frayed strap jumped out at her. A purse, well passed its expiration date moaned, “I’m tired, let me go.” It was a real eye-opener to keep that question in her mind.

So with that story, the next time you get stuck holding onto an item that needs to go, ask it, “Would I buy you at Goodwill?” If the answer is “no,” get rid of it. When you go about your daily routine, you might want to keep those Goodwill eyes open for any items that need replacing.

Now, go to your kitchen and look at your dish clothes and dishtowels and ask, THE QUESTION, as you hold each one. It just might be time to let go and get new!

For 10 quick ways to declutter your home click on the Irsh eyes.

For a free chapter on decluttering, in my book, The Joy of Being Disorganized, click on the book.