Less is More
Right-sizing (as opposed to down-sizing) will make your space work for you by having only what you need, use or is beautiful or precious to you. Don’t let things that don’t serve you take up space in your home or your mind. A simpler life takes much less time, money and energy to manage, you won’t be overwhelmed and you’ll have easier access to what’s important to you.
Like with Like
Keep similar items together: books with books, music with music, kitchen items in kitchen, bathroom items in bathroom, clothes in bedroom, etc. Zones in your home ensure that there’s only one or maybe two places to look for a particular kind of thing. Things will have homes and most importantly, you’ll know exactly where ‘not’ to look for them.
Label Everything
Immediately identify what’s in boxes, bins, baskets or even on shelves to ensure you won’t have to guess. Feel free to write in detail on the outside to know what’s exactly in the container.
Create Drawers
Use boxes, bins, baskets in your cupboards or closets as if they were drawers. Similar items are nestled together inside and you can slide out the container to see what’s there. This works especially well for small items in the kitchen or bathroom. Labeling makes it even more organized.
Letting Go
Take photos of items you want to remember but don’t want to keep any longer. Toss, donate or sell it but keep the memories associated with it. The memory is really the most important thing, isn’t it? You can create a small photo album of these kind of pictures to jog your memory or see in a slide show on a digital photo frame.
Criteria
Develop simple criteria to help you decide whether or not to keep certain things.
…For Clothes:
Do I wear it? Do I like how I feel when I wear it? Does it fit? Is it flattering? In good condition? (Think of other considerations that ‘suit’ you specifically.)
…For Possessions:
Do I use it? Not will I use it ‘someday’, but do I really use it on a regular or semi-regular basis?
If not necessarily useful… Do you simply love it? Is it beautiful? Is it precious? If so, showcase it. Don’t tuck it away in a box in the basement. Give it a prominent place in your home so you can enjoy it. Surround yourself with beauty and pleasant memories.
If it’s still ‘good’ or ‘could be useful to somebody’, give it new life by donating it so someone else will enjoy using it. Keep a bag or box near your entry to collect items to drop off at a charity; when full, make a trip. Begin again with a new bag or box. From time to time as you go around your home or office, keep an eye out for things you’re ready to let go.
Enjoy your home and your possessions without being overwhelmed by having ‘too much stuff’. You’ll feel lighter and more in control. You’ll have exactly what you need and want but won’t be bogged down by what you don’t need or want. It’ll be easier to find things and it’ll free up your time to do what you want to do instead of having unnecessary possessions weighing down your mind or space.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci
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