Letting Go of Clutter

Personal Organizer Alaia Williams of One Organized Life shares with her fellow Get Up Girls how to rid yourself of unwanted clutter to create peace of mind.

Is it hard for you to let go? Take a look around you. Every single item you see represents your choice to have that item in your life. You either chose to purchase the item, or were given the item and chose to keep it. From your new red sweater to the pile of junk mail on your kitchen counter, every item represents a choice made.

When your life is full of clutter, you might begin to resent all the "stuff" around you. Why do you think that happens? Often it is because you don't LOVE the stuff you are looking at! Maybe the sweater doesn't fit anymore. Maybe it was an impulse purchase that you now regret. Sometimes we purchase too much of a good thing - who really needs five staplers? - because it is much easier to buy the thing we need than find it in the junk yard that has become our home or office. When someone sends a gift or just gives us something we "have to" have, we often feel obligated to keep it "for a little while." Let me tell you, I've met plenty of people whose "little while" is now 5+ years.

Make a choice NOW to change things. Start small. Pick five items around you. If you don't absolutely love the item, find it useful/functional, or it doesn't add beauty to your environment, get rid of it. Ebay, CraigsList, yard sale, trash can. I don't care - let it go. It doesn't matter if you paid $100 for it. If you have the receipt, take it back. No receipt? Ebay or donate it. Your peace of mind is more important than $100.

What items are you holding on to that you need to let go of?

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