Don’t keep it if you don’t love it!
If you have read any of my previous posts, you may have picked up on the idea that even though I am a paid/professional “organizer”, my idea of the best way to organize things is to get rid of a lot of your stuff.
I find it increasingly difficult to work with clients who want me to figure out a system to organize their collection of 349 DVD movies. Seriously? Heard of Netflix? Of course they have and they always stream everything on Netflix/Hulu/etc., but they still stubbornly cling to every DVD they have ever purchased. But whatever — they are paying me by the hour, so YES, I will sell my soul and help you install a DVD storage system and stuff the shelves with your movies organized by genre/actor/alpha title/………..
Sometimes, I do actually find someone who is keeping something for sentimental reasons and that they actually love and use the item.
Last week, I was picking up a pair of silver candlesticks on behalf of a client who had them re-finished by a Chicago silversmith. Granted, they are pretty, but really ornate and not many people decorate like this or use things like this anymore.
Before the refinish, the client had them shoved back in a closet, unwrapped and they were completely blackened with tarnish. The client said, “Oh those were my mother’s — she loved them!”. But I’m thinking, “Well great — she may have loved them but obviously you do not, because they are shoved in the back of this closet, unwrapped and completely tarnished.” I thought that, but what actually came out of my mouth was, “Why not have them refinished and then you can sell them at an auction site or Ebay or something.” So therefore, my visit to the silversmith to pick up the refinished product.
Got to the shop and the lady in front of me in line was picking up a pair of really pretty newly refinished silver candlesticks of her own. I commented on how beautiful they were and she said, “Oh they belonged to my grandfather. He left them to me and except for the past two weeks when they have been here in the shop, I have lighted them every Friday night since 1971. I think of him every week when they are out.”
Now THAT is a good story. She has these gorgeous, old, ornate silver candlesticks (much like my client), but the difference is, she LOVES them, they are meaningful to her, and she USES them regularly.
So don’t keep things just for sentimental reasons if you don’t love the thing or use the thing. Stuff kept around “just because” becomes a burden rather than a thing of beauty.
Sarah Campbell is a professional organizer in the city of Chicago. She specializes in decluttering, organizing, preparing for moves and unpacking and setting up after a move for households and small businesses. Contact her at Sarah@anorganizedlifechicago.com for help with your organizing challenges.
