TOMI Magazine November 2012

PERSONAL ASSISTANT USE IT OR LOSE IT L ETTING GO OF WHAT YOU NO LONGER NEED Don’t fret this fall--you can continue your campaign against clutter even when you get discouraged. Every year, actually several times per year, it seems like clutter catches up with me—in my home and in my business. It is an unending process. That is okay. That is just the way it is. The process actually keeps us in shape and alert. Each time I remove clutter, I get better at it, and you can too. When I participate alertly in the process, I learn new tactics and techniques. The process goes more smoothly. I try a different angle. One fall, I created a new mantra and a new process to dig through cabinets, closets, draw- ers, and cupboards: “Use it or lose it.” And, “ Write it down.” Are you tired of hanging onto things because of good intentions or guilt? Are you tired of telling yourself “I might need that someday,” or “It still has some life in it,” or “ Maybe I’ll have time to use it soon?” Do you want to weed out before the holidays come around? My response is, “Use it or lose it.” As I purge clutter, I challenge myself that if I continue to keep something in my life that I can’t let go of because it tugs at me, I must put it to its intended purpose soon, or, once and for all, send it out the door. This year I weed out clutter with a pen and paper in hand, and you can too! First, I write the current date at the top, and then I write down the items and the corresponding good intentions that make me keep them. Items on the list that are still hanging on the next time I weed out must go. Keeping a list helps me to recognize them honestly and fi- nally dispose of them. As you go through each room of your home, make a plan to incorporate this unused stuff into your life. Put them on “the list.” Vow to finally take those fall seminars or sit down and finish any partially completed projects. Give yourself realistic deadlines. Make plans to wear the clothing, jewelry, or “perfectly good” shoes that you have been hanging onto. Light the candle you had been saving. Listen to the motivational CD that you don’t listen to any more but still aren’t sure you are ready to do- nate. Read the books or periodicals that whis- per to you. Above all, put everything on “the list.” Keep a list of those “hangers on” as you weed out clutter. These guys are tough.

They have probably survived several previous clutter clearing efforts. They are hanging around taking up storage space in your home and they are personally taunting you. They are mean. They whisper too you. They prom- ise things that don’t happen. This time will be different. The process of listing these clingy items, reviewing the list, and trying to accomplish the list will be a consciousness-raising experience. You will look at this stuff differently. One way or another, its hold over you will be diminished. Once an item is on “the list,” it is much harder for it to argue with you. You gave it a fair chance, and now you can’t help but move for- ward. These items will either be used by you or sent packing! For additional inspiration, check out a related book called Love It Or Lose It—Living Clutter-Free Forever by Barbara Hemphill and Maggie Bedrosian (MD: BCI Press, 2002). They offer a 5-step clutter control process: “ design your vision, eliminate excuses, commit your time, select your tools, and maintain your success.” I like their process to form an ideal vision of each room on the front end. Design your vision. Work toward it. Write down the items keeping you from your vision. And finally, use it or lose it. If you can’t get around to enjoying or making good use of something today, when are you going to have time to do it tomorrow? - Barbara Tako Barbara Tako is a clutter clearing motivational speaker and author of Clutter Clearing Choices: Clear Clutter, Organize Your Home, & Reclaim Your Life ( O Books, 2010), a seasonally organized book of clutter clearing tips that readers can pick and choose from to fit their personal style and needs. http://www.clutterclearingchoices.com.

68 NOVEMBER 2012 WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM