Maybe you could use something else.
Yes, you read that correctly. It seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?
Just because you use something doesn't mean you need to keep it.
The classic 3 organizing questions to ask yourself when considering whether or not to keep an item are “Do you use it? Do you need it? Do you love it?”
In fact, you’ll find a blog post written by me on just that from a year ago.
But just because you used it yesterday does not mean you need to keep it.
This idea has come up several times over the past few weeks and is significant enough to make me rethink my previous ideas.
Our homes are full of things we use. Many of the those things are only occasionally used, or we would not miss them if they weren’t there.
So do you need all of those things? What I am proposing is that you don't.
What I am NOT saying is that we need to get rid of everything we use.
There is a difference between getting rid of everything you use and allowing yourself to get rid of something you use.
So do a thought experiment with me.
What if you didn’t have to keep all of something because you simply don’t need that many?
As an example, I use pens and pencils all the time. I write things. I jot notes. I need pens and pencils. So do my family. (There are 4 of us who live in this house.)
But we have 4 different pen holders full of writing utensils within a 25 ft. radius of our kitchen/my office space holding hundreds of pens, pencils, and markers.
There is no way we need that many writing utensils. Do we perhaps use them all occasionally? Yes. But we don't need to keep them all.
Or how about lap blankets?
We have multiple lap blankets all over our family room for the 4 people living here.
We do use all of those blankets at various times. But in truth we don’t need more than maybe 5 or 6.
Or 4.
We certainly do not need 14 lap blankets. (And yes, it is 14 - I just counted them.)
Further, if you use something only occasionally, could you use something else to achieve the same task when needed?
Again, the lap blankets. What about those times when you have a movie night, you have guests, and everyone wants a cozy blanket?
What would we use if we didn’t have 14 blankets but instead the suggested 4?
We would head upstairs and get some bed blankets out of the linen closet to temporarily use on movie night.
And at the end of the night, we’d free up space in the living room again by putting the bed blankets back upstairs.
Just because you use an item doesn’t mean you need to keep it, particularly when you have something else in your home that already accomplishes the same purpose.
“I can’t get rid of this because I use it” is a thinking trap we fall into that can keep us from freeing up space, time, and money.
I encourage you to take a fresh look at the things you use and give some thought as to whether you really need to keep them all.
Reorganize the things that have been there so long, you hardly see them anymore. Just because you used it yesterday does not mean you need to keep it.
For those of you who are already quite comfortable with all the things you own, this may not resonate. If it causes you anxiety to not have the perfect item all the time, then disregard it.
I will never tell you that you have to get rid of anything.
But for those of you who are thinking, "Hm. She may be on to something here" give it some thought.
If you are looking to minimize or simplify, or are ready to rethink some of your previous ideas, remember that just because you use something doesn't mean you need to keep it.
"What else could you use?” is a more helpful question to ask than just “Do you use it?”
When you're ready to tackle your tough organization project, I am here to help you learn how.
Let's RETHINK organization together.
For more information, visit the RETHINK website today.
Mandy Thomas is a professional organizer fulfilling her lifelong passion for creating order out of chaos. She finds joy in helping people tackle their most overwhelming spaces and collections to create the optimal living space and enjoy their homes.
RETHINK organization is on a mission to help you develop long-term patterns of organization that you can maintain and feel good about long after our work together is done.
Comments