Decisions: Health Matters

       I now have health issues that will take me through the end of July to work through. What does that have to do with organizing, you might ask? I help clients sort, reduce, and then figure out how and where to store remaining items.
       I also work for Carolyn Rowe's company The Move Maker--packing and unpacking for her clients who are often older and have health issues. Frequently, the state of their health necessitates that a caretaker or family member makes decisions about what to keep and what to move to their next and much smaller home...usually on short notice.
       Every time I work in a home filled with years worth of memorabilia, artwork, books, papers, photos, collectibles, and clothes, etc., it reminds me to take a look at my own home and reduce my belongings to only those items that I truly need, use, and value...while I'm healthy and able to make those decisions.

Unwanted Gifts: How to Let Them Go

Do you find it hard to part with gifts, especially when received for one of these reasons?

• Anniversary
• Birth of a child
• Birthday
• Death of family member
• Graduation
• Holiday
• Illness
• Wedding

Do you hold onto the gift(s) for any of these reasons?

• You might use it in the future.
• It’s hard for you to part with any of your belongings.
• The gift-giver was your favorite family member or friend.
• Your memory of the deceased person will fade without the physical reminder.
• You’re afraid the gift-giver will notice the gift is not displayed in your home.
• You feel guilty because thought, time, and money was invested in the gift buying.
• The gift was expensive.
• It reminds you of a special achievement, event, or occasion (you or your family).

Is it okay to let gifts go? Yes!  My thoughts and those of some clients about this topic:

• The received gift is yours now; you can use, re-gift, donate, or give it away.
• It doesn’t fit; it’s not your style or color.
• You don’t like, want, or need the item.
• It served its useful purpose.
• The used gift has been collecting dust for years.
• Someone else may enjoy and use it.
• You’re downsizing.
• You’ll remember the person without the physical object—trust your memory.
• It will free up physical space and help clear mental clutter.

I’d like to hear your thoughts about letting go of gifts, once they’ve served their useful purpose,..is it  easy for you, or a challenge?

"...The Path of Our Life

Minimalist Joshua Becker said in his e-book, Simplify: “Our actions will always follow the true desire of our heart.  What our heart believes and loves always determines the path of our life.  We can mask our true wants for only a short while.  Without a true heart change, we always return to our heart’s first love. This truth applies to all areas of life: our energy, our time, our relationships, our spirituality, our money and our possessions.”

Organizing possessions, especially mine and those of my clients—warms my heart and is the focus of much of my time and energy.

What warms your heart and where do you channel your time and energy?