A GON Reader Asked:

I need to clean out the garage. How can I get past thinking, 'these might come in handy someday' and then the stuff never leaves?!

--Nancy Austin, Marion, Indiana

P.S. I enjoy reading that we all have so much in common, and all the tips to make life a little easier!

Maria Gracia Responded:

Hi Nancy,

Thanks so much for your question. I'm glad you asked because people keeping items 'just in case' is one of the biggest reasons people hold onto clutter for years. The more you allow yourself to follow this cautious 'maybe someday' qualifier, the more permission you're giving yourself to build even more clutter.

If you haven't used it in the past year (or longer), there is an excellent chance that you never will. Don't keep things because you 'think' you 'kinda- might-maybe' may use them 'some day, but not sure when.' Those items are just taking up unnecessary space and you can always borrow or buy another one later if you really have to.

Ditch the someday-syndrome. Either unearth that item and use and enjoy it 'right here and right now,' or get rid of it...donate it, or sell it, or pass it on to a friend or neighbor, or trash it. Doing this benefits you. You'll realize a sense of control over your stuff. You may even feel empowered to declutter more. Sometimes, all it takes is to part with one thing to start an entire decluttering trend in your life. You'll also gain more space and decrease the volume of stuff in your home...which gives you less to worry about now...and later on in life.

Try this paradigm shift. When you find yourself saying 'it could come in handy someday' (or any variation of that), the truth is YES...it could come in handy someday. And that day could be TODAY. If YOU don't have an immediate use for whatever it is, it's highly likely that SOMEBODY ELSE does have a need for it right now. Donate it. You just may find that you feel great being the 'knight in shining armor.' You'll be the person who is going to pick up that unused, unloved, boxed-up, sad, lonely item and drop it off at your local donation center so the person-in-need of whatever it is can use, love, and benefit from it.

Finally, try not to look at the garage solely as a 'storage room' for anything you don't want to store in the house. Thinking, 'I'm not sure what to do with this, so I'll just stow it in the garage' is the type of thinking that can end up in gardening supplies, old paint, automotive stuff, sporting gear, camping gear, bikes, outdoor decorations, etc. etc. just sitting there gathering dust for years.

Start small. Declutter one or two items a day so it's not overwhelming. Each day, your garage will feel lighter and lighter...and you'll feel so much better.

I hope some of this helps to shift your thinking a bit. Getting rid of clutter is an amazing feeling!

P.S. Clear your clutter the fast and easy way with my organizing resource, Goodbye Clutter!

To fast-forward to getting organized today, visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-ifo.html

No matter what your organizing challenges are, they are all causing UNHAPPINESS, STRESS, EXHAUSTION, OVERWHELM, and FRUSTRATION...and those are five things you definitely don't need in your life.

I have the perfect solution for any organizing challenge you're dealing with, and it will help you get permanently and automatically organized.

It's called my 'I'm Finally Organized Toolkit' and it includes literally EVERYTHING you need to get organized now!

I know you want to get started on your organizing journey, and I'm excited to help you begin as quickly as possible. In light of this, when you get your hands on my I'm Finally Organized Toolkit BEFORE FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 11:59 PM, you'll get a whole bunch of amazing, COMPLIMENTARY BONUSES!

For details...visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-ifo.html

___ 1. Do today's task on my January Monthly Organizing Checklist. The January 27 TO DO focuses on the sheets on your bed. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access my January Monthly Organizing Checklist.

___ 2. Donate, sell, or trash 3 items from your garage or shed. Doing so is a great beginning to your garage or shed decluttering project.

___ 3. Feel accomplished. I begin every day with a sense of accomplishment. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access my Dirty Little Secret on this topic.

'Although a garage is not usually considered a 'room' of the house, it probably should be.' (Chris Marshall)

I'd love to hear from you.

I LOVE GON reader mail! Whether it's a comments, suggestions, or just a note to say hello, REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
getorganizednow.com

(c) Copyright 2022 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now!

* Copyright, contact and reprint information:
getorganizednow.com/contact.html

* You signed up to receive our Idea-Kit and/or our Newsletter at our Get Organized Now! Web site. We never add names unless you have voluntarily opted in.

* We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.

* If you happen to purchase anything I recommend in this newsletter, or any of my communications, I may receive compensation. Still, I only recommend what I truly believe in and share with my friends and family. If you ever have an issue with anything I recommend, please let me know. I want to make sure I am always serving you at the highest level.

* To subscribe, visit:
getorganizednow.com/free-ezine.html


* To unsubscribe, if you absolutely must go, please click the link below. However . . .

YIKES! - If you unsubscribe, you'll lose all the complimentary organizing resources I share with my loyal readers each week. You'll lose the tips, reader ideas, reader clinics, complimentary videos, ebooks, resource recommendations, and the many valuable bonuses I offer each month. Please don't go. I love sending you all of this free training. I'd be lost and lonely without you. If there is something more you would like from my newsletters, then please reply to this email and let me know.
-- Maria Gracia