Get Rid of It!

This is one of my FAVORITE Stress Less Strategies!  I find it quite applicable to many areas of my Stress List. It applies to my stuff, my schedule, unhealthy relationships, discouraging thoughts, time wasters, books I shouldnt read, food I shouldnt eat ...see?

I have always found such liberation in letting go of things that arent beneficial for me or my family. Since really focusing on how certain things really affect the stress levels of myself, my husband or my children I have used this strategy ALOT!

Some things I have gotten rid of over the past few years ...clothes, shoes, kids clothes, responsibilities, monthly bills (i.e., Netflix and the like, not the electricity :), rugs that wouldnt lay flat and always needing vacuumed, paperwork, broken crayons, cleaning supplies, tupperware without lids, pots/pans that were scratched, dvd/cd's we didnt watch (or shouldnt),  decorating stuff, Christmas decorations, books I had already read ...I use this strategy alot.

Getting rid of stuff is the easiest  for me ...here are some rules I go by when it comes to getting rid of physical things...

* if you dont LOVE it, or NEED it..then get rid of it!

This applies to every area of your home from closets, kids closets, kids toys, living room furniture, kitchen gadgets, clothes in closet, organizing aids in the house, to backyard toys and smelly good stuff in the bathroom.


* If you have lots of something..then get rid of some of it!

Looking around the house you can find LOTS of areas to apply this. Its amazing how things collect and you buy when you have some of it already because you have so much you cant see what you have!
Get HONEST about whether you need so many of of a thing..you may be surprised what your answer may be!

* If you cant remember WHY something is sentimental..then get rid of it.

How often do we hold on to stuff because so-and-so gave it to us? Obviously there are exceptions to this rule. Generally, if someone spent time making something or they have alot of attachment to my having it, I hold onto it. But, I couldnt tell you most if any of the gifts I have given to anyone in the last 5 years ...so if I gave you something, and its causing you stress..GET RID OF IT!


* If its broken or doesnt work..GET RID OF IT!

Adrian and I often disagree in this area. He wants to put it aside to fix it later. Some stuff we do that with, but I have gotten to the point that if I didnt LOVE it or USE it in the first place, it gets trashed.

*If you havent worn it, used it, or played with it in the last 6 months...GET RID OF IT!

This is a GREAT rule. I use it ALL the time. I use it especially in my closet and my kitchen. These are two areas where things seem to multiply unfettered.


* If you feel bad about throwing it away..GIVE IT AWAY

I have found that there are some things that I dont want any more, but that I cant just throw away. Its much easier for me to pass it on to someone who could use it (less guilt).
____
Getting rid of the some things in our life that arent as easy as packing it up to the Goodwill (i.e., thoughts, relationships, etc). But, the benefits are just as freeing if you find a way to get that stressor out of your life.

Sometimes, you dont have a choice about whether to get rid of something or not (like laundry..blech!)..sometimes you have to apply a different strategy to that stressor. We will look at Get it under Control next! 

What can you Get Rid Of this week?

Resource Management: Get RID of it!

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

It is amazing how we can manage to weigh ourselves down by having TOO much stuff, TOO many things and generally more than we need.

Things are weighing because with them comes the need to store them, the need to care for them, to maintain them, to fix them, to move them, to dust them, to clean them ...on and on. Having some things are helpful and beneficial, while others are simply more work than they are worth!

Our stuff can easily pile up in all areas of our home before realize that it has outlasted its usefulness for our homes and lives...creating a general sense of clutter and "too much".

How many times have you put away the same toys, watched the same Tupperware fall from the cabinet, picked the same pile from one area to another, shifted another paper stack from this table to that surface ...too much stuff can misuse our resources of time, mental energy and space. Depending on your personality, clutter can be equally frustrating for your mind as for your physical space. I know I am that way.

Getting rid of stuff can be a GREAT stress reducer, as well as helping decrease your source of some stresses.

If you arent sure what to get rid of, here are some pointers ..I posted this awhile back and changed it a bit as I get better at getting rid of stuff :)

___

Stuff has a tendency to multiply in my house. I have all kinds of excuses why not to get rid of things, until I attach them in my mind to some level of stress.

This is another one I have to attribute to FlyLady. She is big on getting rid of clutter and does lots of little exercises and reminders to encourage you to do it. The concept also shows up in most of the "simplify your life" books and articles.

I have always found such liberation in letting go of stuff. Even more so since I added this extra drive to get rid of ANYTHING that adds stress to, instead of adding VALUE or convenience to my life.

Some rules I go by:

* if you dont LOVE it, or NEED it..then get rid of it!

This applies to every area of your home from closets, kids closets, kids toys, living room furniture, kitchen gadgets, clothes in closet, organizing aids in the house, to backyard toys and smelly good stuff in the bathroom.

My sisters and I have been applying this to our kids rooms with some serious DeSTRESSING effects. Less is better. You love what you have more if you get rid of the stuff you dont love or need.

* If you have lots of something..then get rid of some of it!

Looking around the house you can find LOTS of areas to apply this. Its amazing how things collect and you buy when you have some of it already because you have so much you can see what you have!

Get HONEST about whether you need so many of of a thing..you may be surprised what your answer may be!

Some examples from my own house towels, sheets, cookie sheets, cleaners, shampoo/conditioner bottles, clothes (especially kids clothes..they dont need 12 pairs of jeans! Less, means less to wash!), silverware (everything but forks..ha!), plastic cups, first aid supplies, kids books, shoes, old food in the pantry...lots of places!

* If you cant remember WHY something is sentimental..then get rid of it.

How often do we hold on to stuff because so-and-so gave it to us? Obviously there are exceptions to this rule. Generally, if someone spent time making something or they have alot of attachment to my having it, I hold onto it. But, I couldnt tell you most if any of the gifts I have given to anyone in the last 5 years ...so if I gave you something, and its causing you stress..GET RID OF IT!

* If its broken or doesnt work..GET RID OF IT!

Adrian and I often disagree in this area. He wants to put it aside to fix it later. Some stuff we do that with, but I have gotten to the point that if I didnt LOVE it or USE it in the first place, it gets trashed.

*If you havent worn it, used it, or played with it in the last 6 months...GET RID OF IT!

This is a GREAT rule. I use it ALL the time. I use it especially in my closet and my kitchen. These are two areas where things seem to multiply unfettered.

* If you feel bad about throwing it away..GIVE IT AWAY

I have found that there are some things that I dont want any more, but that I cant just throw away. Its much easier for me to pass it on to someone who could use it (less guilt).

While most of the stuff goes to Goodwill, I have started using a few different avenues of distribution including Kidney Foundation (furniture, they will pick up!), Church library or nursery, friends who I think will love it, to friends who are doing garage sales (I have a NO garage sale rule myself..THOSE really stress me out!).

* If you MUST, then sell it ..but get it DONE!

Like I mentioned, I dont love having garage sales. That is largely due due to the fact that in order to have one, you have to collect all the junk that you will need to have one, for a long time before you actually have one. You have a pile, a box or something that is the designated "garage sale" area. Instead of getting rid of stuff, we just shift it from one cluttered area to another with hopes of having time at some point to get rid of it all and make a few pennies in the process.

I am not trying to knock it if you love it, and if you are good about making it happen. BUT ...often what happens is that it now creates a NEW stress of needing to get it out of the garage, guilt over how you could make money off it (ebay, Craigs List) ..so on and so on. You dont get rid of it, you only shift it.

Yes, you could save it all up and sell it at some point ..true. OR, you can collect it all, take it to someplace where people will appreciate it and be done with it TODAY with no more work or resources put towards that cause. THAT sounds better for me..

BUT, if you must sell it for some reason ..make it a priority to do it soon, and dont let it continue to haunt you because you have to see the pile whenever you open the garage or utility room. :)

____

Remember, that the things around us are not what makes up the important things. Our treasures are those things that we have been given by God to do his will in our lives, and their benefit goes way beyond the here and now.

By loosing the hold that things have on us, we can better use the resources that He gave us ..of our material possessions, our time (the time it takes to manage all those things), our mental and our physical energy.

Now, go find some thing to GET RID OF!