get rid of your guilt and your clutter

Are you hanging on to piles and piles of stuff for no better reason than guilt? There are good reasons to hang on to stuff, but guilt is definitely not one of them! Make it a goal to let go of your guilt along with your clutter!

1. But I Can't Throw It Away: Many times we are unable to let go of clutter because we feel guilty about throwing things away. Letting go doesn't necessarily mean throwing away. Here are just 2 options available: Have a yard sale or donate to a charity.

If you have a yard sale, you will be able to recoup some of your cost. You will never recover full value, but some is better than none. If you donate to a charity, someone else can benefit from your generosity, plus you are able to take a tax deduction for charitable donations. If you elect to have a yard sale, schedule a truck from a charity to pick up what doesn't sell.

2. But I Spent Money On It! Are you held back by guilt because you spent money on something--even if you are getting no value from it? In this case, you are feeling needless guilt. Once the money is spent, it's gone. The best thing you can do is to let go of the needless guilt along with the unneeded clutter.

3. But it was a gift!! Whatever the gift is--it very likely was given to you without strings. Once given, the recipient gets to decide whether or not to keep it. If it is something you truly don't love and won't use, re-gift it (just be careful not to re-gift it to the original gifter), donate it, sell it, give it away, or toss it. You could also exchange it for something you do love and will use.

4. But It Has Sentimental Value! Are you hanging on to Great Aunt Agnes' item just because it was hers? Donating the item does not eliminate the memories you have of the person who gave it to you. Take a picture of the item. You will always have your memories regardless of whether you have the item, and looking at a picture will evoke the memories just as well as looking at the item itself, without the clutter.

These are just a few of the responses I hear from my clients on a weekly basis! Do they sound familiar to you??

Make it a goal this week to get rid of your guilt and your clutter!

For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com