Okay, I admit that sticking to a schedule has never been a strong suit of mine. I’m generally much better at encouraging my clients and friends to stay on task than I am at doing it myself. I was sharing this irony with a friend one day and he replied,”Well, you know what they say – that we often are best at teaching that which we need to learn the most.” I don’t have a clue who said that but, at least in my case, it would appear to be true. I often think I learn more from my clients than they learn from me.

All of that to say, in my usual long-winded way, that after much guilt-inducing contemplation I have reluctantly but realistically decided to delete the “weekly” in Julie’s Weekly Tips and just call them simply Julie’s Tips. That way I won’t feel guilty when I don’t deliver as promised and, instead, can share  relevant and, hopefully, entertaining information as time and inspiration allow. I was going to shoot for every two weeks but, somehow, Julie’s Bi-Weekly Tips seemed a bit… well, goofy. So, my Weekly Tips will now arrive on a irregular but consistent basis… somewhere between 1-2 times a month. Now that’s a monkey off my back!

Speaking of guilt, I’ve noticed when I’m helping clients clear clutter they generally have all kinds of guilt-laden reasons for holding onto stuff. So, in the spirit of guilt-free clutter clearing, here are some of the more unproductive reasons we have trouble letting go.

1. It cost a lot of money.

How much you paid for something is really a moot point when it comes down to it. No matter whether you keep something or not, the money your originally spent on it is gone. So why prolong the agony of having made a poor buying decision. Learn from your mistake and move on.

2. Someone gave it to me.

Yes, and your point is? The bottom line is that we all have things in our lives that were given to us by other people… some of which we treasure and some of which we don’t. Chances are relatively high that the giver will never know whether you kept the gift or not and, even if they do, will not take it personally if you choose to give it away. We all know that gift giving is a bit of a crap shoot and that the real gift is in the act of giving, not in the thing given. Okay, maybe wait a day or two before unloading it to the local Goodwill, but my point is that you don’t need to keep it around until you can’t even remember who gave it to you.

3. I will fix it.

If you haven’t fixed it yet, chances are good that you are never going to get it fixed. How do I know? Because if you wanted or needed it badly enough you would have been motivated to fix it already. And don’t get any ideas that anyone else wants to fix it either; if it’s broke, throw it away.

4. Someone I know might want it.

Perhaps this is true. But are you really going to take the time to ask them or, better yet, deliver it to them? Probably not. So why not take it to your local thrift store and let the thing and its next grateful owner find each other on their own. Thrift stores are like the match.com of clutter clearing!

4. I “should” like it or use it.

Do me a favor… don’t “should” all over yourself. We “should” be kind, feed our children, get a good night’s sleep, exercise, brush our teeth, etc. We “should” not feel guilty for our preferences in life, whether they be for people or things. So, “should” you use that blender that’s been taking up space on the counter for over a year? My question is… why?

5. It’s wasteful to get rid of it.

In my view, it’s more wasteful not to get rid of it. You waste the space taken up by this thing you don’t use and you’re depriving someone else who would otherwise appreciate it.

6. It’s sentimental.

It’s only sentimental if it brings you joy in the here and now. It’s not sentimental if it was sentimental to your dear departed Aunt Pearl, but not to you. It’s not sentimental if it represents an outdated association. For instance, I held onto letters from old boyfriends that I didn’t even like. Hardly sentimental, if you get my drift. Keep the things that truly matter and get rid of the rest.

7. I will fit into it again.

Okay, maybe you will lose those extra 10 pounds someday. But do you really think that you’re going to want to wear a bunch of old clothes when you do? No, you’re going to want to go out and buy new, stylish clothes that literally and figuratively fit the person you have become. Isn’t that more motivating than thinking you’re going to fit into some outdated pair of jeans again?

The bottom line… you define your possessions and not the other way around.

See you… sometime soon!