Love it then Leave It!
“Yardsale” as a verb? Yup. As I drove around the neighborhood this past weekend, yardsales were as ubiqutious its squirrel population. The primal instinct to get one’s house in order as fall approaches is real. T’is the season to simplify, people. Declutter and yardsale your life! That visceral promise of a fresh start associated with the “back to school” mindset never dies, no matter how old we are.
Whether we have kids or not, the biological urge to “purge” worn-out stuff in order to embrace the next chapter in our life, anticipate the its tantalizing potential, seems to be hardwired in our mental hard drive. Who wants to go back to school with last year’s dogeared notebooks, torn backpack or pencils without fresh, government-issue points?
So then why do we allow our homes, offices, automobiles, drawers, attic, and garages become repositories for old, worn, outgrown, obsolete, broken, unwanted or unloved THINGS?
Isn’t it time to “yardsale” your life? Even if you don’t hold an actual yard sale – why not find, discard, donate, sell or upcycle all that stuff that is using up space, stressing you out, taking oxygen out of the environment while giving you nothing back.
Isn’t this September the perfect time to reboot your life, “buckle down” (as my teachers used to say) and get stuff done this fall? Pretend you are going back to school.
Would you want to wear all your clothes, or are some too dated, too small, too big, or just not your favorite anymore? Think blazers with shoulder pads, heels too high, or ties an old girlfriend gave you that bring back memories you’d rather forget.
Either finish that DIY project that is in the middle of your home office (set a deadline), or DITCH IT, guilt-free! Make room for something more important. Do you really need to keep your rising freshman’s Hello Kitty sleeping bag that she wouldn’t be caught dead using any more? Ditto for outgrown bikes, sports equipment, books, and more.
Clear and organize your car to get ready for another jam-packed season of soccer, school pick-ups, or, in my case, college tours? Buy trunk and backseat organizers to corral your chaos, and see how much happier you will be stepping into a neat vehicle, especially when you unexpectedly have to drive your boss to a meeting.
What else to “yardsale” this September? Use the back-to-school rule. Are your things, your systems, your style, your stuff, your computer, your technology, your schedule, RIGHT FOR THE TIME? FOR YOUR CURRENT LIFESTYLE? Get rid of obsolete systems and stuff – streamline and simplify everything you possibly can.
Switch up your software to streamline your work or family scheduling. Clear out the papers from the last school year and start a new system that is more organized and family-friendly. Need help coming up with an A+ paper management system? Contact me! Free advice: Use 1 central place for EVERYTHING! (I love binders.)
Just as we pep-talk our kids to embrace change, learn new things, keep their rooms neat, take care of their belongings, and give away the things that don’t fit them anymore – let’s lead by example.
Yardsale your life. Pare down, let go, start fresh this fall – DON’T BUY ANYTHING NEW that you don’t need (and if you add something to your space, subtract something of equal value (size, similarity, etc.) Most of all – observe how much more time and mental energy you have to enjoy your newfound FREESPACES!
It feels really good to be the most organized kid in the class!