Getting rid of clutter can be intimidating. Why do something new? Why change? Why risk failure?
Fortunately, failing at uncluttering and organizing isn’t that big of a deal. No one’s life is on the line. You can’t go to prison for it. You just try again until you get it right.
I’ve found the following quote to help inspire me to take uncluttering risks:
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.–William Arthur Ward
Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from realizing your uncluttering goals. It will be okay if you find that you do need that object again after you got rid of it. You won’t forget your life’s memories if you get rid of some of your sentimental trinkets. You won’t stop being an amazing person if you live with fewer possessions. Take a risk!
What A great quote! I’ll have to remember it next time i get frustrated about cleaning. Besides, when you clean and organize, you make room for new stuff!
i love this! I recently de-cluttered my whole house and have vowed to only buy what is necessary until I learn how to let go of what i think is necessary. I’ve been taking risks and I feel great about them! Thanks so much…
I used to think twice about discarding items or giving things away. I was always afraid that I would need or want it later. But you know what? That’s not how it works. If you have something that is stored for years in the back of a closet, you won’t miss it when it’s gone. You don;t use it now and there is someone who needs it. So don’t hesitate.
A very helpful/useful resource in many communities is the Freecycler’s list–http://freecycle.org allows you to locate such a group near you–it’s an online e-mail list that you can post anything you have that is usable but that you no longer need or want to bother trying to sell in a yard sale or online. People can post requests for items they’re in need of (for free only) and others post things they wish to have go to a new home (our local one has cut off pet listings, figuring better to let the Humane Society and similar organizations who can check things out for safety and health).