Too many keepsakes-how to make decisions
Just like paper, our homes can quickly fill up with keepsakes and sentimental items. And it’s hard to determine which ones you should keep and which ones you can let go. Our belongings have an emotional attachment, memories associated with them. “Our firsts, our kids’ firsts, gifts from loved ones (especially if they’re no longer with us), kids’ artwork, important life milestones, our favorites, and the list goes on.
So how do you know when the time is right to let go of important belongings? Ultimately, the answer is…when you’re ready. It’s ok if there are things in your life that you’re not ready to part with just yet. And it’s ok if it ends up being a year from now. But following these tips and strategies will help keep it in the back of your mind so you don’t lose sight and allow your belongings to consume you.
Time Test: This is probably one of the most helpful ways to determine if you should keep items or not. Box them up and store it out of sight. If you don’t miss them after a certain period (e.g., six months), these are probably keepsakes that can go.
Evaluate Emotional Value: Are there positive memories associated with it? Does it bring value to your life? Is it something you can’t bear to be without? If so, these are probably items you want to keep. If not, they can be let go.
Ask Yourself Why You’re Keeping It: It’s important to take time and reflect on the reasons you’re keeping an item. Is it out of guilt or obligation? Do you feel bad getting rid of a gift from a loved one? It’s ok, if you receive things you’re not interested in, it doesn’t fit your lifestyle, you won’t use it, etc. And it’s ok to part with items that have lived their life and are no longer serving you a purpose. These can be great items to share with others by rehoming to a family member or friend, sharing with your church, or donating to a shelter or other human service organization. And if it’s broken, it’s ok to toss.
Consider Practicality: Can you incorporate the keepsake into your everyday life? If it can be used consistently, it might be worth keeping and doesn’t have to live in a closet or memory box. It could be certain dishes such as serving platters or pieces of art that can hang on the wall.
Reflect on Future Generations: Is the item something you want to pass down to your children or others in your family? Will it be meaningful? If not, it might be less essential to keep.
Limit Quantity: Do a lot of items bring you joy? Are they all important? Examine and evaluate your items and only keep the most important or the ones that bring you the most joy. This helps you to prioritize the ones that have the highest level of meaning in your life. It’s helpful to remember that a few high-quality items usually carry more meaning and weight than a lot of less significant ones.
Use a Memory Box: Designate a small box or container for sentimental items. You can limit yourself to a certain number of boxes - 1-3, depending on the size of the box. This helps manage space and keeps your sentimental items organized. If they don’t all fit, then it’s time to use some of these other strategies to determine which ones to keep and which ones to part with.
Photograph Items: This is great for any item, but especially for your kids’ artwork or projects. If you take photos of items then you can have the memory forever without the physical ones. These photos can be put into a coffee table book of pictures, filed on your computer, or uploaded to sharing sites such as Google Photos.
Consult a Trusted Friend or Family Member: If you know there are belongings you no longer want to keep, but aren’t sure where to start or what to let go of, it can be helpful to talk with someone else to guide you and/or provide different perspectives regarding the value (or lack thereof) in keeping certain items. And you can always call us at Authentic Living - we can help you determine which items to keep and which to let go.
As you begin to think through these questions and tips, categorizing items into 4 different piles is a great strategy as you get started.
Pile 1: Keep
Pile 2: Donate
Pile 3: Toss
Pile 4: Unsure
After you’ve sorted all the items, go back to pile 4 to see if you have a stronger pull about placing items in one of the other 3 piles. If not, this is a great box to put away to test whether you need them, miss them, and/or want to keep them. Come back to it in 6 months or a year and follow the same process.
Letting go of belongings is hard. But it’s a necessary part of life. Hopefully these strategies will help you as you make decisions.
Need some assistance or support through the process or want us to create a memory box for you? Contact us! info@authenticlivingco.com or www.authenticlivingco.com