As of late, many of my clients have been reading (or have read) Marie Kondo's "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up". "How can I explain that keeping a gray t-shirt doesn't give me joy but I want to keep it?" "Does it give you joy?" is the modus operandi of this philosophy of purging. Let's break it down...
1. Does this item (let's talk clothes) have a valuable use? This means,
IT'S INCREDIBLY COMFORTABLE
I LOVE HOW IT FITS, IT MAKES MY (insert body part here) LOOK GREAT.
I NEED IT FOR WORK. AND, ALL OF THE ABOVE
If YES to any of these, KEEP.
2. Does this item (let's talk Tchotchkes!) bring me joy?
MY MOM/DAD/RELATIVE/FRIEND/BOSS GAVE IT TO ME Even if your mother (et.al.) is deceased, if that item doesn't remind you of them and illicit thoughts of lovely memories, it becomes a random object. Mom wouldn't mind. KEEP what reminds you of the good things. Donate the rest. Someone needs or wants it more than you.
3. THIS WAS EXPENSIVE.
It doesn't have the same monetary value that it used to. The only way to deal with these items/clothes is to sell! I have some great designer "stuff" in my house. But if I Google the value, I find often that it may only be worth a fraction of its price. DISCLAIMER! If your item is worth selling, it will become part of a "to-do" list (ie. adding the item to a SELL pile in a corner of a room and will have to actually be listed and sold.) Then research what people will offer to buy it for. If it's not worth the time to list it, LET IT GO! Housing these item wastes mental energy and valuable real estate in your home.
Let me know your thoughts!!!!