The Health and Peace of Purging Your Business and Your Life

As with any remodeling or moving you are in a position to make decisions for what to keep and what to purge. I have purged A LOT and ARC and Goodwill are very happy with me.

That said, I have also saved some things. Closets were filled with prom dresses, ski jackets, other kinds of jackets and coats. All belonging to my adult daughters. Back packs, purses you name it.

I would line them up on the couch and take pictures and text them to my girls. Do you want these? No. No. No. No. Oh, maybe save the prom dresses for Halloween.

Well, at least my closets are much more open and clear. (haven't tackled coat closets downstairs yet. I didn't dare ask them about the handmade quilts I made for them before they were born. I will give them to their babies. IF they had said 'no' I think I would have cried. I don't think they would but... I didn't give them that opportunity.

And painting and putting new carpet is your home office is also another opportunity. Shelf Help you purchased years ago (and probably never looked at) is old news. Trends change. What worked 5 years ago or less probably isn't working now. I have about 30 3 rings binders in the closet in my office. All empty! I will never have to buy a 3 ring binders again! And 3 big bookcases. Some duplicates. Some never read at all. (I can tell because I open my books wide so the binder is all wrinkled. My mother in law could read a book and you'd never notice because she barely opened it! I was always amazed)

My next project, which will be huge, is the basement. I have so many boxes of awards, elementary school art, report cards (Yes, I have all their report cards!)

In many, many boxes. And you know what? After reading this article I realize they are not going to want any of them. I will keep what I feel is important. Maybe even frame some 'special' art. I have one that Emily did in 2nd grade right above my computer.

And I was planning on finally putting all those growing up pictures into albums. May have to rethink that one.

Here's that article. It's worth the read. It could save me and you a lot of holding on to things.

Worth your time reading:

http://www.denverpost.com/news/national/ci_27807220/generational-gap:-mi...

As I write this I am thinking of all the fancy 'special' china I have from my Nana which sits on a top shelf and has never been used in the 29 years I have lived here. I'll bet someone could make use of that. Even my own wedding china from a man I divorced a couple decades ago. (Maybe my girls would want that? ) Probably not. They will get their own.

We could all end up with a lot of open space in our homes!!

I sent this article to my girls and this is what I got back from my 27 year old.

"I couldn't agree more with this article. Especially seeing as how we are moving all we want is to de-clutter and get rid of old stuff. Even if I had all my old soccer medals they would just sit in a box in the attic or storage somewhere not displayed. Makes sense to me."

We need to listen to them and not get our feeling hurts at the same time.