Decluttering Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Saying Goodbye to Sentimental Stuff

We all have those items we would hate to lose, whether it’s an old collection of love letters or a cuddly stuffed animal you slept with as a child. The problem is, even those items become clutter when there’s too much of it. How do you tidy up without losing those memories?

Make Use of the Scanner

When going through old papers and essential documents, start by deciding which items are worth keeping. Scan and upload those documents to a service that will hold a backup you can’t possibly lose. (Remember, scanning absolutely everything leads to digital clutter though, so only choose what’s essential). Next, decide if you still need the originals. If you don’t, shred everything once it’s safely digitized. If you must keep originals, put them somewhere safe, like a filing cabinet, fireproof safe, or a safety deposit box at your local bank.

Ditch Physical Copies of Music and Movies

We’re in the age of the internet and have the cloud at your fingertips. Why keep movies and music around in a tangible form? The individual boxes are small, but when you put them all together, they take up a great deal of space. Put what you want to keep online and donate or sell those old DVDs and CDs. Now your collection is available wherever you are.

Take Pictures

Sentimental objects might seem a little harder to declutter at first glance, but they don’t have to be. Start by taking lots of pictures of those items with emotional attachment. Once you’ve taken all the photos, choose the objects you absolutely can’t part with and put the others in the donate box. Only keep what can fit into a smallish box.

Some Quick tips?

• Download your favorite books instead of owning physical copies. Now you can read them anytime, anywhere

• Give family heirlooms to other family members who might appreciate them more. You can ‘visit’ the items again when you see that family member, while at the same time blessing them with something they will cherish.

• Remind yourself your vintage objects are worth cold, hard cash to the right person. If you’ve already had your enjoyment of an object, let it go to bless someone else while you pocket the profit.

Letting go of a physical object doesn’t mean letting go of the significance of an object or even the experience of having owned it. It means keeping the important aspects of it, whether it’s a picture or some other record of the memory, without needing the clutter of the object itself.