Growing up, one of my fondest memories with my grandparents was when they sent me on a scavenger hunt for my birthday celebration. I was given a clue and then had to decipher it to go to my next location. After running excitedly through their house looking for clues, I was finally rewarded with my birthday present–my very own TV for my room! Bear in mind, this was 1987 and I was 10, so from my perspective, having a TV to watch whatever shows I wanted, was the coolest thing ever.
Fast forward to my work as a professional organizer. Recently, I was taking a class for working with clients who are chronically disorganized. Such a simple message was shared, but it really resonated with me and I hope it does for you, as well. When you begin a clean-out of a space, instead of thinking about what items to “toss,” think about what items are so precious or important to you that you have to keep them. Instead of thinking about what needs to go, think about what you really want to stay. Of course, you may have to set some parameters–for example, in a collection of 10 books, what number is reasonable to keep, and then progress accordingly.
I recommend you give it a try and see how it goes. I plan to utilize this strategy the next time I clean out my closet. I will remember my grandparents and the joy I had along the journey of my scavenger hunt. Perhaps looking for treasures instead of trash will allow me to let go of some items that I no longer need. Let me know if it works for you!