It’s so easy to think about the future and what life might be like. It’s even easier to think about the past and what life used to be like. But what about the present? Are you ignoring that? I often find that my clients are, so I help them think about their current lifestyle and needs while we’re purging and storing items.

It might be difficult to purge because at one time you had nothing and you never want to feel that way again. You wonder about the possibilities of needing something in the future and not being able to replace them either because you can’t find the item or won’t be able to afford them. But what’s the real probability of that? And what’s the worst that will happen if you don’t have that specific item in the future? In most cases, the answer is, “Nothing.”

What items are you holding onto that you know you’re not currently using? Worse yet, when is the last time you used them? Instead of the item, how much time and energy could you save yourself by not having to clean around that item? How much space could you open up for yourself by not having to display or store that item? How much money could you sell that item for right now rather than letting it disintegrate over time and not being able to sell it at all in the future? These are just a few examples of the questions I ask my clients to consider so they can make good decisions for right now. Try it on your own. I bet you can talk yourself into getting rid of something pretty quickly if you’re honest with yourself!

Once you hit a roadblock with an item and you’re not willing to get rid of it, which can be ok too, you’ll have to answer more questions. One of the first ones I’d ask is, are you storing the item properly? If your precious photographs and family heirlooms are mildewing away in a mouse infested, soggy, dilapidated cardboard box on the floor of your garage, the answer is, “No!” So what are you going to do to honor those items you’re going to hold onto but not use? Do you have a better container to put them in? Do you have a climate controlled space to put them in? Do you have a furniture piece with a storage function that you can move them to so you can look at them once in a while? Should you be digitizing them so you can pass them down to family members and clear up some physical space? If you intend to pass them onto family members anyway, can you do so right away?

Here are some solutions to consider if you’re still struggling with this set of questions:

1.       Have honest and civil conversations with family members about items you’re holding onto for them. Find out if they really want them and figure out the soonest time they can take ownership of what they do want.

2.       Use furniture pieces with storage options built into them so that you can access your items but not store them away where they’ll be forgotten about. However, make sure not to clutter your home with wall-to-wall furniture just to avoid cluttering it with loose or bin contained items.

3.       Consistently clear off horizontal spaces that are collecting non-designated decorative items. Begin using vertical spaces in more efficient ways (i.e. adding shelving but only for specified items).

4.       Make plans to move into a space that can hold all of your items (and no, I don’t mean a storage unit, I mean a bigger home).

If these solutions are not feasible, it’s time to go back to the beginning and ask yourself tough questions about your items again. You either get the stuff and the stress or you get the space and the serenity. You’ll have your memories and can work towards a bright future but don’t ever forget about living in and organizing for the present. It’s the most important time of your life!