Simplify the Purging Process with these 6 Questions

“Help me organize”

Trying to get organized? Are you struggling with what to purge and what to keep? Every once in awhile I run into this situation with my clients. More often than not an item you don’t know what to do with is an item that you can live without. It’s easy to simplify the purging process by asking yourself a few questions.

If you find yourself in the limbo of keep or toss ask yourself these questions about EVERY individual item.

6 Questions to Ask Yourself When Purging

Does this item serve a purpose?
Is it useful and in working order?
Have I used it in the past year?
Is this the only item I own used for this specific purpose?
Would I buy it again today?

If you answer NO to any of the questions it’s time to say goodbye to the item in question. You can happily donate it to someone else that can use it.

If the item is sentimental and you are still questioning what to do, ask yourself one final question.

Does this make me smile?

Again, If the answer is NO you know what to do. It’s time to say goodbye.

If you don’t enjoy it, take a photo of it, see if other family members want it and if not, donate it to an organization that will allow someone else to acquire it. A materialistic object that is clutter in one persons space is often appreciated, needed and used in another. The simple truth is that it’s not doing you any good stuffed in a storage closet and if it’s out adding to your clutter it is actually causing you stress.

Do you have more questions about organizing? Be sure to checkout this post on 5 Steps to a Clutter Free Home.

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Lauren is the founder of Intentional Edit, a home organization and lifestyle company focused on consciously editing to create efficient and organized spaces. Lauren believes that a functional home that looks and feels good has a positive influence on all aspects of life. Creating systems that allow for the home to function more efficiently, therefore, eliminating most of the clutter and chaos is her priority. While trends come and go organization is always in style!