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As a professional organizer I am always helping women in their homes by organizing clutter. Sometimes we hang on to our clutter and then we feel guilty and we feel bad that we hold on and then that we feel guilty. Let’s start organizing clutter by getting rid of it.

Do you say: but I can’t get rid of it because it is wasteful to throw things away? Which is better to hold on to it and continue to feel guilty and have less space and not like what is around us or to let go? Here are a couple of ideas on how to let go:

1. Sell your guilt. Do this by having a yard sell. Even better get your neighbors involved and have a block/neighborhood yard sell. If you do have a yard sell all of the things that are not sold you can give to charity.

2. Donate your unused, unwanted, items to a charity. Just think of all the people who will benefit from your generosity. It makes it easier to get rid of clutter in your home if you are thinking of all the people you will be helping by donating your items.  Some charities come right to your home to pick up items making it really easy for you to donate. Some organizations that welcome donations are: women’s shelters, homeless shelters, churches, preschools, day cares and animal shelters.

Have you ever said: but I spent money on it? Do you feel guilty because you bought an item and you feel if you get rid of it as you are organizing clutter that you just wasted your money? Let me tell you, just keeping it around cluttering your home and making you feel guilty for buying it is not going to bring your money back. It will just make your feel bad and add clutter to your space.

Keep in mind your goal of organizing clutter as you decide if you can or cannot part with an item.

Do you feel held back with all of your stuff because you have to spend so much time taking care of it? Do you wish you had more time to do fun things with family and friends? Keep this in mind as you are organizing clutter.  The more stuff we have the more time it takes to maintain it. When you let go of clutter you will have more free time to enjoy being with family and friends.

A classic reason I hear as a professional organizer for holding on to things that women don’t want to keep and that clutters their homes and lives is: “but it was a gift”. The person who gave it to you will never know you didn’t keep it. Most people give a gift they think you will like but they also give it without strings. Once it is yours it is your decision whether or not to keep it. If you truly don’t love it and won’t use it there are other things you can do with the gift to honor it and the giver.

·Re-gift it; just make sure you don’t give it back to the person who gave it to you. Once I was given a book with an inscription in it. I gave it back to the person thinking she probably would want the book back from her friends.  She thanked me and gave me a different book with the same title—only that one was also personalized to her. I didn’t say anything the second time.

·Donate it to a charity.

·Sell it on line or at a yard sell.

·Throw it away (if it is so tacky you know no one would want it).

·Exchange it for something you would like and could use.

When we are organizing clutter it helps to keep our goals in mind, get rid of the guilt we feel by having other options of what to do with our possessions. By getting rid of clutter we are more peaceful, happy and enjoy having more time for ourselves.

Click here for more tips and ideas for clutter control in your home and life.