How to decide???

A client of mine is about to tackle a big de-cluttering project. We reviewed the binary choice system (that's the one where you make only one choice at a time: keep/don't keep, taxes/not taxes - ugh, my favorite). She posed a good question: How do I decide to keep or not? This is one example of the brain's going through a number of factors generally at a subconscious level. And, if you're good at it, it happens very quickly. But, naturally, it's more complicated.

So, here are some guidelines:

(1) Is the stuff outdated? A good example of this is travel information. No point in keeping 10 year old recommendations about restaurants or even hotels.

(2) Will you use the item or article: the ratty old dog-gate, the pieces of old furniture that you could fashion into something else, the uncommonly ugly Broncos bird feeder your daughter's first college roommate gave her...you get the idea.

Organization books suggest that if you haven't used something in a year you should get rid of it. This assumes you remember you have it! If you have memory issues, this "rule" may not apply.

(3) You won't miss it. During one of our moves, we filled two identical boxes, one with stuff to keep; the other with stuff to pitch. We didn't mark them (yeah, I know, pretty stupid). Then, one of us (and I'm not naming names here) put the "keep" box out on the curb where it was taken away with the trash. I have no idea what was in it but I don't miss it. The next week, the other box went out to the curb. I don't recommend this technique but I do think you can ask yourself whether or not you'd notice if something were gone.

(4) Can you access the information another way? See #1. Up-to-date travel info is available on-line. Ditto with recipes. I'll bet you can find a clone for just about any recipe you have in that fat file folder upstairs in your attic by typing a description into that google box.

(5) Sentimental value is always an ok reason to keep something.

OK. So I hope this is helpful. Have fun!