out things to treasure, than to single out things to toss. A curator at an art museum starts with an empty gallery, and chooses the best works with which to beautify the space. Well, Starting Over makes us the curators of our homes. We’ll decide which objects enhance our lives, and put only those things back into our space.
Remember, the things with which we choose to surround ourselves tell our story. Let’s hope it’s not “I choose to live in the past,” or “I can’t finish the projects I start.” Instead, let’s aim for something like, “I live lightly and gracefully, with only the objects I find functional or beautiful.”
S T REAMLINE
12
Trash, Treasure, or Transfer
Now that we’ve dumped out our stuff, we need to sort through it and decide what to do with it. We’re going to separate our things into three categories: Trash, Treasure, and Transfer. For the first, grab a large, heavy-duty garbage bag (a smaller one will do if you’re working on a single drawer). For the latter two, use boxes, tarps, or whatever’s convenient for the area you’re tackling. Boxes work well if you’re dealing with smaller items; but if the stuff you’re sorting is bigger than a breadbox, designate sections of the floor (with or without tarps), and make separate piles for each category.
Keep an extra box on hand as well; we’ll call it Temporarily Undecided. As you sort through your stuff, you’ll come across things that you’re not sure you want to keep, but you’re not quite ready to part with. Perhaps you just need a little more time to think it over. You don’t want a few tricky objects to throw you off track, or slow your momentum; so if you can’t make a quick decision on something, put it here for now. You can revisit it later and assign it to a pile.
Truth be told, you may very well end up with a full box of Undecideds, even after further consideration. In that case, seal it up and write the date on it with permanent marker. You’re going to put it into “temporary” storage: in the basement, attic, garage, or back of a closet. If, after six months (or a year), you haven’t opened it to retrieve anything, take it to your favorite charity. This box should only be used as a last resort—not as an excuse to avoid hard decisions. The point isn’t to save these items, but rather to save your space from items you’re not sure you need.
So let’s start with the Trash: this stuff is a no-brainer. Throw away everything that’s clearly garbage, like food packaging, stained or ripped clothing, expired cosmetics and medicines, spoiled food, nonworking pens, old calendars, newspapers, flyers and pamphlets, junk mail, bottles and containers that can’t be reused, and any broken items that can’t be fixed or aren’t worth fixing. If it’s not good enough for Goodwill, it belongs in this pile.
And I know you know that when I say “throw away,” I mean “recycle if possible.” While tossing things in the trash is easy, we must keep the environment in mind. I don’t think any of us want to be responsible for something sitting in a landfill for the next hundred years. So err on the side of good karma, and recycle what you can: most communities will accept cardboard, paper, glass, metal, and some plastics. Of course, before you pitch anything, consider if someone else can use it; if so, put it in the Transfer pile instead. It’s always better to send something to a good home than to a landfill or recycling plant—even if it takes a little more time and effort. We have to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of the things we buy, including their proper disposal. Be mindful of these issues when you’re shopping—it’s actually a pretty effective way to curb impulse purchases.
The Treasure pile is for the items you’ll keep, and should contain just what the name implies: the things you truly cherish, for either their beauty or their functionality. If you haven’t used something in
Remember, the things with which we choose to surround ourselves tell our story. Let’s hope it’s not “I choose to live in the past,” or “I can’t finish the projects I start.” Instead, let’s aim for something like, “I live lightly and gracefully, with only the objects I find functional or beautiful.”
S T REAMLINE
12
Trash, Treasure, or Transfer
Now that we’ve dumped out our stuff, we need to sort through it and decide what to do with it. We’re going to separate our things into three categories: Trash, Treasure, and Transfer. For the first, grab a large, heavy-duty garbage bag (a smaller one will do if you’re working on a single drawer). For the latter two, use boxes, tarps, or whatever’s convenient for the area you’re tackling. Boxes work well if you’re dealing with smaller items; but if the stuff you’re sorting is bigger than a breadbox, designate sections of the floor (with or without tarps), and make separate piles for each category.
Keep an extra box on hand as well; we’ll call it Temporarily Undecided. As you sort through your stuff, you’ll come across things that you’re not sure you want to keep, but you’re not quite ready to part with. Perhaps you just need a little more time to think it over. You don’t want a few tricky objects to throw you off track, or slow your momentum; so if you can’t make a quick decision on something, put it here for now. You can revisit it later and assign it to a pile.
Truth be told, you may very well end up with a full box of Undecideds, even after further consideration. In that case, seal it up and write the date on it with permanent marker. You’re going to put it into “temporary” storage: in the basement, attic, garage, or back of a closet. If, after six months (or a year), you haven’t opened it to retrieve anything, take it to your favorite charity. This box should only be used as a last resort—not as an excuse to avoid hard decisions. The point isn’t to save these items, but rather to save your space from items you’re not sure you need.
So let’s start with the Trash: this stuff is a no-brainer. Throw away everything that’s clearly garbage, like food packaging, stained or ripped clothing, expired cosmetics and medicines, spoiled food, nonworking pens, old calendars, newspapers, flyers and pamphlets, junk mail, bottles and containers that can’t be reused, and any broken items that can’t be fixed or aren’t worth fixing. If it’s not good enough for Goodwill, it belongs in this pile.
And I know you know that when I say “throw away,” I mean “recycle if possible.” While tossing things in the trash is easy, we must keep the environment in mind. I don’t think any of us want to be responsible for something sitting in a landfill for the next hundred years. So err on the side of good karma, and recycle what you can: most communities will accept cardboard, paper, glass, metal, and some plastics. Of course, before you pitch anything, consider if someone else can use it; if so, put it in the Transfer pile instead. It’s always better to send something to a good home than to a landfill or recycling plant—even if it takes a little more time and effort. We have to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of the things we buy, including their proper disposal. Be mindful of these issues when you’re shopping—it’s actually a pretty effective way to curb impulse purchases.
The Treasure pile is for the items you’ll keep, and should contain just what the name implies: the things you truly cherish, for either their beauty or their functionality. If you haven’t used something in
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