How to Organize Your “Memory Clutter”

As sentimental human beings, most of us have a tendency of keeping small trinkets that remind us of happier times. These things fill our lives like a plague and fill the nooks and crannies of our offices and homes like caulking.

There is always a tipping point where we realize that these little things have taken over but when that time comes, it is often too late.

What do we do to get all of those memory clutter items in order?

First of all, you need to know that it’s not the actual object that is bringing for those sentimental feelings, it is you. It is your memories.

Instead of keeping all of it, have them pass a small “test”:

• Have you used it in the past year?
• Are you harboring negative feelings toward someone through this object?
• Are you embarrassed to display this object in public?
• Do you mix the memories that are attached to this object with others?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then it’s time for you to let it go.

If you are finally ready to let these things go, take a picture of the item before you pack it up for Goodwill or throw it out. You can print them out and put them in a scrapbook (which will take up less space than boxes of trinkets) or you can store them on an external hard drive.

Get in the Right Mindset

When you are removing sentimental clutter from your life, it is another way of telling yourself that it is time to move on with your life. So when we keep these things and refuse to let them go, it’s a way that we can hold on to the past.

Cleaning up your space will also help you clear your mind. When you are working in a clean space, your mind is less scatter-brained. Often, the state of our work spaces mimics how our brain functions. Clean space, clear mind. Cluttered space, frazzled mind.

Image by qiye (http://pixabay.com/en/package-skin-color-lower-saturation-281425/)