Goodwill vs. Give

Everybody wants to know that their possessions are going to a good home, and nobody wants to throw things away. Some people hate to lose the memories associated with the object; others feel like they want to get their money’s worth. No matter what the reason, it’s just plain difficult to let your stuff go. So you decide to give it away. I like to call this the “adoption option”.
Unless it is an antique, or a known object of someone else's affection, this is a big blunder. Here’s five good reasons why:

1. You are passing on your clutter to someone else. After all, you’re getting rid of it to reduce your own clutter, right?

2. The person you intend it for might not want it. It’s a lovely thought, but you’re putting them in a pickle if they don’t want to hurt your feelings by rejecting it. And no, saying “it doesn’t bother me if you don’t like it” doesn’t solve this problem!

3. You will underestimate the hassle of getting it to them. Just think about how long it takes you to return a book that you’ve borrowed from a friend!

4. You’ll forget about it, and wind up with another pile of mess to clean later.

5. It becomes an excuse to keep you from finishing your job. You won’t feel a sense of completion until your friend picks it up, and that can take forever. So when is it OK to hang on to something, and how do you do it right? Here are the things it’s OK to save for others:

• Antiques
• Objects with strong family memories, if the recipient has expressed an interest in them
• Items that you know they have a specific use for right now—like baby clothes for your friend with a newborn
• Any object that someone has asked you for without being prompted

If you are giving something, remember to set a short deadline for when the giving occurs. If it’s still there in three weeks, it should automatically go to Goodwill! Even I make this mistake sometimes—we still have bed rails in our garage because our neighbor expressed an interest in them three weeks ago! If this is causing you too much grief, contact me and I can coach you through it. Remember that less is more!