I MIGHT USE IT SOME DAY

The other day I was in Daly’s. Daly’s is a great store.
Besides selling stain and paint, they will actually take your wood sample and help you find the perfect color stain for woodworking projects by trying samples out on the actual lumber that you bring in. My husband and I were there to find the right stain for a pair of boxes for my desk (an “inbox” and an “outbox” for dealing with mail). A man standing next to me had a 2 x 2 piece of stained wood. He was asking the stain expert to match it for a project he was working on. He told the expert that the wood was left over and he hung onto to it because he might need it some day. It was all I could do not to start talking to him on the spot! I hear my clients say this all the time. It is an understandable feeling, but sometimes it is a warning sign that one is hanging onto too much. If I had the chance again I would have prompted him and asked,
“What do you think you may need this for? Are you going to actually use this short 2x2 for anything? If you are just hanging onto to it to match the stain, why not cut it down to a small size and create samples for when you are doing your next wood project?” When you find yourself hanging on to something
“because you might need it some day”, ask yourself these questions:

• Is it replaceable?
  
  
• What is the worst thing that would happen if you got rid of it?
  
  
• Is it something special that triggers a memory
  
  
• Do I have other things that trigger memories from the same time—can I just keep the smallest one?
  
  
• Can you put it into something to enjoy it more, like a scrapbook, a sample board, or a note book?
  
  
• Do you need it? If so, when is the last time you used it?
  
  
• In the words of Judith Kolhberg, “does it need you?”
  
  
• Was it a gift you didn’t like, but you feel guilty about giving it away?
  
  
• If you find a place that could really use it, would you be willing to donate it?
  
  
• Do you have room for it?
  
  
• What are you going to do with it?
  

If the questions above don’t help, here are some more good clues that you can toss it:

• It was packed away in a box for over 10 years when you last moved
  
  
• It was hidden away in your crawl space or basement for over 3 years
  
  
• It is covered with so many cobwebs you need to take time to clean it
  
  
• You have been wondering where it is, but you’re making do fine without it
  
  
• It smells of mold or must? ? ?
  

If you’re still not convinced that you should toss it, keep it. However, remember these guidelines every time you go through your old things again (when you still haven’t used it…).
If that doesn’t get you far enough, consider setting some rules for yourself. This will help force the issue, while not making you destroy your memories and possessions recklessly.
For example:

• Every time I purchase a new book, one (or two) books get sold or donated to the library.
  
  
• If I get a gift I don’t like, I will return it, sell it on eBay, or take it to a white elephant party (make sure the gift bearer is NOT attending!)
  
  
• Every year I am going to purge my garage of anything that I haven’t used in the last 3 years
  
  
• Every time I purchase a new article of clothing, something old will go to Goodwill.
  

You get the idea. If you do not like rigid rules, but are in real need of support, announce to your friends that you are trying to de-clutter a room. When you are de-cluttering that particular room, have one of your friends come before the room is done and after you have purged. Make sure this friend is non-judgmental. Otherwise, you will feel too anxious to please them (remember this is for you, not them.) Listen carefully to yourself. Do you hear yourself saying it? “I might need that someday!” If you do, consider carefully—someday probably won’t come!