Seven - Possessions

We've wrapped up the clothing chapter of Seven and are moving on to the chapter on Possessions. This means we will be spending roughly the month of April in serious purge-mode. The challenge is to give away the equivalent of 7 items a day for 30 days, which totals 240 items. However, there are LOTS of variations on this, and the important thing is to reflect on where your own possessions are possessing you and address THAT.

For me, it will roughly look like spending one week on clothing & accessories, one week on closets, one on toys, books and crafts, and one on my kitchen. If my husband gets involved, there may be time spent in our barn as well. I will be working hard at applying the questions below to items and getting rid of anything that doesn't make the cut.

In effort to help you with the items you may be finding it difficult to part with, ask yourself the following series of questions:

1. Do I love it?

2. Do I use it/wear it? How long ago did I use it/wear it?

3. Does it serve more than one purpose and/or assist me to get rid of something else in it's place? (ie. a mixer with a bread dough blade could maybe replace a bread machine.)

4. Do I have the space to store it without creating a cluttered space?

5. Am I willing to give up something else in order to make room for it? 

6. Can I imagine myself or anyone in my family ever loving it or needing it in the foreseeable future?

7. Can I honestly see myself finishing, fixing, or using this item for what it was intended? (Ie, craft projects, broken items, unimplemented home improvement solutions, etc.)

8. Am I keeping this item out of obligation or expectation?

9. Is this a real "just in case item" or an imaginary one? (Ie. the difference between storing some emergency candles or that formal dress from 1986 that just might come in handy the next time you're invited to a prom.)

10. Do I have multiples of this item? (A great example - art supplies - how many burnt umber crayons do you need? - Hint: the answer is ONE. No matter how many kids you have.)

11. Is this item worth the time and space it uses in my life?

Try to think outside the box whenever possible. A great way to do this is to bring in a friend who you know approaches life differently than you do - use this to your advantage and have them help you evaluate your true "need" for things or even how to put what you have and the space you have to their best use.

Do you have more tips on organizing and purging? Share them with us! Don't forget to also share how you hope to attack your stuff this month!