Q: I like to start the new year by cleaning out and organizing my home. What should I focus on this year?
A: An annual home cleanout is a great way to help stay organized. It also can make you feel clearer and more ready to start the year feeling fresh.
I recently helped clean out a family member’s home who had developed dementia and moved to a residential care facility. He had not been able to prepare his home himself, so we had to go through his belongings and decide what to keep, what to throw out, and what to sell or donate.
Sorting through a lifetime of possessions made me rethink the items that I am keeping in my own home. There were bins and bins of printed photos in no particular order. There were boxes of holiday and birthday cards that did not all seem to have meaning. There were many different collections of items that he and his wife had carefully collected over the years but held little value or significance to others.
I immediately went home and started looking at my belongings and imagining someone else going through them. I wondered what they would think of me for having them, and what they would do with them if I was unable to be a part of the decision.
In some ways, this was a helpful exercise for me and made me want to be cleaner and more organized in my things. However, the truth is we do not always save items for other people.
We want to live in a home surrounded by things that bring us joy, regardless of whether other people will feel the same way about the items. It is important to find a balance between what is important to you, and what is just taking up space that you are saving out of obligation.
I think we tend to hold on to things for way too long, and it can be helpful to think about what significance it has for you today. It is also helpful to ask yourself if you have looked at, enjoyed, or used the item in the last year or two.
I decided that boxes I had not even looked at for years meant it was time to sort through them, and either take out and enjoy the things or get rid of them.
Save one or two personal items you want to look back on and enjoy but you don’t need to save every gift you ever received. You can take photos of family keepsakes to create a photo book to look through and share with family members. This allows you to clear out the actual items if you do not have room or a use for them anymore.
Decide what your goals are. You may need to create more space and get rid of things, or you may want to take inventory and just better organize your items. Start slowly, one box or shelf at a time. Sort things to keep, donate, sell, or offer items to your loved ones.
Take your time so that when you are done, you can look around and know that you were intentional about what you still have in your space. Let your home be a space that brings you joy, whatever that looks like to you.
Martha Shapiro can be reached at Senior Concerns at 805-497-0189 or by email at mshapiro@seniorconcerns.org.
