What to Ask When Cleaning and Organizing

When beginning an organizational task, deciding on what to keep and what to get rid of can be a fairly difficult task. This is only natural since people don't really want to get rid of their possessions. However, getting rid of extraneous items is often the only way that you can really organize anything. Here are a few questions to ask when organizing which will help you decide on what should be kept, and what should be gotten rid of.

• Do you still use it? The very first thing that you should ask yourself is whether you still use that particular item or not. If you don't use it anymore, or haven't really used it in the last six months, then there is no reason that you should still have it. If you answer no to this question, then you should place this item into the discard pile.
• Do you like it? Do you still like the item? If not, then you should get rid of it. People only really ever use things that they like, and leave those that they don't like to gather dust. For those items that you don't like anymore, then ask around to see if anyone else still likes it.
• Does anyone like it? If no one in your home or office likes the item, then it really is time to get rid of it. While you may hold onto an item that you may not like simply because someone else in your home or office does, it makes no sense to hold onto something that no one really likes. Holding onto anything that no one really likes only leads to wasted space, and another item that collects dust.
• Does this need something else? Often, items get set aside and forgotten about when they are missing something. Take stock of the item in question, and see if it is missing anything. If it is, see if you have what is needed on hand, or if you are willing to go out that same day and get a replacement part. For those items that you are not willing to get a replacement piece for, or that you are missing too many pieces, then simply get rid of it. The item is not doing you any good, and someone else may find a good use for it.
• Where does it go? Everything should have a place. After all, there is an old saying that goes "A place for everything, and everything in its place." If you do not have space for that item, or even a place where you can store it until you need to use it, then get rid of it. Otherwise, you are contributing to clutter, which is the enemy of an organized space.