Category: Uncategorized

The Food Processor

Even with a passion for order, and a clear understanding about letting go of the no longer loved, used or functional; from time to time I am challenged too. I have nothing but gratitude for the experience as it gives insight and reminders of what it is like for our clients to let go.

Recently for me it was the food processor. Here is what letting go of it looked like.

Questions and answers to myself:

How long have you owned it? It was a wedding gift 20+ years.

When is the last time you used it? A year or possibly longer ago.

What are your favourite things to make with it? Cheesecake and that amazing cheese torte.

What is the likelihood you will ever make these again? Slim to none.

So what if you wanted cheesecake? I would go somewhere fabulous to get one like Max’s or Fratelli.

Okay, decision made, it goes.

At this point I did not hesitate; I added it to some client donations already in the car, jumped in and drove away.

I blessed the food processor for the many great years we had together. Celebrated its future with someone who would love, appreciate and use it.

Then I focused on my future, enjoying a New York or chocolate cheesecake someone else had made.

 

 

 

Recently I watch an episode of ‘Enough Already’ on the OWN Network, with my favourite clutter expert Peter Walsh.

Peter asked the client he was about to declutter, to choose three things from her home that had the most value to her. He said she had one minute and to imagine that she had to leave her home and those three things were all she could take. She looked shocked, but as Peter started to count down, she sprung into action. She chose one thing. A photograph of her grandmother. When Peter asked her why she chose that; she explained that her grandmother had taught her important values in life: kindness, compassion and understanding. Peter pointed out that none of those attributes were things. Noticing the look on her face, I would say the light bulb went on.

I think this is my point when I say, who we are is NOT our things. Without the things we would still be the same people.

Try this test for yourself. What three things would you take if you had to leave your home for good in one minute. You might surprise yourself.

To your clutter free life!

 

As an organizer I have some issues with storage. As I watch more and more storage facilities being built I wonder, what are we storing?!

I think storage has its place; like during a renovation, in between homes/moving, temporary travel. Business storage makes sense if the company is paying for it and the contents justify the storage fees.

If you have storage because you have too much stuff with no end date in mind, you need to ask yourself some serious questions. What I am storing? How long have I been storing it? How often do I visit my storage unit? How many dollars have I spent on storage? Do the dollars I have spent exceed the value of the contents being stored?

A small storage unit is easily a vacation in an all inclusive per year!

If you are storing your grandmother’s china because you love it, why isn’t it in your home being used? If you are storing your grandmother’s china due to family obligation, pass it on!

Rethink your storage situation. If you think out of sight is out of mind, calculate what you have invested to date, and think again.

To your clutter free life!