Evaluating: Trash or Treasure

In the last post we went over my L.E.S.S. System, and determined that learning about our stuff and ourselves is an important first step in an organization project.   That step can often be enjoyable, because we usually like to talk about ourselves, and we sometimes discover that things we had misplaced, lost or forgotten are still with us ("Hey, that's where I hid the stocking stuffers from 2007!). 

Now we move to the "E", which stands for "Evaluate."  It's probably the most critical step, because within this part of the process we uncover the reasons behind why we buy, save, accumulate and put things most anywhere but where they really need to be.  For that reason, it can also be the most troubling part of the process for clients.  If you've tried to get organized before, you probably know some of the questions you're supposed to ask yourself, such as "Do I use this item?",  "Do I love this item?" or "Do I have space for this item?"

Those are good questions to begin the process of determining...Evaluating...whether or not the things we we own are relevant to our lives.  But I like to drill down to some other ideas, because we need to know what our clutter really is.  Let's go back to our list of office supplies that we Learned about in the desk drawer.   And let's take those Mardi Gras beads we found under the five boxes of paper clips.  Here's how the questions might go:
 
Do you use those beads in the office?  No (chuckle). 
Do you love them?  Well, love is kind of strong, but they hold great memories. 
How did you get them?  An old boyfriend just gave them to me in college. 
How do you feel about that?  Well, actually, he WAS kind of a jerk and of course I'm happily married to someone else with two children, a dog, and a guinea pig, so...ok, maybe they aren't such great memories.  
How did they get here?  Well, I think I was running around picking stuff up before my mother-in-law came over and...um...I threw them in the desk drawer.
How long ago was that?  Maybe...two years...?
What's the worst thing that could happen if you got rid of them?  (long silence) I wouldn't have Mardi Gras beads in my desk drawer anymore?
And does that take away from your work here at the desk?  Of course not.
So could you pitch them?  What??!  And put them in the landfill?!
OK, so what alternatives do we have?  My sister has younger kids that would probably use them for dressing up...
Good thought!

If you made a chart of your decision-making results with all of those things in the drawer, carefully thinking through the pros and cons of how everything shakes out, it might begin to look something like this:

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Working through these thoughts and feelings can initially wear people out (and maybe bring up some shame, disgust or other difficult feelings), but once they get the hang of the process it moves faster.  There is such a thing as decision fatigue, and that's why it's helpful to have another, non-biased person help during this part of organizing.  Depending upon the objects, taking a break here and there helps too.  It may be much easier to go through the kids' toys from 4 years ago than it is to go through a grandparent's years of saved paperwork, so plan your time and process accordingly.

Next week we tackle Sort (which is really just an extension of Evaluate), and Systematize (which is the best part!).  In the meantime, feel free to share some feelings that come up during your Evaluation process - and take some comfort that whether it's skeletons in your closets, or beads in your drawers, we all have some strange things we're hanging onto.