I hear it so often when de-cluttering with clients – “oh, that was a gift from my [loved one] and I should keep it.” Typically, the exchange continues: Do you love it? No. Do you wear them? No? or Have you ever hung it on the wall? No Does anyone like it? No and finally: Are you ready to let it go? Uh…..
After organizing for almost 15 years in hundreds of households, I have prepared the following proposition to address this dilemma. Please vote YES on this proposition and institute it in your household. Vote for no gift clutter in your world; yes for guiltfree!
Whereas, most people keep gifts that they received and plan to re-gift (which means the gift you receive may be a re-gift);
And Whereas, if a person gives you a gift wrapped in obligation and guilt, it’s not a gift but a manipulation:
And Whereas, for the most part, a gift-givers intention is to bring you joy and gratitude which means the gift is freely given and can be freely given away;
Therefore, do not hesitate to re-gift, donate, or otherwise LET GO of any gift you receive that you do not love, want, or need.
Got that? I know it can be difficult but if you do not activate a gift you get right away and don’t love or even like it, let it go. If you find yourself saying “well, maybe I’ll use this someday.. now where do I put it”, move it straight to your re-gift bin, donation box, or to your best friend’s daughter who can use it now!
You have my permission. Let me know how it goes.
And be sure to visit my Pinterest Page for storage solutions and my blog on organizing your gift gear storage.