(and how to fix it)
You and your family have a unique history and plenty of stories worth telling and sharing.
So why aren’t you doing that?
Why aren’t you creating fun and unique storytelling displays that reflects the awesomeness of your people?
You’ve been to others’ homes and seen the cool collections of their kin and want to create the same for your own family … what’s holding you back?
Here are the 3 top reasons why you’re not archiving and how you can fix it:
REASON 1: Avoidance
We all have those corners, cupboards, cardboard boxes and collections in our attics, basements and garages that must be decluttered, sorted and edited. Why – oh why – do we try to forget they don’t exist? We attempt yoga-like moves to step around them and strain our backs to lift and move them out of the way. It is time to STOP avoiding all that stuff and time to deal with it.
Look, wishful thinking will not make all this stuff go away. You want to clear that space, you want to ‘feel lighter’ and you want to stop feeling guilty about how this stuff that you think matters is being handled and stored. You’re not feeling great about that, so do something about it.
There will not come a day when your family history magically appears in wonderful displays and scrapbooks. You have to create it, but first your have to declutter, sort and edit it.
Get started NOW. Take one step and identify what box, corner, cupboard you will begin with. Put on some cool music and grab your favorite beverage. Think about how great it will feel to clear out that first box and find and display the stuff that really matters!
THE FIX: Identify where you will start. Pick ONE box, corner or cabinet and commit to it. Then do it.
REASON 2: Emotions
This is a biggie so let’s talk about it. I avoided going through my mom’s stuff for a long time. I know how hard this can be. But I can tell you that the process is so worth it and that grief will yield to happy memories.
Perhaps guilt is the emotion holding you back. Guilt about the time and money you invested storing and moving the stuff in these boxes around and with your every move. Ugh.
Maybe you can’t imagine sorting through or parting with any of the things that belonged to your dearly departed love one or your own dearly departed youth. Chances are you aren’t even sure what’s in those boxes and haven’t looked at them in a very long time. How attached to them are you really?
Look, you have to see what’s there and decide what you love, what you can use and what you will keep. The rest … donate, sell or dump. It is that easy.
THE FIX: Remind yourself that keeping stuff you don’t love, need or use is not honoring the stuff that matters. And if you do let stuff go that you don’t love, need or use, remember that the memories remain with you. Keep only what brings happy memories and … let the rest go.
Reason 3: Lack of Time
We’ve all said it: “I’m just waiting until [fill in the blank]”…. No. Let’s not do that. Tackle it now and live guilt-free without the weight of these things.
We only have so much time for all the things that matter in life. Approach this like any other to-do event in your life. Calendar it and stick to it regardless of how you feel that day. You manage to get to work, attend to school or charity functions and still deal with all the family – in-laws and all, regardless of how you feel.
Apply the same approach to archiving your stuff. Decide what box, corner you will tackle and when. Set a timer and get to work. Done. Try this several times a month and watch the clutter dwindle.
THE FIX: Set a doable goal and target — and use a timer.
If you need more help just getting started, check out the free guide ‘How-To Start Archiving 101’