The Warehouse Mentality

Have you adopted a warehouse mentality?

Are you collecting and storing things just on the off chance you might one day use it?

Are you storing a stack of magazines because you might read them again someday? Are you storing car parts off your first car on the off chance you might need them on your new car? Are you storing old license plates — just because?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you’ve probably been stricken with a warehouse mentality.

Since we’ve been married, Laurie’s helped me come to grips with my own warehouse mentality.

She has a pretty hard and fast rule about stuff — especially when it comes to clutter:

If you haven’t used it in six months — you don’t need it.

Some might consider that extreme, but I think she considers it lenient.

Having grown up with a dad who has warehouse tendencies and seeing the warehouse mentality of my dad, she’d probably prefer a stricter three month rule of thumb.

But if you’ve adopted the warehouse mentality — there’s hope…

Work through your “warehouse” one step at a time.
Depending on the level of your warehouse mentality, you may need to declutter your warehouse one room at a time, or maybe just one bookshelf at a time. Don’t try and tackle your entire home in an afternoon.
Set daily/weekly goals.
Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, continue working on your warehouse consistently.
Ask yourself, “Is this something I’ve used in the last six months?”
There may be instances where seasonal items don’t fall under this category but for the majority of things you’ve stored, this rule will apply.
Can you rent, borrow or buy the item used at a later date?
Realize that sharing not only cuts down on your clutter but also helps make you a better neighbor in the process.
Give it away.
If you haven’t used it, find a friend, charity or other organization that can use the item on a regular basis.