Permission: The 5 Things You Can Let Go Of Series, Home Office/School Supplies
Have you ever thought, "I just need someone to give me permission to throw this out"? That's what this Permission series is all about. We'll walk through room by room, list 5 items per room, and why the items can be easy to get out of your house.
As always, it's your house and your stuff. You may actually need and use the things I suggest you toss. But if you don't, give yourself a little more freedom to find a little more peace in your house by tossing things that you don't need.
Today we are hanging out in the home office. Whether you work from home, hold homework sessions, or just pay your bills in this room, it's worth it do some quick tosses. Here are 5 that should be pretty easy.
1. Pens and pencils
This is one of the most freeing things that I offer to clients that is also incredibly simple. Ask yourself, what kind of pen do I enjoy writing with? Then get rid of all other pens in your house. If this means picking up a pack or two of your favorite pens at the store, it will be worth it when you always have a pen that you like to write with.
ACTION - gather all the pens and pencils in the house and keep only the kind you like.
2. Calculators
Yes I do specifically mean calculators. You would not believe how many clients I have worked with that have had an over abundance of calculators. Let’s be honest, if you are not a mathematician, school student, or CPA then you do not need more than one calculator in your home. Please set these calculators free to do the math that they have always dreamed of.
ACTION - gather all the calculators in the house and keep only the 1 or 2 that you like.
3. Paper
Oh my! Now I’ve done it. I have opened Pandora’s box, haven’t I? We will not really get into paperwork here. But I do have a few quick examples if you dare to dive into the papers. Utility bills, user manuals for products you no longer own, reconciled receipts, expired coupons, and that coloring page from church from when your child was four and they had to do something for that second hour of children before all mayhem ensued.
ACTION - pull out your utilities, owners manuals, and coupon files and toss appropriately.
4. Diplomas and awards on the wall
I was just working with a client who needed to give her a home office an upgrade. She was moving from one space to another and wanted to work on the things that were on our walls. She is a very bright and accomplished person and has the awards, certificates, and diplomas to show for it. The first reminder I gave her was that just because this is an office doesn’t mean you have to display your accomplishments. In your own home office, are you feeling overwhelmed by all the words that are screaming at you from the diplomas? If so, you may want to think about taking them off of the walls and either getting rid of them all together or holding on to them in another way.
ACTION - assess your wall decor, scan or store anything that is meaningful but not wanted on the walls.
5. Excess School Supplies
Some of us *ahem* love school supplies and find it difficult to let go of said supplies. Are they being used? Will they be used over the next year? I mean, really, how much tape can you use in a year? If you no longer have a member of your household in school then you can donate their school items to a local school. The teachers there will most likely jump for joy and perhaps give you an award that you do not have to display on your wall.
ACTION - open all those desk drawers around the house and keep only what your family will use that year.
I'll put a list of areas posted here with their link when they are live. You can also click on "Permission Series" category to see them as well.