Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

Coming Back

In the past week, two different people have told me that after returning to their apartments after nearly a year away, they’ve thought, “What is all this stuff? I don’t need all this stuff!”

Boom. Remember how I always tell you to seize the opportunity to declutter when you have the impulse? Well, this, my friends, is just such a moment for a lot of you. So many people have been away, living with what they could fit in a suitcase, and they’ve been fine. Moreover, the pandemic has forced many of you to think about what really matters. (Hint: It’s not your stuff.)

Whether you are returning after a long absence, or coming out of a long hibernation, you probably made some COVID-influenced purchases—and at the same time, got out of the habit of dropping things off at Housing Works. Try to bring fresh eyes to your space and let stuff go. Ask yourself what you are actually using. What did you miss? What did you buy while you were away, and now have two of? What COVID survival projects are you ready to discard? Let go of the stuff you didn’t miss, the clothes you are never going to wear, and definitely eliminate the duplicates.

For example, I’ve noticed that I now wear sneakers where I never would have before (the Upper East Side is a prime example). Then, I read that Kamala Harris sporting her Converse on the campaign trail has made young women eschew heels for work. Maybe you, too, have gotten comfortable with being comfortable—and while you might not want to give away every pair of heels, you might be ready to say goodbye to a bunch of them.

The kitchen cabinets might also be full of low-hanging fruit (so to speak). If you’ve been gone a long time, the pantry is probably full of stuff that has expired. Or maybe you hoarded beans and yeast that now you realize you are never going to use. What an opportunity to purge, and only replace the stuff you are actually eating and cooking now, which might be totally different.

Think you might need some help with any of that? It’s been two full weeks since my second vaccine, so call me. I’m ready and willing to bring my fresh eyes to your apartment and see if we can’t dust off the cobwebs, let go of some clutter and get some springtime energy flowing through.