Going to BJ's Restaurant is a treat. The choice is easy when it comes to dessert, but with so many great items on the dinner menu, deciding what to have is difficult for me. Whoever said, "You can't have too much of a good thing" was, in my opinion, wrong. (That's also why you see four spoons for one Pizookie.)
Today's Timely Tips highlight some common areas in which we find ourselves with "too much of a good thing" and some practical strategies to combat the issue.
TIMELY TIPS - What to do with your "too much."
1. Toys - Kids are prone to overwhelm when it comes to choices -- even when it's choosing between good stuff! Sort through their toys, eliminating the broken and donating the unused or grown out of. Keep only the amount that can be stored in an orderly and accessible manner. Rotate excess favorites if need be, storing them out of sight/reach. This will create a more pleasurable play environment.2. Magazines - If looking at the stack of magazines next to your recliner creates anxiety rather than anticipation, you probably have too many. Think realistically about how much time you actually read magazines on a monthly basis and keep only that which you can get through in a month's time. Yes, it will hurt to discard the rest, but only for awhile. You'll get the next issue soon. The reward is now seeing your magazines as a blessing rather than a burden.
3. Greeting Cards & Stationary - If exhausting your supply of cards and stationary would require you to live to be 150, it's time to purge. Decide how much to keep based on the frequency of use, and the amount of space you want to allot those items. Find a container or drawer that will match the criteria and maintain that boundary. This may mean donating the next set of unsolicited note cards you receive in the mail with a request for a donation.
4. Clothes - Unless you host a daily talk show on TV, you probably don't need a different outfit for every day of the year, or even month. Most of us wear a very small portion of the clothes we own. The rest are taking up precious space and making it difficult to find the items we wear. Purge the items that don't look or feel great on you. Keep a few from the size you're working toward. Then, enjoy the ability to easily find the clothes you love and wear.
5. Organizing Books and Products - If you find your home cluttered by your attempts to get organized, it's time to call a professional. Disorganization is not a character flaw. If your child is struggling with math applications, you get a tutor. If you're struggling with getting organized, I will be happy to personally guide you through the steps you need to take to achieve your goals.
WISE WORDS
Before buying something, ask yourself, "is this going to make my life noticeably better?" --Paul Graham