Now What?

My senior high school sweatshirt had a cartoon graduate on the back with a speech bubble above, saying 'Now What?'. Doesn't  it sort of feel like that now that we went through the entire alphabet combing our homes for clutter?

I've been stuffing the items I decluttered this month during our Alphabet Challenge into a hall closet. Now I have to deal with actually getting those items out of the house. Some of them I hope to sell in the next couple months, so those won't leave just yet.

However, I did pack up the items that I knew had to leave. A medium size box worth of stuff off to our nearest charity. I put these in the back of my van, so the next time I'm close to the drop off, I have them available. 

I know the drop off items seem like less than the original picture. There are quite a few items I'm saving for selling. I'm getting started right away on the books, Wii games, and the uniform. A few other items are waiting until I hear if there is a garage sale opportunity in our area this spring. I promise not to keep them too long. And I'm also going to let any non sales go if they don't sell within two weeks. If there isn't demand, they aren't worth my time. 

I encourage you only to save what you absolutely know you want to spend time on selling. Don't let the potential value of something guilt you into keeping it. You will find the most freedom only at the point the items leave your home. Sometimes the only way to get that done is to give the items away. And giving over selling isn't a bad thing. Giving provides you with more room, someone a job or volunteer opportunity at the charity, someone an opportunity to find the item you have given, and in the best case someone who needs what you have offered.  Look how many people win when you give?

Make a plan for the final release of your decluttered items! You won't regret the final step. I promise.