If you have a hard time letting go of your personal possessions, don’t start feeling bad about it. While TV shows and media tend to hyperfocus on extreme examples such as hoarders who can’t even see the floor of their own home, the truth is that it’s not at all uncommon for people to have a hard time letting go of possessions, even if it’s clear that they likely won’t serve any kind of functional purpose in the future.
Don’t beat yourself up about this. As junk removal experts in the Silver Spring and Baltimore areas, we’ve seen more than enough people who fight this battle every time they take an inventory of their personal stuff.
While we are happy to take your junk (it’s what we do, after all), it’s never fun seeing people get distressed and saddened by the occasion. We want this to be a win-win for everyone! From our extensive experience in junk removal, we’ve prepared some questions that you should consider asking yourself if you’re having a hard time letting go of something.
When Was the Last Time I Used This?
This is one of the most obvious ones. One way to gauge the importance of an item or possession is simply to evaluate its usefulness. If it’s not providing any kind of value, is it really worth keeping?
Keep in mind that every single item that exists serves some kind of purpose; if that purpose is no longer being fulfilled, it’s not creating value. Take a painting, for example. A painting’s purpose is to be seen by others. If it’s sitting in a box downstairs, never being looked upon by a single eyeball, is it really fulfilling the measure of its creation? You can apply this logic to everything — are your old tools being used for their respective purpose? Are ancient toys being played with?
If you ask yourself this question and it’s been years since you can remember even interacting with the item, it might be time to let go; there’s no use keeping things that you’re never going to touch again.
If This Disappeared, Would I Notice?
This is a big one — imagine the item that you’re having a hard time letting go of. Now, imagine it disappearing from the face of the earth without you knowing. Whether it was stolen, eaten, or summoned to an alternate dimension by a hoarding wizard, it doesn’t matter — in this hypothetical scenario, it’s gone forever.
How long would it take for you to notice its absence? More importantly, would you remember at all?
We know that you get a sentimental feeling when you look at those turtle figurines that you picked up on a cruise ship nine years ago, but be honest with yourself — how often are these on your mind when you’re not rummaging through your things? Would you even remember that you own them? If they vanished, would you someday go through that box, notice their absence and think, “My turtle figurines! Where on earth have they gone?” and then feel a tragic piercing feeling in your heart?
If the answer is “no,” it’s probably time to let go. On the other hand, your answer might be “yes!” We’re not trying to be facetious here, there absolutely are items that stay in our hearts and minds, and if they’re important enough for you to notice their absence, by all means, hold on to them. But if not? Their time has probably come.
Is There Someone Else That Could Benefit More From Having This?
You might find yourself in a position where you can answer the previous two questions in the affirmative, but only slightly so. Maybe you’re looking at something that kind of sort of gets used, and you’d kind of sort of miss it. That’s a more compelling argument than nothing, but it’s still not ideal.
This is a good time to ask yourself, “would somebody else benefit more from having this?”
As an example, suppose you have some old action figures in your old stuff. You don’t get any use out of them, but you’d probably be sad if they disappeared, even though you know in your heart you’re realistically not going to do anything with them ever again except for wistfully ponder your nostalgia.
And then suppose that you have a coworker you’ve recently met who’s obsessed with those same action figures. The toys can hypothetically be from any hit TV show or movie, it doesn’t really matter, it just matters your coworker filled with that sweet 80s nostalgia and they go wild for any merchandise they can possibly find. They collect ‘em, they put ‘em on display shelves, and they take them out and play with them with their kids. You know in your heart that this person would just go nuts for your old toys, while you’re just going to let them sit. In this instance, you can probably safely assume that your old toys would be better off in their care.
Again, apply this logic to anything. If you’re feeling iffy about some item or possession, just ask, “is there anyone who would appreciate this more?” Giving someone else your old stuff can be a great way to feel some catharsis instead of empty loss; you can be comfortable knowing that it’s better off in new hands.
If It’s Broken, Am I Going to Fix It?
One of the most common causes for keeping old junk around is that something has broken which would otherwise be useful. We totally get that, and we’ve seen it a lot. But here’s the thing — if it’s been sitting around for forever, you have to ask yourself, “why haven’t I fixed this yet?” If you can’t think of a good reason, it’s probably a sign that, subconsciously, the broken item just isn’t that important to you.
Sometimes the lack of repair doesn’t come from apathy, however, it can also be blamed on a lack of resources. You might lack the parts, the money, or both to perform the reparations that your possession needs. In this case, you should consider the realistic odds of obtaining those resources in the foreseeable future. If it seems like a pipe dream, maybe the time has come to cut your losses.
Call a Junk Removal Service For the Items You Don’t Want
Getting rid of junk can be hard, but we know that you’ll be able to make the right call when the time comes! Just remember to ask these questions — if you do and conclude that you’d rather keep the item, then we’re happy to have helped you to take inventory of its worth! On the other hand, if you feel like it’s time for it to go, we’ll be here to help.
Moving, decluttering, and otherwise getting rid of your stuff is hard enough, don’t make it harder by stressing yourself out. At Spartan Junk Removal, we’re here to help you get rid of the things that aren’t adding value to your lives, and we hope that you’ll feel lighter and happier as a result. Getting rid of the junk helps us to focus on the things that are truly important. If you have things you need to get rid of and you find yourself in the Silver City or greater Baltimore area, give us a call today!