Keep Clearing the Clutter or Transform It

Step Seven in Real Simple‘s Article for Dealing with Sentimental Clutter is another great one. Fact is, time changes everything. What once was paramount to keeping forever, like tons of Playbills from all the Broadway shows you’ve ever seen, might one day kind of annoy you. And that baby’s blankie that’s falling apart? Might be a cute idea to put in a shadow box with you husband’s favorite stuffed animal and give it to him as a great present.

Yes these are both things this Organic Freedom (NFP) did. And then I found myself mindlessly starting to save Playbills again! Now, however, I just save Playbills of plays my friends have written or performed in. And if they’re not my friend anymore then when I go through that box periodically I clear it out again. My sister was a bit horrified that I cut off a corner of my blankie to put next to Walter’s stuffed monkey, but its very sweet and it makes me happy to look at it, plus what else are you going to do with that stuff? Because if Kelly had only stuffed her blankie away like a normal young professional, a hotel maid wouldn’t have mistaken it for a rag and maybe she could have done something cool like this!

So who’s going to be the best at regularly cleaning out the clutter or what Real Simple describes as A.B.C. — Always Be Clearing? These would, of course, be the practical and structured Classics (SJs) and to a much lesser degree Organic Structures (NFJs) and Smart Structures (NTJs.) Always attending to clutter is a detail oriented activity so I imagine Funs (SPs) might attend to it more often, but only if it’s out in the open and no Fun would leave that stuff out in the open. It has a home and they will only go through it when the need is pressing and makes sense. So except for Classics, this is something that the other types will have a hard time remembering to do unless there is a pressing need — like a move, or too much stuff.

The idea of transforming stuff though is pretty darn cool and the kind of thing that Organics and Smarts think up. Sorry, but we’re just more creative. Okay, wait, those Funs might be into it to a lesser degree. And it’s not like Classics CAN’T think these things up or don’t find them to be a clever solution. But regardless it’s time to think outside of the box with this one.

Here’s another cool, and yes Organic inspired idea. For my wedding my mom took a piece of the beginning to shred wedding quilt her grandmother gave her and placed it with a piece of lace from her wedding dress, satin and crystal beading from mine and put it in a shadow box. I added to it a small photo of my husband and I kissing after cutting our wedding cake, and my dried bouquet. It’s lovely. And now my mom isn’t holding onto a disintegrating quilt just because her grandmother made it for her!