This is the fourth organizing misconception I need to "debunk". 

It has to do with the fact that many people believe that you need to toss everything in order to get organized. 

I once had someone say to me that "There is no way I could get organized because I could never bring myself to toss out everything I have".  I quickly asked where she ever got the idea that she had to.  She advised that "Everyone knows that's what getting organized means." 

I am not sure where she heard this but it is a myth.  You don't have to throw "everything" away; only the things that you don't like or never use.  I don't believe everything that you don't like or never use has to get "thrown away".  I encourage my clients to try to donate or, if there is some decent value to the piece, sell it.  Most times I find that my clients have a much easier time letting go when they know that something is not just being thrown away, but rather given away, either to a family member, friend or charity. 

You want to focus on keeping the things that you love and the things you do use.  There are creative ways to display or store such items.  Depending on the size of the space where things will be stored, you can utilize shelving units, hooks, overhead storage and so many other organizing options. There is no reason to toss the possessions that truly mean something special to you.

Working with a professional organizer will provide you with the opportunity to learn new ways to create functional and aesthetically pleasing options for organizing your possessions.  And don't worry...good professional organizers will never make you throw everything away!

Next time, we will discuss the fifth and final myth...simply writing things down will get them done!

In the meantime, if you have any organizing questions or problems you would like me to address, send me an email at info@4abetterspace.com and I will be glad to help.