Everyone has some “stuff” that is still perfectly good, but is no longer good for them. This feeling that ‘I could still get some mileage out of this’ is part of what sometimes prevents us from getting rid of the items that clutter our workspaces, kitchens, closets, garages, family rooms, and every other space where humans put your possessions. In this article, you’ll learn how to get rid of perfectly good items and free them up for new homes. Yippe! Freedom awaits you, and interesting things for others!

When you’re ready to start decluttering, cleaning and tidying, mark a container with the words ‘Gift’. You don’t have to know who you’re giving the items in the box to yet, you just need to put things in that container.

Let’s consider your office (or similar). Chances are you have stuff in your workspace that you’re never going to use again, but someone else might. You know the saying, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Well, that’s what you’re considering here. As with any other location in your home or workplace, you have elements in your workspace that are perfectly good, just not so good for you anymore.

In case you’re having trouble imagining what you could put in this box (container, sack, or box), here are a few suggestions…just to get your mind going:

• The second and third copies of your State Standards (for teachers),
• a pocket book you’ll never read,
• a hard cover you’ll never read,
• 4 bottles of Avon cologne given to you by co-workers, students or distant relatives last Christmas,
• a sweater you never wore but kept in the bottom drawer of your desk in case you get cold
• a plant that needs more light than is currently coming into your office,
• cables for your printer (which no longer exist),
• a briefcase that, when fully loaded, weighs more than you, so you can’t even lift it,
• shoes that looked great in the store, they looked great the day you wore them but felt awful in a few moments so they were replaced by your comfy loafers,
• energy drinks he bought in bulk, but after drinking one he was awake for days and swore never to drink again,
• other sundries and sundries.

Go ahead and put everything you know you need to find a new home in the “gift” box. At the end of your cleaning period (or when the container is full, whichever comes first), take the box and dole out its contents. Let these lost items find a new home, with someone who needs, wants or uses them.