Several years ago when Ina Garten was in her black pants and denim shirt Barefoot Contessa heyday, my sister Marilee offered me four of Ina’s cookbooks.  She was “getting rid of some stuff”, as she was prone to do, and thought of me.  I happily took them and added them to my growing collection of cookbooks from which I would probably not cook one single recipe.

When I would glance at those books on my small kitchen counter, they reminded me of watching Ina on TV cooking big, beautiful Hamptons-worthy meals in her big, beautiful Hamptons kitchen.

They reminded me of my friend Ryan who loved to hate Ina and her denim shirts.

And they reminded me of how good Marilee was at getting rid of things, a strength I have yet to develop.

I spoke to a friend about it just today. 

And I vowed (mentioned? mumbled? wanted to promise?) that in order to make some room for the life I want to have, I am going to have to get better at getting rid of some of the things I no longer need.   

Christina Heiser, luckily!, has 4 tips for me, and for those of you like me. 

• Shift your mindset. Reorient yourself to the present and recognize if you’re holding on to something because of nostalgia for the past or stability in the future.
• Prioritize the things you really need by asking yourself: Is this item adding value to my life?
• Avoid getting overwhelmed by working in increments, and focusing on one room at a time.
• Think seasonally. Clean out your closet two to three times a year (from summer into fall/winter, spring into summer and somewhere in between).

Her tips also apply to clutter in our brains.  I hope she won’t mind me adjusting them.

Shift your mindset. Reorient yourself to the present and recognize if you’re holding on to thoughts because you’re a) using your past as evidence that those thoughts are true OR b) holding onto thoughts that are creating anxiety about the future.

• Prioritize the thoughts you really need by asking yourself: Is this thought adding value to my life? Is it serving me?
• Avoid getting overwhelmed by working in areas, and focusing on starting with the thoughts you’re believing about yourself.
• Think seasonally. Clean out your thoughts each season of your life – the same thoughts that were serving you then may not be the thoughts that will best serve you now. 

A couple years later I noticed Marilee had re-acquired the set of Ina’s cookbooks.  When I asked her about it she said, “I realized that even though I wasn’t using them, I loved them.”  

Let’s add that as tip #5: You’re allowed to keep something – or some thought! – just because you love it. 

I can’t wait to hear about how you’re getting rid of your physical clutter.  I’d love to hear your ideas!  Really!  And, if you need help decluttering your thoughts, I’m just the gal for the job.  Let’s make room for some new ones!

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