Low Hanging Fruit

My darling sister has a favorite saying when one is starting the task of divesting oneself of a lifetime of detritus.  It is way too daunting to tackle everything at once so what you do is just go through everything and throw out all of the “low hanging fruit.”  Stuff that is unfixably broken; stuff that is just stupid and embarrassing that you even saved it in the first place; stuff that you have zero sentimental attachment to and, finally, other people’s (including family) stuff that somehow ended up in your closet, attic, or basement.  Things, in other words, you have no compunction about relegating to the trash bin.

The second step is to go through it all again and winnow out stuff you can donate to charity; give to friends/family; put on the curb for passersby and, again, fill up another bag or two of perhaps, this time, recyclables.

The third step is more difficult because, now, sentiment enters the picture.  But this third low hanging fruit processing is the most important.  You must ask yourself deeper questions.  Do you really want to keep this?  Have you worn it or used it or, even more important, looked at it over the last two-three years?  Would any of this be important to anyone that might have to take over when you have escaped this mortal coil?  Further to this is the fact that this person would be starting from scratch with your low hanging fruit.  It would be a first step to them even though you are well into your third.  What would they do with your lava lamp?

If you are true to your quest and have made some good progress and are proud of this fact and feel you can breathe easier and have done the right thing, you will hit a brick wall.  Your will-to-purge will freeze up and making even one more decision is impossible.  This is the time to box it all up and put it back in the closet.  Address it again at the same time next year.  Merry Christmas!