Take a picture, then let it go

Learn to part with sentimental clutter

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to take a picture of anything you're
having trouble letting go of. Often that's all you need
to do to honor the memory without keeping the object itself.

(00:26):
Today's tip comes from Marie Condo and Scott Sunensheine's new
book Joy at Work. The two authors talk about how
to declutter your desk and declutter your calendar in order
to achieve satisfaction. Condo, of course, has gained fame for
encouraging people to declutter their homes. Don't decide what to
get rid of, She often says, keep only that which

(00:49):
sparks joy. Of course, this is easier said than done.
We all have things we hold on too because they
remind us of something important in our lives. For instance,
I've held on to the outfit I wore on my
first national TV interview. It represented achieving a professional goal
of mine, getting to share one of my books with

(01:10):
such a large audience. The ruffles on the shirt have
actually fallen apart in the intervening decade, so I could
never actually wear the outfit yet there it sat in
my closet. Condo and Sunenshein suggest an intermediate solution. Take
a picture of the object you're fond of. Often that
works to hold onto the memory. Then you can feel

(01:33):
free to let the object itself go. It turns out
that this really works. In one study, they Highlight researchers
advertised a donation drive using different posters. One urged students
to collect and donate their sentimental stuff. The other told
them to first take a photo of the sentimental stuff
and then donate it. The second poster, which urged the photo,

(01:57):
generated fifteen percent more donations. So while cleaning out my
closet these past few months, I decided to do just that. Yes,
I kept some sentimental stuff I can't quite part with
an old white coat of mine that represents some trips
I took with the boyfriend who later became my husband.
But for the rest I took a photo and then

(02:18):
felt free to chuck it in the pile. And I
haven't felt any urge to pull these items out. I
know the memory is there, I don't need the article
itself taking up space. You might want to try this too,
if you're having trouble letting go. Just take a picture.
Then you're not really letting go. You can still look

(02:40):
at the object whenever you want, but you just might
make space for something new in the meantime. This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

(03:03):
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at
Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four, then
breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
email at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart media dot
com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

(03:26):
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.