Class Of Today: Letting Go Of Clutter

As a professional organizer I am regularly clearing the decks at my house. My kids are small so toys cycle frequently as they outgrow them; clothes are constantly coming in and out as they get too small, paperwork ages and perspectives change.

On a recent venture into the attic and garage I came across the container (again) with my junior high and high school yearbooks. The box was heavy and as I lugged it around to look inside I put myself in the client seat. I asked myself how I feel about them, do I need them, what purpose are they serving for me now?

I remember flipping through the junior high book and remembering the awkward times and the unpleasantries of acne and hormones. Don’t get me wrong there were some great times in school; fun with friends, great teachers and fun classes. It’s just that it was over 20 years ago and so much about me and my life has changed since then. I’m different. Any memory I wish to have present with me about those times is lovingly tucked away in my memory. The truth is I have probably looked at the yearbooks less than 5 times in the 20 years I have been lugging them around. Same for high school

So I tossed them out! Whew, 20 pounds gone. Do I regret it now? No

Recently I was contacted by a girl I went to high school with on a social networking website. I do lots of networking for my business but never expected to have someone from school contact me. We have exchanged messages and I found lots of others I use to know. We have talked about where our lives are now; kids and careers, marriages and divorces, all the joys of today. Today.

I realized that the yearbooks didn’t keep those memories or relationships alive, the yearbooks didn’t define who I am today, nor did they define me at any time during my life. The yearbooks served a purpose for a short time and then they became bound paper.

Some may be appalled at this, some may be thinking twice about their 20 pound stack. The truth is it’s a personal choice. For me, it symbolized weight of the past and right now my life is all about being light and present and living each day in the moment.

If it’s not your high school yearbooks, what do you have that’s weighing you down?

By: Kelli Wilson

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Kelli Wilson is a professional organizer and owner of A Simple Plan Consulting. Kelli started A Simple Plan in 2005 with the intention to help others reduce stress and find serenity by reducing clutter and streamlining their homes. Kelli is President of the Sacramento Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers, a disciplined martial artist and mother of two. She strives for serenity in her life which she knows is contagious to those who desire it. Kelli can be reached at