One in One Out: Making the Holidays Fit

Alexas Fotos via Pixabay

'Tis the season for making resolutions. Is organization one of yours?

Putting away holiday decorations and finding space for all the goodies Santa put under the tree might be one of the first challenges of the new year. If the stroke of midnight on January 1 is your signal to put away the holiday decor, you've probably come face-to-face with this challenge already. If you, like me, are a late undecorator (not one, but two trees are still up at my house), perhaps you're putting off dealing with this task.

In my pre-STYLE days, when I was first reading voraciously about organization, I learned the "one in/one out" rule. For every new thing you bring in, something else needs to go out.

Sometimes, it's an even exchange. Replace the old pair of black slacks in the closet with the new pair, or replace a clunky old desk with a new, streamlined version.

The exchanges don't have to be even, though. While it's a win in the space wars if the two items are similar in size (or, better yet, what you're getting rid of is bigger than what you're bringing in), one in/one out is simply a good habit. Since few of us can keep adding new possessions indefinitely without running into space issues, getting into the habit of replacing something old with something new helps keep things under control. In addition, it sets up a system in which we're consistently evaluating what we have, making us less likely to buy what we don't need.

As you undeck the halls and ring in the new year, what part of the old year can you let go of?