Hobbies are fun, relaxing, and often productive. The best hobby is the one you are currently enjoying. Unfortunately, many people pile up supplies for hobbies they are no longer pursuing. Illness, injury, and lifestyle change are all common reasons why we give up a hobby.
Many times, we equivocate about letting go of old hobby supplies because…
– We think we may take up the hobby again someday.
– We spent a lot of money on them and feel wasteful if we let them go.
– We intend to use them in a new way.
– We are saving them with a vague notion of giving them to a family member or friend.
Here is a little story that may help you finally give away those old supplies.:
A while ago, my family decided to go on a skiing trip. I had not been skiing for many years, but at least I owned my own skis. My husband suggested I take them in to be sharpened since they had been sitting unused for a long time. I happily popped my skis into the car and headed out to the ski shop. When I walked in with my skis and explained what I needed, the man in the shop started to smile. Next thing I know, he called back into the back office and invited his associate to come out and see my skis. Apparently, ski technology had significantly improved, and my skis were so out of date as to be the source of a good chuckle. Needless to say, I didn’t get my skis sharpened, and ended up buying new ones.
Organizing is not the negative exercise of forcing yourself to discard things. Instead, it is a positive endeavor to prioritize your space for the way you live now. Gear and supplies for activities you do not currently pursue do not meet this criteria. Furthermore, the longer you hold onto things, the more likely they are to become damaged, out of date, or unusable. In contrast, many of these materials could be helpful for someone else who is currently involved in the relevant activity.
Today’s challenge is to go through your home and identify 11 leisure items that you are no longer using. These could be books you’ve finished with, yarn for old knitting projects, scraps of wood from previous projects, old paper or pencils from a drawing hobby, etc. Many of these would be welcome donations to local charities, especially if they are in good shape or are in complete sets.
Now is the time to clear out what you aren’t using, and give yourself more space for what you are. What old hobby materials have you been collecting?
Definitely have some items going unused and will have take better look. Thanks for the push, Seana 😉
Janine Huldie recently posted…Learning Still Never Say Never
I find these in almost every client’s home… feels great to clear it out every now and then. I love discovering free space!
I was dreading reading this when I saw the title (I’m a bit of a craft hoarder because, well, you never know when you might need that ________ ). But you’ve shifted my thinking with these words – Organizing is not the negative exercise of forcing yourself to discard things. Instead, it is a positive endeavor to prioritize your space for the way you live now.
Thank you! Off to get to work making more space for my life now.
So nice to receive this positive feedback, Susan! I truly believe in this way of approaching our things. I watch children and see how much they enjoy playing when they have space to spread out, and can easily access their toys. We adults deserve that as well. I affirm you as you make space:)
This one are of my life is contained, but certainly not organized.. need to stop kidding myself that I will use every little knick knack… haha.. great post, as always! – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Gingi recently posted…Dutch Boy Refresh Paint with Arm and Hammer Product Review
Contained is something to feel good about, Gingi! None of us has every space perfectly organized:) Thanks for stopping by!
This is a hard one for me though over the years I have weeded it down to only a 2 foot by 2 foot area. I am going to share this one with my daughter who has a larger collection of hobbies. She is very creative and loves her hobbies. =)
Sabrina Quairoli recently posted…Nail Care Supplies Organization
Sounds like you have a very creative daughter! And kids – like adults – try things and explore, and may move from one hobby to another. Maybe she is willing to let one go? You never know…
I like to knit and so I’ve kept balls of yarn that are left at the end of projects, but it’s starting to outgrow its storage space, so I may have to get a bit more ruthless about it.
Janet Barclay recently posted…The Dangers of Self-Improvement
I just had a client with a bunch of shorter pieces of yarn. We had this exact discussion. She decided that many of them could go, and felt great about what she kept. You go, Janet!
This is so timely and relevant for me. I used to scrapbook and I’m lucky enough to have a small craft room in my basement. However, I rarely use it because it is so cluttered with stuff. I have spent a small fortune on scrapbooking supplies, but I rarely have the time to scrapbook anymore. I’ve found a lot of my things I don’t even really love anymore. I’ve slowly started to give paper and stickers to my friend that teaches. She’s gotten a ton of use out of my supplies and her kids love making cards for their parents. My kids are teens now and rarely craft anymore. I have been thinking about how to organize this space so that it reflects where I am now and my life and my hope is that I use it more to create.
dawn@joyfulscribblings recently posted…DIY Christmas Card Scrapbook
I’m in a similar life stage. I used to keep many items on hand for kid craft, but no one does anymore. I decided to keep a few things in excellent condition for potential grandchildren activities, and give the rest away. So many teachers and schools can use these supplies. Even some overseas ministries have take some of my stickers! I wish you luck as you focus on making this space work for your life today!
I too am an “ex-scrapbooker” who needs to schedule time to take a hard look at my collection of scrapbooking supplies. If you need to dust off the items to evaluate whether to keep or discard, I guess that’s a clue about what pile they should go in! Thanks for this!
Natalie Gallagher recently posted…Laying the Foundation: Planning Tools
That’s a great line about the meaning of the dust layer. I might use that with clients, Natalie!
I loved your story about the fact that time eclipses and often the things we hold onto and believe retain their value just plain don’t. We have a snapshot in our head of what we acquired and why we acquired it, and it is preserved like a polaroid… and then we go to use it, and are sadly awakened!
Thanks for the post!
Exactly, Kathy. We have a snapshot, and even though our lives have changed, we hold onto those old images. Love that perspective!
I am so guilty of this! I gave up my business as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator about three years ago, and I still have an entire ROOM full of craft supplies, business forms, and samples that I have not touched since that day. I’d like to be able to sell it, because I have probably thousands of dollars worth of items, but the thought of how much work that would be boggles the mind. So it just sits and sits.
I can totally understand not wanting to lose the investment. I have run into a couple of people in similar situations. Even if you put in the work, would you recoup the investment? The money is spent… now it is costing you space. Maybe donate to a school and take a tax write off?
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