What do you do with all those sentimental items you have around the house? Do you end up throwing them in boxes? Drawers? Back of the closet?

Instead of those options, why not try creating a sentimental storage box. A sentimental storage box is a box that holds all your sentimental items. Because it is a clearly defined space, you are only able to keep what fits in that one box. Helping you make decisions about what is truly important, instead of saying everything is important. For this project, you will need one air-tight storage box for each member of the family. I recommend boxes like these from your local hardware store or home furnishing store. They stack and they are air-tight so you don’t have to worry about anything getting damaged. Now I am going to be sharing with you where to start when creating your storage box, how to decide what to keep and what to part with, and the biggest mistake I see people make when keeping it contained.

Where To Start?

The very first thing you have to do is round up all your sentimental items. You need to see everything in one place. It will be overwhelming. The reason why it should be overwhelming is because you need to see how much stuff you actually have. It will allow your brain to be comfortable letting go of things because you can see how much you actually have. 

If you find that you are crippled with overwhelm, like you can’t make a decision about anything, then stop and hire a professional. Seriously. A professional can totally help guide you through this process. It is an investment that will pay off ten-fold if you are overwhelmed. 

But if you want to tackle it by yourself, then you have to be ready to decide what to keep and what to part with.

How To Decide?

When it comes to deciding what to keep, everything can feel important. So start finding the most important of the important things. Those items that truly mean things to you. Like the outfit your baby came home in. One college sweatshirt. A teapot from your great grandmother. 

Select the most important ones. You will know they mean the most because of that feeling you get in your stomach. The other items you end up contemplating in your head. Like trying to rationalize why you should keep them instead of using your gut to help you. 

Since you have a specific amount of space you can store your sentimental items, you have to be really thoughtful about what you are keeping. Try to keep everything to one box. 

Again, if it is hard, hire help. Professional organizers do not judge. They simply assist with helping you decide what to keep and what to part with. 

Do I Really Need To Label?

Once everything is in your sentimental storage box, it is time to label. I like including all the things that I have in the box by writing on paper what those items are. This helps you see everything you are holding onto. By taking that extra minute to record what you are keeping, your brain is able to process what you are holding onto. And by writing it down, you are more likely to remember it is there. There are so many studies that show writing is better than typing for your brain, so write it down to help you remember and understand what you are keeping.

I like to write my list of everything on a blank piece of paper. Then store that paper facing the outside of the box so I can see everything that is inside. Whenever I go into our storage room, I can see the box with the list of items that are inside. It always brings a smile to my face because I can just feel the sentimental items in there.

How To Keep Things Contained?

So are you ready for the biggest mistake I see people make when trying to keep their things contained? It is that they don’t follow through on this one important piece. They don’t do through the sentimental storage box frequently. They just let it grow as new stuff comes in.

What you should do instead is go through the storage box at least once a year. This helps keep things to a minimum that stay inside the box. 

I try to do it around winter break from the kids’ school. With the weather not great, we are more likely to be inside. This makes going through the boxes something special. The kids decide what they want to keep and I also have a say as well. Then I go through my sentimental storage box while my husband goes through his. 

Now It Is Your Turn

Now that you have the tools to tackle your sentimental clutter, I want you to start by scheduling a time to go through your sentimental items. Round them up into one area. Then add the most important ones to your storage box. Label everything in the box. And create a schedule for you to go through yearly. This will stop the extra clutter from taking over. And you are only keeping the items that are really special. 

Now if you are struggling with the paper parts of your sentimental items, then you need to invest in the Foolproof Plan To Tackling Paper Clutter Workbook. This workbook has the best ways to sort paper, how to store paper so you can get what you need, effective tips for creating habits to keep you organized, and checklists! Because I do love checklists. I think they help keep everything streamlined. Plus it keeps you focused on what you are doing instead of trying to focus on all the things. So get your workbook now!