Mind you, I have been practicing this 'LetItGo' mentality for a year on last years 'UseIt or LoseIt' 4R's Bucket List Challenge. I'm now a ProTrasher...as seen in the photo taken just this morning of the trash basket under my desk.
What a weight lifted off my shoulders...and from the looks of the wrappers...added to my thighs.
HiHoney has no problem 'Letting Go'... it's his birthday card...he reads it, enjoys it and trashes it. Not me...I have birthday cards received since my 16th Birthday. On January 20, 2015, that will be 52 years of ProFiling birthday cards.
Do I plan to change that File? Nope! It's part of my history. Someday, one of my Great Greats will find them...ah so...an investment for the future. I plan to put them in my 'Will' with a monetary inducement to guarantee they are not 'Trashed' when my final files are cleaned out.
As for my Files for the Future, I am sticking with what I started in 20ll. Here's what I said in the post Old School FileClerk:
This is my Photo Filing System. I know it doesn't look 'Old School', but in my head I'm still a File Clerk back in 1968. You know, before colored file folders, sticky notes and yes, even Archival paper and storage systems.
I don't want you to think I've abandoned all the Old School Ways. No Siree, I still have Folders...colored ones now, tape-acid free, clips-also colored, magnifyer and the rest of the stuff a Gals gotta have to be among the '21st Century With It File Clerks'...or as we are called these days, Executive Assistant to the Crypt Keeper.
As an Old School ProFiler, I can't 'LetGo' of colored file folders, paper clips and hard copy of posts. It's not that I don't trust 'The Clouds' and other Wonder Where in the Worldwide Web my stuff is stored, I do...sorta. For now, I will keep my system of ProFiling which as you can see is pretty high tech for an Old School Gal. It is however, time to label folders and make room in the Clouds/WWW for 2015. I think I'll do Purple Tabs!
Have you started your 'CleanOut ProFiling'?
I'm one who thinks a hard copy is still valuable. If everything is on a disk and technology changes after you're gone, then what? Will there be a Rosetta Stone to read that disk and access that Cloud?
ReplyDeleteMy htoughts exactly!!! It's already happened to me with the floppy disk and the cassette thingy. I still have stuff on those and I keep saving them, too. Rosetta Stone....good one!
DeleteI have lots if important piles not files! Go, Sue, go!
ReplyDeleteLOL...My Files use to be Piles. I went through my 2014 Pile the first of December and ProFiled some and Trashed/Shredded the rest. It was a good thing...the not saving it for the future.
DeleteThere is nothing like the ORIGINAL! I need to trash things to but over the years I am glad I did not trash the cards from my Mom or Grandparents. But there is alot I need to trash!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you have kept all those wonderful cards you share with us. I feel the same about my Mother's cards. She saved every card her mother, sister, brothers, friends and children ever sent to her. I am getting better at trashing.
Deletemy mother was a clean out queen and I am too. I have a small pile of keeps - cards and mementos, but on the whole we are not stashers. However, you are the one the historians will appreciate. So keep the world in balance and file 'em all.
ReplyDeleteI have lots of treasures from long ago. Hard to let go of birthday cards etc. I have an entire box filled with mementos from the unborn daughter Rachel that we lost in 1987. All the cards and letters received still touch my heart today all these years later. Our middle Rebekah loves all our phamily recipes and she will be the lucky girl to get all my recipe files. I have a few hand written by both my mom and my favorite aunt. Treasures you can not replace. Do you know that I have a tape made from a Fisher Price children's tape recorder when our oldest was a small child? My nephew Brian took the original tape (cassette) and put it on a CD for us. Having preserved the voices of my parents is something priceless to me. My hubby has an entire old school photo album he needs to scan and copy because he borrowed it from his sister two years ago and they no longer speak. It is a long and very sad story, there are people you can not help. So we pray and I personally think my hubby should have all his childhood photos and return her photos to her. I am better at downsizing the more unimportant stuff though. Gosh I am too chatty. Keep up the great work Sue!
ReplyDelete