1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to take a picture of anything you're 4 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: having trouble letting go of. Often that's all you need 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: to do to honor the memory without keeping the object itself. 6 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: Today's tip comes from Marie Condo and Scott Sunensheine's new 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: book Joy at Work. The two authors talk about how 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: to declutter your desk and declutter your calendar in order 9 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: to achieve satisfaction. Condo, of course, has gained fame for 10 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: encouraging people to declutter their homes. Don't decide what to 11 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: get rid of, She often says, keep only that which 12 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: sparks joy. Of course, this is easier said than done. 13 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: We all have things we hold on too because they 14 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: remind us of something important in our lives. For instance, 15 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: I've held on to the outfit I wore on my 16 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: first national TV interview. It represented achieving a professional goal 17 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: of mine, getting to share one of my books with 18 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: such a large audience. The ruffles on the shirt have 19 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: actually fallen apart in the intervening decade, so I could 20 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: never actually wear the outfit yet there it sat in 21 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: my closet. Condo and Sunenshein suggest an intermediate solution. Take 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: a picture of the object you're fond of. Often that 23 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: works to hold onto the memory. Then you can feel 24 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: free to let the object itself go. It turns out 25 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,839 Speaker 1: that this really works. In one study, they Highlight researchers 26 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: advertised a donation drive using different posters. One urged students 27 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: to collect and donate their sentimental stuff. The other told 28 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: them to first take a photo of the sentimental stuff 29 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: and then donate it. The second poster, which urged the photo, 30 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: generated fifteen percent more donations. So while cleaning out my 31 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: closet these past few months, I decided to do just that. Yes, 32 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: I kept some sentimental stuff I can't quite part with 33 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: an old white coat of mine that represents some trips 34 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: I took with the boyfriend who later became my husband. 35 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: But for the rest I took a photo and then 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: felt free to chuck it in the pile. And I 37 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: haven't felt any urge to pull these items out. I 38 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: know the memory is there, I don't need the article 39 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: itself taking up space. You might want to try this too, 40 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: if you're having trouble letting go. Just take a picture. 41 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: Then you're not really letting go. You can still look 42 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,519 Speaker 1: at the object whenever you want, but you just might 43 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: make space for something new in the meantime. This is Laura. 44 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 45 00:02:53,520 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 46 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 47 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 48 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four, then 49 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an 50 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart media dot 51 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 52 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 53 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 54 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 55 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 56 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: favorite shows.