We all have that sweater or book or gadget that we never seem to get around to giving it to that family member or friend. The one which always shows up when we’re digging through our closets for something we actually need. Why do we rarely if ever get it to them?

All that clutter takes up more than room in our closet: It takes up precious space in our brains and in our hearts. We can’t rouse up the emotional energy to push through the guilt of neglected gifts after burning it all on rearranging our closets. The clutter makes it hard to find what’s worth keeping and what’s worth giving away.

Your friends and family need your mind de-cluttered more than they need the clutter of your closet.

Make it easy to find things again. If you were going to sell that thing on eBay or mail it out to your aunt, you would have done it by now. Batch that clutter up and donate each pile in one fell swoop.

You might miss a thing or two that a friend or family member might have liked. They won’t know you gave it away, though, and they won’t miss it. They’d much rather have the time with you that would have otherwise gone to post office trips; you’d rather spend your time with them instead of in line, too. Toss that clutter out, if you have to, and make room in your life for what you value most.