Moving: What’s in the Mystery Box?

A guest post from Brian Bish

Moving is never fun.

I mean, sure… it’s exciting and everything is new.

But fun? Not so much.

Nearly 4 years ago, my partner and I bought our first house and we were thrilled that we were going to move into a space that offered more than double the space we had at the house we were renting previously. I’m far from being a hoarder, but I suppose it would be fair to say that I maybe sometimes hang on to just a little bit too much. And yes, maybe I could stand to do a little purge on all of the boxes that just end up in the attic or garage. Maybe…

But we were moving into a larger house! So who needs to purge, right?

I did an excellent job prepping for the move. Everything was packed into large waterproof Rubbermaid Totes (a lesson learned after living in a house with a basement that flooded regularly). Each Tote had an inventory list and was color-coded by floor and room name for the movers. Every single room was packed and ready… except for the garage.

Oh no… I forgot the garage!

Sadly, when we moved into that rental many years before, several boxes that never made it inside the house took up permanent residence in our garage. Ah well… this was going to be easy. Just throw them on the moving truck, right?

WRONG!

My partner had other ideas.

“If you haven’t needed whatever is in those boxes for the past five years, you don’t need it now. Toss it out!”

WHAT? Toss it out? Are you kidding me?

After a minor meltdown, I reluctantly began to see that this was actually a really good idea. It’s true. What could be in those boxes?

I composed myself and quickly sorted through the boxes, only to recover a handful of old photos and family keepsakes that I thought were lost over the years. Everything else? Well, it really needed to be thrown away.

So I guess I learned a few lessons that day.

• Purging is OK.
• If you don’t need it, get rid of it. (That could mean garbage, sell, or donate. 
• A larger home doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean more space for junk.

 So why wait until it’s time to move? Have a look in your garage today. And if you see those questionable boxes, maybe it’s time for some healthy purging!

Thank you, Brian Bish, Social Media Architect for writing this guest blog post.

Brian Bish, Social Media Architect works with small business owners to teach them how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to promote their business online. He also delivers workshops to small groups who want to learn more on the basics of social media. Check him out on Twitter, Facebook, and also on his BLOG!