Learn an Organizing Lesson From Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 what a fabulous movie!

As a professional organizer, I'm thinking a few days later what a great lesson the movie was on how to giving your cherished belongings to another.

Now without going into any spoilers, there are some crazy, bad and hilarious events that happen to the toys throughout the movie. Mr. Potato Head, you stole the show!

In the movie, Andy is heading off to college and his mom has him sort his toys for the attic and donation. (ooh, as an organizer I was riveted). Andy's toys were placed into his toy box, not played with for years. Toy boxes are playtime deathtraps for toys. You need to know that once toys, or nearly any other item for that matter, is placed into the attic. It is likely never heard from again.

A better way to honor your items is to give them to another person to enjoy. Like in the Toy Story series, You have to think of the feelings of your items. You once enjoyed them with passion and gusto. You showed them off with pride and honor.

Time has past and your items have made their way into boxes stacked up in a hot, funky smelling attic covered in layers of dust, insulation and the random mouse dropping never to be touched for years. Is that any way to treat something you once loved?

Now, think about getting your wonderful items to someone who will love, touch and enjoy them. Yeah it may be a bit of a sting to let them go. Better to let them go and see daylight, than sit around gathering dust and funk in a dried out box.

Still not convinced of the benefit of letting go?

Here's a blog post, Honoring Your Memories, from 2.5 years ago about a woman with items stored in her attic and what happened when she let a box go to a stranger.Take the time to read it. Pretty cool story.

Your loved things brought you joy and happiness at one time.

Let them do the same for another.

What was your favorite toy as a child?