#21: The Art of Letting Go (Friday, May 25)

The black stillettos with a hole in one toe and a tear on the top of the other shoe; The red leather pants that I bought back in '98 that can't go past my knee anymore; the work clothes that I know I'll never wear again; the salmon pink designer suit that I'll never wear (not even once); an extra copy of Memoirs of a Geisha; an extra copy of Strunk & White; the yards of leather I've kept since 2004 that I've been meaning to use; clothes I bought and forgot to return; the list is endless.

These are all things that I've kept long after I should've either thrown them out, or given them away to someone else. Why have I held on to them? I haven't the foggiest idea. (Well, the stillettos are just really, really comfortable because they're broken in.)

The Idea: Go through your living space and make a list of all the things you no longer need. If you haven't used or thought about it in a year or more, chances are you don't need it. Divide the list into two categories: Things to Throw Away and Things to Give Away. (If you're a little more enterprising, you can also add a third category: Things to Sell).

Start with the easiest category first: Things to Throw Away. Just dump 'em. Go ahead...I know it might be difficult, but take the plunge. I'm committing to dumping those stillettos today.

There are a few options for giving away your stuff. You can:

• Email the list to your friends and give stuff away on a first-come, first-served basis;
• Post your list in the "Free" section of Craigslist (select your city from the menu); or
  
• Take it to the local thrift shop, Salvation Army or shelter.

I plan to give some of mine to the man on the corner who collects knick-knacks and resells them. Hopefully the books can be donated to a library.

If your stuff is valuable, you can:

• Sell it on eBay;
• Sell it or barter it for something else you might need on Craigslist;
• Or have a garage/sidewalk sale.

(You can even supersize the idea by donating a portion of your proceeds to charity.)

The Cost: Possibly the cost of transporting the items to their final destination.

The Benefit: More space! Think of all the space you'll have once you declutter your home. You'll also be able to help someone else. One man's trash is another man's treasure, so something that is worth nothing to you might be invaluable to someone else.