When we moved there were many things we weren’t sure about. Would we miss our large yard and the home we built with the help of family and friends? Would we adjust to houses being closer? What would our neighbors be like? Many things fell into the time will tell category.
This week as I was putting away our vacation supplies, I came across a bin in the garage. It was a back-burner box from our move that now, almost a year later, I had forgotten about. In it I discovered framed pictures and miscellaneous décor. At this point I was more confident in what I wanted to keep than a year ago. I displayed some things. I relocated a few to store inside (so I won’t forget about them), donated some, and wound up with an empty bin. Yay!
Why does the passing of time make a difference? How can you use it wisely? Here are some Timely Tips for the whys and hows of time will tell.
timely tips for “time will tell”
New hall…a blank slate
CLARIFIED VALUES
During the year I never went searching for the items in that bin. That’s not to say there weren’t some important things in there, but I realized I already had the most important things displayed.
FREEDOM TO REFRESH
I enjoyed our old home’s hall of fame photos—starting with a collage of our dating years and ending with pics of our grandbabies (that mostly are no longer babies). Our new home has a hall that could support all of them and more, but I realized I’d like to refresh the look and choose a new mix of old and new. (Still working on that.)
FREEDOM TO STAY THE SAME
When we moved in, I thought I would redo the décor in our guest room. After searching, but not finding new bedding, I decided to stick with what we have for now. This meant that some of the décor hiding in that bin, found its way back to the guest room. Looks more inviting now.
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
Time Will Tell Bin
The time will tell concept works for more than old move boxes. Sometimes when purging kitchen, closet, or bathroom items we don’t feel sure—is it a keep or donate?
Dawn Madsen of TheMinimalMom.com, says keep a “Time Will Tell” bin on hand. Rather than getting stuck, or keeping it all “just in case,” place the questionable items in the designated bin.
Label it “Time Will Tell,” and put the date on it.
Place it out of the way in the garage or a closet.
Schedule a date to review its contents 6-12 months down the road.
If you need something before that date, go ahead and retrieve it.
At the end of your waiting period, peek in to make sure you know what's left, bag it up, and donate.
Time Will Tell Paper Tray
Madsen also suggests a “Time Will Tell” tray for paper. This excludes any paper that has a deadline, bill to pay, requires filing, etc. It’s for the questionable items that tend to pile up while waiting for a decision.
Avoid covering flat surfaces with paper.
Place deferred decisions in your time will tell paper tray.
When it's full, turn it upside down and start sorting with the oldest papers.
Now the decisions are easier—the coupon is expired, the event has passed, you’re no longer needing to order a swimsuit from that catalog, etc.
Giving things the test of time builds confidence in your decisions and minimizes regrets.
wise words
Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters. -Margaret Peters