Use It Or Lose It
Use it or lose it.
What comes to mind when you hear this phrase? Muscles? A second language?
Well I’m actually talking about product in this instance, like hair product and cleaning product. I don’t know about you, but when I go to clean out a cabinet in a bathroom or kitchen, these things are difficult for me! I see something that I know I haven’t used in 2 years, but in that moment I’m suddenly filled with this certainty that I will indeed use it. Maybe this conversation sounds familiar…
“Oh, I forgot I had this!” “Should I throw it away?” “Well I mean I really think I’ll use, I just forgot I had it.” “But if I haven’t used it in two years I’m probably not gonna use it now.” “Well I might use it now that I’ve found it.” “Nah, I should just toss it.” “Ugggghhhh, but it’s brand new!”
Maybe you never have silent dialogues like this, but I do. And I would guess that even if you’ve never had this conversation with yourself before, you likely have a stash of products somewhere that you need to go through. And I would also guess that when you go through it, you come across certain things that trigger this type of struggle. So I wanted to toss a few suggestions your way for when you clean out your cabinets. (Which you should definitely do…like tomorrow, maybe…or at least this weekend. It feels SO GOOD. You won’t regret it.)
First, start by getting rid of the easy stuff. If it’s something you’ve used a few times and didn’t like, get rid of it without hesitation. If it has a shelf life and has expired (like sunscreens), toss it. This will likely leave you with three types of products: have never used, rarely use, and use all the time.
With use all the time products, it’s easy… you’re going to keep them! However, you can check to see if you have any refills that can be poured into the appropriate containers and then tossed, or if you have two bottles of a product that can be combined. If you have some old shampoo or conditioner bottles with just a tiny bit left, but you don’t want to throw it away, put it in the shower and use it up first before you continue using your current product. (This same principle applies with any type of product. Just press pause on your current product use until you’ve used the last bit of the old one.)
With rarely and never use, consider why you never or rarely use the product. Sometimes seasons have passed. For instance, I don’t need deep moisturizing hand cream any more because my hands don’t dry out here in Florida like they did in Boone. So I don’t need to keep that any more. Also, if you have something that can work in its place, definitely don’t keep the rarely used product. For instance, if my hands were to start to dry out, I could easily use coconut oil, so there’s no need to keep the specialty lotion. Sometimes, you thought you’d work something into your routine or that you needed it, but turns out, you actually never did. If you feel comfortable parting with it, DO IT.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is just get rid of a product that “weighs on you”. For instance, I purchased a pack of face wipes at TJ Maxx and I definitely used them…never. I never used them. But when I would see them in the top of the cabinet, it created a burdensome feeling. I would see them and think, “I really need to use them because I bought them.” Yes, it stinks to get rid of something you bought and never used. However, you get mental space and freedom when it’s no longer taking up space, or reminding you that the purchase was a mistake. So part ways with it and learn from it. Maybe you take away from the experience, “I will commit to not making impulse purchases while waiting in line at TJ Maxx.” And that’s great, because now you have more space, you can forget about the face wipes (unless you happen to write a blog post about it 4 months later) and you aren’t going to make impulse purchases of that type anymore.
This leaves us with the stuff you never or rarely use but genuinely have a desire to use. And this really is an easy one, use it or lose it. You want to give the product a real shot at being used, so the best thing you can do is put the product where it’s visible and then give your self a reasonable amount of time (1-2 weeks) to use the product. If you never use it, then you can get rid of it guilt free, knowing that you really gave it a try and you just aren’t going to use it. Or maybe you do actually try it and don’t like it, get rid of it. If you actually use and like it, great! You can keep it. However, be sure to reassess in a few weeks and make sure you’re still using it. If you aren’t, part ways with it. An example is a deep conditioning treatment for my hair that I found in a cabinet. I put it in the shower where I’d be when I use the product. In three weeks, I’ve used it once. And when I did use it, it didn’t make that much of a difference, so I won’t be keeping it. But at least when I get rid of it, I know I really tried to use it.
Also, when getting rid of products, you can always offer them to family or friends that you think may use them instead of just throwing them away.
I hope this helps!
P.S. My hope is that posts like this are helpful and give you the motivation and direction you need. However, if you read something like this and you desperately want to do it but still feel overwhelmed, I’d love to help. Let’s chat! Also, feel free to check out my Reset Package.
