Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a thought like this:
- “I paid a fortune for this thing, I can’t possibly get rid of it now.”
- “They’re too nice, and besides I hope to be able to wear them again someday.”
- “I’m afraid I might miss something important if I don’t read this magazine article [from a year ago].”
- “It still has a lot of life left, it’s crazy to let it go.”
My hand is (way) up.
I have a pile of vintage Bluefish clothing in mint condition that is still folded neatly in a pile in my basement because I paid a fortune for it back in the late 90s.
Believe me, I’ve tried selling it on consignment. I was flat-out rejected. Too old. Nobody wears that [oversized-jersey-one-of-kind-artist-signature-crunchy-granola] stuff anymore.
I don’t have the time, energy, or motivation to open up an account on eBay, photograph each piece, and try to sell the clothes myself. I’m finally coming around to my last and easiest recourse: give it all to Goodwill and hope someone rooting through the racks totally gets jazzed, buys it all and loves it to death… And I can get on with it already!
The problem with good things that have a long shelf life like my Bluefish outfits is that they continue to sit on the shelf long after their useful days are over. The longer they sit gathering dust, the stucker they (I) get, and the less visible they become.
Even if letting go of clothing is not something you can relate to, you might find the tips below inspiring and useful for releasing other things, (issues, or people) in your life. They come from an article I received from a friend recently called “Know When to Bail: Sunk Costs” by Maria Lin [thank you Sara Beatty for sharing it with me]:
- Walk out if the movie is bad–your ticket is already a sunk cost. Do something fulfilling with those two hours: take a walk or enjoy a book over a cup of coffee.
- Don’t read those magazines if you’re not enjoying them–the subscription is already a sunk cost. If your time is better spent on a hobby, do that instead. And make a note to yourself not to renew.
- Consider selling a flagging stock and declaring your losses–just be sure to talk to your accountant about the best times to do this (usually end of year).
- Go through your closet (and house) and donate or sell expensive items you are no longer using–their purchase is a sunk cost, and holding onto them just because they were expensive may make you feel less guilty, but is not the best decision for you.
- End a relationship if you feel it isn’t going anywhere (friendship, romantic relationship)–the time you spent is already a sunk cost. You’ve probably learned valuable things, so don’t see it as wasted time, but not every relationship is meant to move forward.
If you have any other great tips to add to this list, please share them in the comment box below. What has helped you let go and move forward in your life?
loved this – thanks stephanie!