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I am responsible

Problem: You feel guilty about letting items go, worrying that throwing things away means you're wasting them.

Solution: No one's keeping a score card on how much you keep and how much you toss. Let go of the idea that you are wasting items; if it makes you feel better, see if you can sell items that still have some value, or recycle them.

I must be perfect

Problem: You feel that if you cannot finish an organizing job you shouldn't even start.

Solution: Just begin! Remember that life is a process and you have to engage in it to get anywhere near perfection. An organizing or tidying job partway done is better than not starting at all. And there's nothing wrong with doing things a little at a time.

Get more advice from Mary Carlomagno on how to simplify your life!

Excerpt from Secrets of Simplicity by Mary Carlomagno, published by Chronicle Books. Copyright © 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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