Bagua 9. MEDIA: Audio cassettes, CDs, DVDs, Video cassettes!
With a full belly, and a clean arts and crafts cupboard, my mind started to wander towards what's next: the media area! This subject is easy for me, because, again, I sell all of it! For you... I will try to help you as best I can.
Make a date! weekends seem to be the best time, but with Spring break coming up, it gives a lot of people more time to get down to business. Use this as your excuse to attack and declutter!
With a full belly, and a clean arts and crafts cupboard, my mind started to wander towards what's next: the media area! This subject is easy for me, because, again, I sell all of it! For you... I will try to help you as best I can.
Make a date! weekends seem to be the best time, but with Spring break coming up, it gives a lot of people more time to get down to business. Use this as your excuse to attack and declutter!
Make a plan! Where to start? Audio cassettes seem to be a given, because so few people listen to them anymore. My suggestion is to go through them (if you even have any) and decide if there are really any worth keeping. It may be best to either replace them on CD, or buy the MP3 format, depending on your music media preference. Cassettes can sell at yard sales, but don't expect to get very much for them. 25 to 50 cents each at the most. Otherwise, I would check to see if any of the local libraries or senior living facilities would have use for them. That way they go to good homes.
Video tapes are the same gig. If you have children, you may keep some tapes that they like to watch. If they have outgrown them, get rid of them. If you have 15 year olds in the house, there really isn't any reason to hang on to that Teletubbies tape... see if anyone in the family wants them. Either siblings who have younger children, or parents or grandparents who enjoy sitting down and watching a few movies from time to time.
CDs are a little trickier. Given that I am technologically challenged, I have a large collection of CDs, but I also listen to almost all of them (yes, I still have a portable Discman... go ahead, make fun). Every once in a while, I will go through them, listen to some if I don't remember what it is, and then weed them out. Musical tastes change, and there is no shame in finally deciding to let go of that Wham! album...
DVDs? I refer to my Consultant Mom for this one. She says that if they have been sitting around for more than a year with the plastic still on them, they have to go. As far as kids DVDs, I would say that it is the same philosophy as the VHS tapes. If the kids have outgrown them, get rid of them. Tastes in movies change just as tastes in music, so choose wisely, Grasshopper. Check to make sure they aren't scratched or damaged, then consider donating them to the local Friends of the Library. While I do sell these forms of media, my Consultant Mom can get more from them if she donates them and uses it as a tax write-off. Just something to consider.
I think the same goes for any media... 8-tracks, vinyl... anything that is sitting around unused with a layer of dust on it? Needs to go. According to Feng Shui For Us, ask yourself: Do I still like this music or movie? Does this kind of music or movie still reflect who I am and who I want to be (caveat: unless you like to remember who you were relative to who you are now. But if you find that particular stroll down memory lane to be embarrassing -- see "Wham!" comment above -- by all means ditch it)? Will I ever watch this movie again? Do I ever listen to this music? If you answered "no" to ANY of the above questions, then let go of that item.
Make a deadline! If you are going to have a sale, add them to your sale. I know some people that are offering to let their kids and teens host the sale, and the reward is that they get to keep all the profits if they do all the work. Great idea! If they are willing to make the commitment, go for it! If not, set the date that all sorted media has to be out of the house, and stick to it! Sunday night, everything goes into the back of the car, and Monday morning, off to be donated it goes!
Do you see a pattern forming? Once you get into these fantastic habits, you will begin to see that everything has the same format. It may seem like a challenge at first, but once you get into the groove, it is just one bagua, to the next, to the next!
Finally, Celebrate! I plan on making a trip to the local used CD store to replenish my soul with some new music! It is a very important part of my life, and I am constantly listening to new things. I have such a wide variety of tastes in a wide selection of genres of music... it affects every part of who I am and what I do. It makes me happy! I can't think of a better way to reward myself for a job well done! As I am listening to my new favourite artist, I can start dreaming up ways to tackle the next bagua, which is...
Next week: 6. Paperwork and Mail!
Video tapes are the same gig. If you have children, you may keep some tapes that they like to watch. If they have outgrown them, get rid of them. If you have 15 year olds in the house, there really isn't any reason to hang on to that Teletubbies tape... see if anyone in the family wants them. Either siblings who have younger children, or parents or grandparents who enjoy sitting down and watching a few movies from time to time.
CDs are a little trickier. Given that I am technologically challenged, I have a large collection of CDs, but I also listen to almost all of them (yes, I still have a portable Discman... go ahead, make fun). Every once in a while, I will go through them, listen to some if I don't remember what it is, and then weed them out. Musical tastes change, and there is no shame in finally deciding to let go of that Wham! album...
DVDs? I refer to my Consultant Mom for this one. She says that if they have been sitting around for more than a year with the plastic still on them, they have to go. As far as kids DVDs, I would say that it is the same philosophy as the VHS tapes. If the kids have outgrown them, get rid of them. Tastes in movies change just as tastes in music, so choose wisely, Grasshopper. Check to make sure they aren't scratched or damaged, then consider donating them to the local Friends of the Library. While I do sell these forms of media, my Consultant Mom can get more from them if she donates them and uses it as a tax write-off. Just something to consider.
I think the same goes for any media... 8-tracks, vinyl... anything that is sitting around unused with a layer of dust on it? Needs to go. According to Feng Shui For Us, ask yourself: Do I still like this music or movie? Does this kind of music or movie still reflect who I am and who I want to be (caveat: unless you like to remember who you were relative to who you are now. But if you find that particular stroll down memory lane to be embarrassing -- see "Wham!" comment above -- by all means ditch it)? Will I ever watch this movie again? Do I ever listen to this music? If you answered "no" to ANY of the above questions, then let go of that item.
Make a deadline! If you are going to have a sale, add them to your sale. I know some people that are offering to let their kids and teens host the sale, and the reward is that they get to keep all the profits if they do all the work. Great idea! If they are willing to make the commitment, go for it! If not, set the date that all sorted media has to be out of the house, and stick to it! Sunday night, everything goes into the back of the car, and Monday morning, off to be donated it goes!
Do you see a pattern forming? Once you get into these fantastic habits, you will begin to see that everything has the same format. It may seem like a challenge at first, but once you get into the groove, it is just one bagua, to the next, to the next!
Finally, Celebrate! I plan on making a trip to the local used CD store to replenish my soul with some new music! It is a very important part of my life, and I am constantly listening to new things. I have such a wide variety of tastes in a wide selection of genres of music... it affects every part of who I am and what I do. It makes me happy! I can't think of a better way to reward myself for a job well done! As I am listening to my new favourite artist, I can start dreaming up ways to tackle the next bagua, which is...
Next week: 6. Paperwork and Mail!
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