As business students, we have learned that there is an 80-20 rule in business; 20% of customers account for 80% of the businesses sales… and these same customers account for 80% of the profits. Sherry Borsheim, President of the International Association of BusinessOrganizing (IABO) redefined the 80-20 rule: “Take a look around your office and home and notice what clothes, toys or office items you use 80% of the time. This is a real eye-opener when you are honest with yourself because 80% of what you use, you use 20% of the time" (Borsheim, 2011). The one-in, one-out rule goes hand-in-hand with the 80-20 Rule.
With that said, I can’t stress enough how sorting
is essential. If you regularly use something, then keep it… it most likely falls into your 80-20 rule. Donate or sell the items that you no longer use or have duplicates of. I use
both eBay and Craigslist to try to make some extra cash for my unused goods. Also,
I bring my clothes to resale shops, like Plato’s Closet, to see if they have
any interest in my items before I donate them. Another quick way to make some
money is by having an annual garage sale. Store
sentimental things that you want to hold onto, but don’t need cluttering up you
living space. Lastly, trash or recycle the items that are no longer
usable.
References
Borsheim, S. (2011, November 17). The one-in,
one-out rule. Retrieved from http://www.bizorganizing.com/2011/11/the-one-in-one-out-rule/
Follow @orderlyorganize
