How many $386 night guards do you own?

Eww — Why am I showing you a close-up of my night guard? Gross!!

I know!

But it’s important.

Read on!

I came across my old night guard (an anti-teeth-grinding-thingy) from the dentist this weekend.

I wore it a dozen times but haven't again in about 10 years.

Why?

Because on the nights that I would wear it, I’d wake up in crazy-pain with a locked jaw.

Ouch!

I took it back to the dentist to have it adjusted once or twice, but that didn't help.

I haven't worn this thing in over 10 years

But I’ve kept it.

Why?

I notice it in the back of the drawer every 6 months or so. I know I don’t wear it, but I can’t throw it out.

Again, why?

Because it cost... $386.00, that’s why!

So my brain is thinking about the $386.00 “wasted!”

It is obsessed with the money wasted.

My brain wants to keep this thing, cluttering the back of my drawer, for years and years, even though I don't wear it and NEVER WILL.

But this weekend, I realized that I was doing something that I'm always talking to my clients about—

I have been keeping this thing out of the guilt of the money spent

If it had cost me $3.86, it would have been easy to toss.

But $386.00?!!

I was keeping that thing, no matter what!

But let’s look at it another way

If the money is already spent, it doesn’t matter what I do with the thing—keep it to collect dust, to take up precious space in my home, or throw it out.

No matter what, the money’s gone.

Keeping it is not going to put that $386.00 back in my bank account.

Many people respond with, “But if I get rid of it, I’ll have no reminder to not waste money again!”

I get it. You don’t trust yourself.

But here’s the thing…. Whether you keep that thing to shame yourself or not, you will most likely waste money again.

And that’s ok.

This is a learning process — Life. Decluttering. Learning from our mistakes.

So...

You can decide if you want that thing around, taking up space, constantly reminding you of your “bad” choices.

Or, you can notice that that’s what you’ve been doing, forgive yourself, and let it go.

A lot of people tell me they keep things like this to remind themselves not to do it again.

Personally, I’d rather have a calm, clutter-free home to remind myself to make good choices.

Therefore...

I just took a pic of my $386.00 night guard (for you here), then it went straight in the trash (and the container was recycled, of course).

Good riddance, back-of-drawer clutter!

Your turn:

How many metaphoric “$386 night guards” do you have?

What are you keeping out of a sense of guilt, because it cost you X-number of dollars?

What are you holding on to, even though it has no place or usefulness in your current life?

How can you notice your mistake, forgive yourself, and let go of that thing anyway?

* * *

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