It’s simply impossible to live a long life and not acquire a lot of junk.
Purge Log (or Junk Journal): When you’re purging, record your progress. Have a purge log, and make a list of what you do each day to get organized and get rid of. Include a list or a description of the specific items you give away or trash, and maybe take a picture of them. In fact, start the entire process by snapping picture of each room and storage area in your house so you’ll be able to compare the before and after pics of your “total home makeover” when you’re done. Being able to see how far you’ve come will help you maintain your vow never to go back to the way things used to be.
Purging Old Contacts: In the same way that you should not store stuff for “one of these days” (you should either use it, repurpose it, or digitize it and capture the memory in writing or on video), consider doing the same thing with old contacts.
Just look through your phone, address book, or old Christmas card list. Are there people you have fond memories of that you no longer keep in touch with? Of course there are. Nothing happened, there was no falling out, you’ve just drifted apart. Would you like to talk with them again? See them again? Then make it happen.
But if you’re pretty sure the relationship is done, that you’re unlikely to ever see or talk with them again, why not do the same thing with them that you do with old stuff? Capture the memory. Find a picture of them if you have one, put it and your memories of them on paper, add their latest contact info to that page, and delete them from your contact list. No reason to have the contact info for someone you’ll never contact cluttering up your address book.
When a developer is putting in a new development they don’t actually have a blank canvas to begin with they have to remove whatever is there and prepare a space so that they will have a blank canvas you can do the same thing in your life with your obligations with your house etc.
Purging doesn’t always mean getting rid of stuff. It might mean relocating it from a closet where it’s in the way to a wall where you can enjoy it.
Still has value: Hang on the things they no longer use or need because at least theoretically they still have some sort of monetary value. Ask yourself if you were to sell every single thing you no longer want or need for whatever you think it’s worth then double that amount what would it add up to if you were to just get rid of that stuff would the amount that you’re sacrificing bring you that amount of joy. Realizing of course that if you were to have a garage sale or estate sale or put those items in an antique shop there’s no way you’d sell all of them and probably would not sell them for your asking price.
Purge responsibilities as well: One of the keys of freeing up time is to reduce your responsibilities. Get rid of junk, plants, simplify, work responsibilities, financial responsibilities.