You know that box I’m talking about don’t you? The one with all the stuff in it—photos, documents, letters, greeting cards and other memorabilia, school and military certificates and maybe even some 3D keepsakes. It’s been in the (fill in the blank, ie. hall closet, garage, attic, basement, spare room) for years and one of these days, you’re going to dig in and discover all kinds of amazing things about your past and your family’s history.

I know because I have that same box.
In fact, I have 3 such boxes and one that my mom gave me two years ago. She said, “Stacy, you’ll help me with this box, right?”

Of course I said yes.

The good news is I have opened my mom’s box and I have figured out how to organize and digest the contents in doable ways and in small chunks of time. I actually taught a workshop this past February at RootsTech and now today, I’m going to share some of what I taught there, so that you too can begin with your box(es) …

AND, just in case you’re already like yeah give it to me, I’m READY to start—here’s the PDF handout—that I shared with those that came to RootsTech. If I’ve done my job then this 5-page handout (plus a timeline) will outline exactly what you need to do to open the box and NOT feel utterly overwhelmed.

Here’s what I’ve learned over and over again for myself and from my students: So much of what we don’t do is because of unrealistic expectations like, I’m going to suddenly discover an unscheduled weekend to open and sort through that box and digest all of it and then share its goodness with the world—I might even be able to write a best-selling memoir when I’m done! I’m terribly sorry to be the bearer of bad news: THIS is very unlikely and in the meantime, there is so much stuff inside—that could be blessing your perspective—stuff that is interesting and insightful and FUN. So, let’s take the lid off and decide to dive in. Let’s remember that what we really want to do is make the contents of this box more accessible so that when we do have 15 minutes—or an hour on a Saturday afternoon—we know exactly what to do!

Before I go any farther, I want to be clear about what we’re doing. We are moving stuff from one unorganized box to a NEW more organized box, with hanging folders in 5 sections—based on the categories—that I will outline now.

➡️ This is important: As we move stuff, we will need to toss some things. Yes, I just said ‘toss’ —and it’s ok! We (YOU) are permitted and encouraged to get rid of, or let go of, or purge (however you want to say it) some of the items this box. In fact, in order to truly curate this collection that is exactly what we must do—but, don’t worry, because before we decide whether to toss or refile each item, we will note if there is any action we want to take with it.

OK, keep reading for the step-by-step …

Click on the above images to enlarge them!

📦 Step by Step

1. SORT stuff in your box.
There are FIVE categories to sort stuff into. These are represented by the pictures above.
1. Photos (stuff with photos)
2. Written stuff
3. Document stuff
4. Memorabilia stuff
5. Dimensional (3D) stuff

It’s important that you are in sorting mode before you begin a sorting session, because otherwise you will want to stop and READ or LOOK AT so many of these treasures in the box, that your allotted time will disappear and you will be left feeling discouraged. So, pretty please, force yourself (even for 20 minutes) to JUST SORT. Once you begin making piles, you’ll be able to then spend more time with each pile and decide WHAT exactly to do with individual items.

2. ASSESS the value of this stuff.
Once you have some piles, pick one to start with and begin looking at each individual item—or group of similar items (ie, a stack of letters written from your dad to your mom), and ask yourself some key questions:

1. Is this information ESSENTIAL? Does it identify birth, marriage and/or death dates for people. Is it the kind of information that will verify names and dates and locations on a family timeline or oral history?

2. Is this item or information ORIGINAL? Is it truly one of a kind. Does it feature someone’s handwriting or a sketch or personal thoughts and feelings—typed out?

3. How much DETAIL is contained in this information or item? In my mom’s box I found a typed list of every job my grandfather ever held with company names, position titles, dates, and job descriptions—so much delicious detail!

4. How COOL is this item? This is where I may lose some of my serious genealogy researchers, but I think for the rest of us, it’s a fair question. When you come across something that YOU think is super cool, it’s important to note—because YOU are taking the time to dig around in the box. You are the curator!

As you sift through the piles you’ve sorted and assess the degree to which they are essential, original, detailed and cool then you will have a sense of how much urgency you want to observe moving forward. Your heart will tell you. In other words, you might find (like I did) some cool, old Valentine’s Day cards that students must have given to my grandfather, who was a teacher. But they aren’t essential, original or detailed. I’m going to save them, but not take urgent action with them. If you come across a military record with tons of essential information and details—including an ancestor’s signature you will want to DO SOMETHING with it really soon. You will sense its value.

3. NOTE ACTIONS with sticky notes.
As you assess each item, use sticky notes to write a specific action or actions that you want to take. Actions are many, but include things like photograph, scan, transcribe, read, research, use, share, archive, keep or toss. You might find a handwritten school report and you might want to photograph the original, transcribe the penciled handwriting for easier reading, share it on social media, upload it to FamilySearch and then toss the original—or keep it (file back in the new box).

When you come across something that you feel very strongly about—you want to take action—then you get to place that item, with its sticky note attached in something called the ACTION FOLDER.

🧡🧡🧡 At the very front of your new file box, place a brightly colored folder labeled “Action” and fill it up as you shift through what you’ve sorted. BUT … and here’s where this gets really exciting. You only get to place TEN ITEMS in the ACTION FOLDER.

Just 10.
You got it?

No more than 10 items get filed in the action folder. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, but Stacy, I have a feeling my action folder is going to fill up pretty quickly. And, you’re right. Which is totally AWESOME because once it’s full—once it has just 10 items in it—you must … TAKE ACTION.

You now get to step away from the sorting and the sifting and take action. Remove this folder from your file box and go to your computer or kitchen table or wherever and DO that thing that you most want to do: Read those letters, scan and upload that marriage certificate or call your Dad and ask him if he remembers writing that book report.

When you’ve completed the action, you can either toss or refile the item—you will remove the sticky note of course—and then get back to sorting and sifting.

THIS is how you move through even the BIGGEST BOXES of stuff in short spurts of time.

1. OPEN the box.

2. Grab a handful of stuff.

3. Sort it into one of 5 categories—making small piles.

4. Sift through each pile and assess each item.

5. Note needed actions.

6. File non-urgent items into your new file box with hanging folders.

7. File (up to TEN) urgent items into your action folder.

8. Remove your action folder and take action on those items.

9. Repeat.

10. Repeat.

When you’ve emptied the old box, you will have a new, more organized box and you will have already taken action on many of these incredible bits and pieces of your family’s past. You will now get to sift through non-urgent items that you placed in your handing folders and move them to your action folder.

Yes?
Make sense?
Can you see how this efforts flows and how you can pick it up and put it back down and pick it up again?

Obviously, if you make MORE TIME to move through this cycle, you can work through a box in just a few weeks. But even with an hour a week—in 15 or 20 minute spurts—you will make PROGRESS and you will be able to unpack incredible hidden treasures of family connection that are waiting to be discovered and enjoyed and shared.

If you have questions, please post them to the comments.

BONUS: You can watch a recent video conversation I had with Camille from the 21-Day Family Connections Experiment HERE.

😀 If you want to learn more about reigning in ALL the stuff, I invite you to take my FREE course called The Principles of Photo Freedom and my full PhotoFreedom 2021 course—both will bless your life and your boxes of photos and stuff.

I’d also like to introduce you to my friend, Janine Adams, who runs Peace of Mind Organizing. I met Janine at RootsTech this past February and we’ve kept in touch. She and I have similar philosophies about the importance and the accessibility of organization.

📲 Be sure your following me on Instagram @stacyjulian