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Welcome to Day 6.
Sometimes decluttering is easy – you see things that are clutter, unneeded, unloved, and you let them go.
Other times all you see are reasons why you couldn’t possibly let anything go. But I might need it! But I don’t know what to do with it! But it was a gift!
Today we attack those decluttering blocks. No more excuses!!
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The following are our groups responses: Questions to ask yourself during the de-cluttering process: 1. How long has it been since I used this? Is there a reason to keep this item? If yes why? 2. Do I like it? Does it serve a purpose? 3. Does it work properly? Is it broken? 4. Do I have more? How many do I need? 5. If I keep this what will I get rid of to make room for it?
Make a plan to organize your area[s]. Make sure your plan is manageable. Spend 15 minutes per day de-cluttering & organizing; choose an area of your home; work that area until it is completed. Then move to another area of your home.
I Need Storage Systems So I Can De-clutter: Your valuables and everyday items you use
I Can’t Get Rid of Anything I May Need One Day: Sort into: 6 boxes or bins: keep; trash; needs attention; donate; recycle; important documents
All My Clutter Must Go to the Perfect Place: Things should be organized in areas that you need constantly vs. rarely.
One Day I’ll fix it/Fit into It/Want to Use It: Boxes & label! Store a specific amount of time & not used trash them.
I Have To Keep It Because It Was a Gift: If you receive a gift you cannot use re-gift it or donate it
I Need It to Stay Connected to the Past: You can’t change the past. Remembering good times & attending family & school reunions. But it is not good to dwell on the past all the time = unhealthy.
I Need To Be Organized Before I Can De-clutter: You need to de-clutter in order to be organized. Then organize a section at a time.
I would say that I am dealing with blocks 3, 4, and 6. I have almost got #3 dealt with as I have a fairly efficient donation and recycling system it’s just a matter of finding the time to deliver the materials to their intended destinations (e.g. stuff piles up in my garage that could be put to good use elsewhere). I need to work on putting those deliveries into my schedule better. Regarding #4 I have came to the realization that my livable space is limited and I need to assign some of the clutter from this block into block number 3. An example of this is I have lot of cardboard boxes that I intended to use when I got around to listing some things on eBay, well I do not have a lot of time to do that these days so these boxes would be of better use recycled. Number 6 I am tryingn to work on, I associate memories with physical things but my wife has been working with me on a clever idea of taking a picture of the item, writting down some notes of my memories of it in a computer program (I use Tap Forms for Mac) and then donate or sell the item if I no longer use it often. This has been working but progress is slow due to scheduling time constraints but I suppose slow and steady is still progress.
I think that #7 is hardest for me….But I realize that I may have to let some things go first and then find homes for the things I really want around me, and should have space for those things now. This will take more than a few days to sink in and really let go.
Clutter can be stressful, frustrating and overwhelming. The following are suggested questions you need to answer truthfully:
Have you used this item within the last year?
Do you like this item?
Are you keeping the item because it was a gift?
Is it working properly or broken and unfixable?
Do you have more than one of these items? Do you need to keep the duplicate?
Do an OCI – one comes in and one goes out.
Go to http://www.getorganizedwizard.com for other clutter programs.
Members, can you help? Allison is participating in the program but doesn’t have Facebook, therefore can’t post a question here herself. She says: “I need to dig a little deeper to resolve holding onto things. Any resources or ways other people overcame these obstacles would be helpful.” Please share what works for you, and let’s help Allison get over this hurdle. Thanks everyone, Kylie, Community Manager
Trying to prepare for being away for a few days this week, so am trying to do a few extra of these today so as not to be too far behind when I return. I have to accept that 2,4 and 6 are still my demons (see my comment below from 2013). I don’t think I can honestly say I have broken through these blocks, so I am going to task myself with 3 things. Firstly, I am going to sort out my craft room, office, cds/dvds and books – all things that add to number 2 and 4 for me – I’ll use your 7 day challenge for the office! Secondly, I am going to tackle number 4 further by doing a big wardrobe sort out – using your 14 day challenge in this area! Finally, creating memory boxes to tackle number 6 will mean I will have to go through all my piles dumped in one of my office areas which are all those things I think I need to keep to stay connected to family members I have lost/might lose or other links to my past. I’ll be a very busy bee doing those this summer!
I can’t believe I only got to day 6 but I am back on the case. I think I probably experience all of these blocks but I guess that the final one is the one that rings true. I keep thinking I need a massive block of time to get organised but chucking stuff out will have to happen first. I am going to spend 30 minutes tonight in my bedroom finding things to throw out.
Previously I identified blocks 3 & 4 as my biggest challenges. I’m pleased that I’ve come a long way in overcoming block #3 – the need to for clutter to go to a perfect place. Not completely, but there’s definite progress. For this clutter block, I find that if I ask myself what my hesitation is in letting of something, I can usually come up with a rational counter-argument. Block 4 I still wrestle with because I get all these ideas of how I can upcycle or re-purpose things. I’m going to try setting a deadline when I have to use/repair something by, after which out it will have to go.
p.s. I just went back and re-read the reality for block #4 and the related block #2 and had an ah-ha moment. I need to ask myself if what I’m going to make when I re-purpose or upcycle will, in the end, still be clutter!
Fabulous progress Ellen! I think your aha insight is spot-on – you can often save yourself effort AND clutter by letting it go now. You might also like this strategy for those things you plan to re-purpose ‘one day’: http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/blog/2011/01/put-your-stuff-in-a-probation-box-how-to-clear-clutter-when-youre-scared/
I’ve tried something like that before and unfortunately this strategy doesn’t work for me – I always insist on going through the stuff (so far, anyway!). But I am finding that the more I declutter, the easier it’s becoming to let stuff go, especially when I see something and wonder why I held onto it in the first place! Thanks for the suggestion though, Michele – and for the support 🙂