Decluttering!

[peaceful_sands]

What's an exciting way to spend an evening? Decluttering doesn't necessarily spring to mind (or at least for me it doesn't). Often it's fraught with emotions like guilt and frustration so not exciting or something to look forward to in my book.

By contrast though, how does relaxing in a clutter-free, clean and tidy room that you can look on with a sense of pride and the knowledge that it's done and you were the one who got it there. Better, right? So that's what I'm trying to hang on to at the moment - the goal, rather than the getting there. I've got an image in my head of what I want it to be like and now I'm determinedly trying to hang on to it while I get there. It doesn't get rid of the guilt and frustration, but maybe they last a little less each time or I can balance them a little.

A little bit of that pride is achievable in the moment, by rather than imagining the whole room complete, I try imagining the little bit I'm going to be working on - be it a shelf, a box, a pile of filing or whatever. I take a look and I imagine what's it's going to look like when I've finished 'today' because every little helps.

What about you? What helps you declutter emotionally or maybe that should be unemotionally? How do you stay focussed on the goal and what is your goal? And how's your decluttering been going so far this week?

Comments

[yukonsally]

I've been at this decluttering thing for about 2 years so so all the low hanging fruit is gone. All the easy things are already gone. What's left? The things that at last pass were deemed valuable for some reason.

Only, is it?

I no longer work in an office setting, so do I *need* all those professional clothes? And even if I do return to an office setting (no plans to), I'll probably want some new things. Then all the feelings from having to leave the previous job come back and the anger and.. they are not worth my time.

Or it's the little things that we collect along the way. This brochure, this notebook, this stack of cards. I just went though my stationery again and gave away some stickers, recycled some cards. I bought postcard stamps to use the postcards.

And I have to think about what I give away now. Confirm I will not need it. Confirm I haven't needed it. And find it a new home. Now, getting family support for that can be difficult. When the thing is dusty in the original package, I have an easier time letting it go.

[peaceful_sands]

You're making steady progress and that's what counts. Well done!

[peaceful_sands]

More DVDs have been watched and put into the bag to go this week.

[fred_mouse]

Well done! I took your example, and watched a movie, which has gone on the rehome pile!

[fred_mouse]

I keep working out that what I want to do is get rid of furniture, but not the Stuff that I store in it/display on it. Which is very challenging, and I hope I get some of that sorted sooner rather than later!

I have done no decluttering, as I'm away from home (and somewhat away from internet), but I'm hoping to have done some of the tasks that need doing when I get back on Friday.