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unclutterFor the first time ever, decluttering and trying to organize my life in the process has been a revelation to me. I've discovered that I can ease a negative mood by making progress in sorting something out and at the same time I have a tendency to be more ruthless and less sentimental about what I'm sorting through. Maybe that should be more practical rather than ruthless . . .
The other revelation this week has been that I was given a 'memory box' as a present a couple of Christmases ago and it's been in a cupboard and forgotten about ever since. I found it and lifted it out and have been taking it with me as I sort. There's a drawer beside the bed that I've steadfastly refused to clear out because I knew there were things in there that I didn't want to get rid of but that I didn't have anywhere better for them to go - purely sentimental things like a postcard my dad sent me, a bunch of odd photos of random friends from other places or places I've been to when I travelled, a picture my nephew drew for me and the like. As I sorted through the drawer, I discovered there were just a few things to keep like those above and those went into the memory box, almost everything else went into the bin or off to the charity shop - I did the same with the other bedside drawers - the end result is that instead of four drawers filled to bursting - I now have everything sorted between three of the drawers with one of them having just a few things in, two being 'basically' full (not bursting) and the largest completely empty - that in itself feels like an accomplishment.
I think I will keep the memory box or similar with me when I'm sorting further areas because it really enables me to prioritize and acknowledge that some things I want to keep are not useful or essential but sentimental and they still have a place to go in the scheme of things. I also have somewhere to come and look for good memories!
So on to the ins and outs...
In
4 crochet magazines
1 book on using photoshop
2 packs of patchwork pieces
Total 7
Out
2 puzzle books - bin (I don’t like the puzzles left in them so figured they may as well go)
25 children’s books (given to nephew)
27 children’s books
1 soap (used and not replaced)
5 old vhs tapes(bin)
1 vhs cleaner (charity shop)
1 cookbook
1 bag of miscellaneous crap from the top drawer beside the bed (bin)
1 bag of used batteries (recycling bin)
3 books (given to local jumble)
4 VHS tapes (given to charity shop)
1 old mobile phone (donated to a charity collecting box)
1 bag of miscellaneous crap from a box in the cupboard under the stairs (bin) and filed the rest of the contents appropriately – opened all the junk mail and put advertising magazines into recycling)
1 bag of miscellaneous crap from the remaining three drawers beside the bed (bin)
1 bag of miscellaneous odds and ends from drawers to charity/recycle
5 children’s books
1 shoulder bag (bin)
1 pair of socks with a hole in (bin)
1 diary given to a friend (she’d lost hers and it was surplus to my requirements)
Total 83
Onto the math for today...
Previous total was 115 out.
115 - 7 (in) + 83 (out) - 0 (already taken the days until Sunday) = 191
Grand total - 191 more things out than in! Yay!
Happy Decluttering to you all.
The other revelation this week has been that I was given a 'memory box' as a present a couple of Christmases ago and it's been in a cupboard and forgotten about ever since. I found it and lifted it out and have been taking it with me as I sort. There's a drawer beside the bed that I've steadfastly refused to clear out because I knew there were things in there that I didn't want to get rid of but that I didn't have anywhere better for them to go - purely sentimental things like a postcard my dad sent me, a bunch of odd photos of random friends from other places or places I've been to when I travelled, a picture my nephew drew for me and the like. As I sorted through the drawer, I discovered there were just a few things to keep like those above and those went into the memory box, almost everything else went into the bin or off to the charity shop - I did the same with the other bedside drawers - the end result is that instead of four drawers filled to bursting - I now have everything sorted between three of the drawers with one of them having just a few things in, two being 'basically' full (not bursting) and the largest completely empty - that in itself feels like an accomplishment.
I think I will keep the memory box or similar with me when I'm sorting further areas because it really enables me to prioritize and acknowledge that some things I want to keep are not useful or essential but sentimental and they still have a place to go in the scheme of things. I also have somewhere to come and look for good memories!
So on to the ins and outs...
In
4 crochet magazines
1 book on using photoshop
2 packs of patchwork pieces
Total 7
Out
2 puzzle books - bin (I don’t like the puzzles left in them so figured they may as well go)
25 children’s books (given to nephew)
27 children’s books
1 soap (used and not replaced)
5 old vhs tapes(bin)
1 vhs cleaner (charity shop)
1 cookbook
1 bag of miscellaneous crap from the top drawer beside the bed (bin)
1 bag of used batteries (recycling bin)
3 books (given to local jumble)
4 VHS tapes (given to charity shop)
1 old mobile phone (donated to a charity collecting box)
1 bag of miscellaneous crap from a box in the cupboard under the stairs (bin) and filed the rest of the contents appropriately – opened all the junk mail and put advertising magazines into recycling)
1 bag of miscellaneous crap from the remaining three drawers beside the bed (bin)
1 bag of miscellaneous odds and ends from drawers to charity/recycle
5 children’s books
1 shoulder bag (bin)
1 pair of socks with a hole in (bin)
1 diary given to a friend (she’d lost hers and it was surplus to my requirements)
Total 83
Onto the math for today...
Previous total was 115 out.
115 - 7 (in) + 83 (out) - 0 (already taken the days until Sunday) = 191
Grand total - 191 more things out than in! Yay!
Happy Decluttering to you all.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-03 10:23 pm (UTC)The memory box sounds like an excellent plan. I have an overflowing shoebox and a folder labelled "orders of service" and another labelled "letters", and my mother has decluttered her house by giving me several large folders of "miscellaneous Rachel stuff". So um, maybe a decent memories box would help me sort out what I really want to keep long term. Thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-03 11:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-04 12:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-04 03:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-08 05:44 pm (UTC)