I've found that decluttering books is more successful when done with other people around. Even if they are other people who are invested in me keeping the books (such as my kids and our excessive selection of picture books). It gives me some buffer against the emotional exhaustion that I get when having to make *so many* choices close together.
The other thing that helps for me is to move the contents of a delineated area (a shelf, a drawer) or group of objects (t-shirts) to a clear space (say, kitchen table, or the floor, depending on how the restricted mobility manifests. For me, I can keep going for longer if I'm sitting and stay sitting, so I use the floor, because I can surround myself with the mess). Then, when I've moved the selection there, I sort into three piles, which are 'really can't give it up', 'come back to this one', and 'nah, it can go'. The last one goes straight into a box to be taken to charity. Then I take a break. Items in the first group get put away - sometimes they get moved to the second or third category at the time. And then I deal with splitting the second category between the other two. Because the charity box is close, and the spot for putting away is further, I find I'm more likely to choose to gift than to put away.
My final thing is that I don't get rid of the charity box right away. This is partly a time/energy thing, but it also gives me the chance to wake up at three in the morning going 'no, can't get rid of ..., will never replace it and it is more precious than I realised'.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2014-09-20 02:37 pm (UTC)The other thing that helps for me is to move the contents of a delineated area (a shelf, a drawer) or group of objects (t-shirts) to a clear space (say, kitchen table, or the floor, depending on how the restricted mobility manifests. For me, I can keep going for longer if I'm sitting and stay sitting, so I use the floor, because I can surround myself with the mess). Then, when I've moved the selection there, I sort into three piles, which are 'really can't give it up', 'come back to this one', and 'nah, it can go'. The last one goes straight into a box to be taken to charity. Then I take a break. Items in the first group get put away - sometimes they get moved to the second or third category at the time. And then I deal with splitting the second category between the other two. Because the charity box is close, and the spot for putting away is further, I find I'm more likely to choose to gift than to put away.
My final thing is that I don't get rid of the charity box right away. This is partly a time/energy thing, but it also gives me the chance to wake up at three in the morning going 'no, can't get rid of ..., will never replace it and it is more precious than I realised'.