uncluttering one day and one thing at a time

So my last post here was on the 4th September, so it's been a month and while what I'm about to list below doesn't represent my full progress, it does reflect the definite progress.

(  Detail of Outs and Ins below the cut )

Grand Total = 160 (previous total out) + 40 (out) - 27 (in) = 173 out

I have also cleared the kitchen cupboards of all out of date food, although that doesn't effect the totals. I've also been 'cleaning' as I go, trying to turn some of the rooms into 'finished' environments. I have several bags of stuff ready to go to charity shops, but I haven't included the things inside in the totals as they haven't actually gone yet, despite my having put two of the bags into the trunk of the car. I have a pile of books and DVDs identified for reading/watching before being put into the 'to go' pile.

So I am decluttering apace but things are slowing down now I've got packed up a lot of the 'obvious' things to go, I am, however, left with piles of things that still need to be sorted and things that currently have no home.

My problem at the moment is this - I have things that 'should' go, things I don't use, things I don't really need, but I can't just throw them out/recycle them/give them away because I feel guilty. I feel bad about getting rid of things that I received as presents or bought as presents but then didn't need, getting rid of books that I haven't read, even when I'm not thinking 'oooh I wish I had enough time to read that' (there are plenty that do fall into that category and I'm not worried about not getting rid of those, after all I'm decluttering not actually completely emptying my home), some that I have no interest in ever reading, bits of jewellery (the accessory type - not the valuable type) and just loads of other things - clutter.

Does anyone else get to a point where they think I've got rid of a lot and I 'shouldn't' just keep getting rid of things that I haven't 'used up'? If so, how do you get past that?


( In other news I have achieved the following :- )

Last count was 177 out and that was 8 days ago. I'm so pleased with how the small empty box idea is working out. I've managed to take the larger of the small boxes (the one that held 12 bottles of wine) to a charity shop again.

( Progress for the last week )
I'm happy with that. I've also partially filled the next box for my next visit to the charity shop, so all we have to hope is that I can keep this up.

Best wishes to everyone

So I tried to declutter a couple of times last year and while improvements were definitely in evidence, overall things got the better of me and the process ground to a halt. I took advantage of the Christmas break to pack up a few things *grin* and today actually managed to get them out of the house and down to the charity shop and optician.

As there were so many I won't bore you with all the details, but I took all the old pairs of glasses that I could find down to the optician (7 pairs) where they donate them to an overseas group that give them to people in need of similar prescriptions who can't afford or don't have access to proper optical care. There were four large boxes of general stuff (DVDs, CDs, unwanted ornaments and toiletries amongst other things) that we took to the shop that raises funds for the local hospice. In all, 216 items went out of the house.

I have also made a decision to use up as much of the wool that I have accumulated as possible. With that in mind, I have turned 12 balls into scarves and 2 balls into a handbag. I will only count these as they are given away as presents. It's going to be a slow process but with more birthdays coming up, that's another scarf that will go soon and if I can put the finishing touches to the handbag, that's something else that can go as soon as I find someone suitable.

I shall balance this against the 21 items that came in at Christmas, 1 DVD bought since and 3 window blinds that I bought today.

So Out 217
In 25
balanced against 1-14 Jan which would require another 14 to go out.

Overall Grand Total of Outs = 178.

Not a bad start. I've already figured out what to tackle next - a bag of blankets that I think I might wash and give away if they're in good enough condition, if not, I'll throw them out.

Uncluttering Week Five & Six (10.21.11)

Things are still going pretty well – I’m using the extra time I have on my hands at the moment to try and make real headway into the uncluttering.
( Going in and out this week are . . . )

Grand Total for week : 124(previous total) + 22 (out) – 14 (in) – 21 (1 per day to 10.31.11) = 111

Uncluttering Week Two.

Things are still going pretty well – I’m using the extra time I have on my hands at the moment to try and make real headway into the uncluttering.


( Going in and out this week are . . . )

Grand Total for week : 77(previous total) + 81 (out) – 9 (in) – 7 (1 per day to 09.21.11) = 142

So I've not posted in a while and I'm completely lost as to where I stand on the in and out because circumstances have made it impossible to keep track.

I'm going through a major life change at the moment as I am leaving my place of employment after 12 years - let's just say that while there I accumulated a lot of stuff. I've made the decision to bring all of the things that are mine (as opposed to my employer's) home so lots of books and equipment have been coming this way. Part of me thinks that counting these as ins is slightly deceiving, because I had them anyway, I just stored them elsewhere for all this time.

I'm also having to move quite dramatically, clearing both my workspace while still working and organizing my household for both the incoming boxes and for the imminent visit of a friend - which means I can't just stack it all in the spare room until I get time to sort through it properly. I also have to sort through the work area as my job is being split between four different people, 1 brought in to replace me, and three others taking on elements of what I do, which means I'm having to organize a lot of things there as well as completing my usual work duties myself.

So for now, I'm not counting but once I'm settled into one location and I can spend time thinking of what to keep and what to get rid of because I really won't need it anymore, I shall resume my efforts with vigor (LOL). It's a time of flux, there are lots of positives about the change but they are accompanied by lots of stresses. For that reason, I'm taking the decision to be on hiatus from 1 in and 1 out, and 1 out a day and to do what I can, when I can, so that I can keep thinking positively.

Having said that I'm still putting as many bags of rubbish, recycling out as humanly possible and I'm trying to be realistic about things and whether I really do want to bring them back, but because of the time implications, I'm having to just go with 'I think this is for the best' at times.

It's been a difficult week with long hours at work and me eventually falling sick with a completely draining cold (not life threatening but completely exhausting and demoralizing) so I've not achieved as much as I'd like, nevertheless I've still been able to oust a few bits and pieces.

I'm not counting all the work stuff that I've brought home rather than doing there as once finished it will all be taken back and so totals for the ins are Zero which is good. Yay for weeks with no time to shop (unless you count the tickets to a concert that I bought online . . . nah - they don't count - anyway they haven't arrived yet)

List of what went out

7 box sets of DVDs
8 dvds
1 coat
1 jacket


Total for the outs is 17.

Grand Total is 344 (previous total) - 0 (ins) - 7 (days till next Sunday) + 17 (out) = 354

So I'm not dissatisfied with this.

I tried listening to all the little used CDs in the car on the way to and from work, figuring if I didn't like them they could then be added to the pile of things to go. It was okay for the first couple of days but then I found myself feeling really down and realized that it was because I was just listening to music that I'd got no real current affection for, so while this isn't a bad idea as such - it needs interspersing with more music that I definitely do like. I'd reached the point where almost everything was being added to the to go pile just because I wasn't in the mood to listen to it *head desk* It isn't just me whose music tastes vary intensely with how they're feeling is it and for whom music can set the feel for the day? Tell me I'm not completely losing it! (LOL)

I think this week I'm going to follow beachlass's example and aim to clear the shelf and drawers in the bathroom and maybe the miscellaneous 'stuff' that has accumulated at the bottom of the closet!

So work wise it's a hectic few weeks, coming home and wreaking vengeance on the clutter is a relief! And boy have I been wreaking vengeance! I've finally got round to starting that cupboard under the stairs that has far too much in common with a black hole in outer space - sucking things in and I've got no idea what's in there! So far I've managed to find old papers going back as far as the '90s! Almost old enough to take to a museum - LOL!

Ins for the second half of the week - 0 - yup an absolutely brilliant zero. \0/

Outs for the second half of the week -


1 purse (charity shop)
1 pack of shower gel (used and not replaced)
1 fun to learn pack (nephew)
3 old appointment diaries (bin)
1 tape of children’s poems
1 tub of body lotion
1 tub of crème bath
1 book of children’s poems
1 pair of trainers that were uncomfortable and always gave me bruised toes - given to someone they will hopefully fit better.
7 Classical CDs – given to local school music Dept
7 music CDs (charity shop)
40 children’s books (given to sister)
2 tubs of magnetic letters (given to sister)
1 tub of word tiles (given to sister)
1 big bag of old papers (burnt)
1 bag of miscellaneous junk (bin)
8 old VHS videos (bin)
1 video (charity shop)
Total 79 things out

So the math work out is ...

191 - 0(in) + 79(out) - 7 (days to next Sunday) = 263

Grand Total - 263 more things out than in All this and I still haven't got to the back or bottom of that cupboard.

I'm worried this isn't sustainable!

So exhaustion and painkillers I've discovered are not conducive to efficient use of time in general (lots of sleeping and general spaced-outedness - which should totally be a word - LOL!), however, being in a bad mood is good for uncluttering. I've never realized this before, that being in a bad mood does in fact make me more ruthless about disposing of stuff and at the end of it I feel marginally better for having achieved something.

Anyway, the current standpoint is...

IN

1 Chinese wall calendar that came as gift with a takeout
1 book (handed on because someone else had finished with it)

Total in = 2

OUT


1 book (bought as a gift last year for someone, then not given as I mislaid it, so I gave it to them this year instead *Head desk*)
1 bottle of bubble bath (used and not to be replaced)
1 Chinese calendar (took the one I was given yesterday and gave it to work)
1 book (sold through Greenmetropolis.com)

Total out = 4


So previous total of 120 out needs some math working on it...

120 - 2(in) + 4 (out) - 7 (next seven days) = 115 more out than in

So current point is the house is down by 115 items.

I shall wander away now and hope to be able to stay awake long enough tomorrow to get rid of more stuff.