First off, I want to thank y'all for some really great suggestions from yesterday's post. Exactly the inspiration I needed, and I'm off and running. Thank you, thank you!
Next, I need more help. More suggestions. It has to do with all those springtime pressures that push on me at this lovely time of year. My number one pressure:
S P R I N G C L E A N I N G
How do you do it? DO you do it? Do you have a specific plan? Do you do the same thing(s) every year? When do you start? When do you finish? Does anyone help you? Please help!
One specific thing that just overwhelmes me: I am a "collector". I collect things until I am overwhelmed. I can't throw things away. I can donate, but it's tough for even that. I have clothes, STILL from when my mother died in 1998. HER clothes. And I can't bear to get rid of them. I have plans to have a quilt made from some of them, but why have I waited 12 years to get this started and/or done? I have a teddy bear collection. Over the years this has grown and been reduced, and grown again. I have only the bears that have major sentimental value now. I have plans to take photos of them and make a mini-book that includes photos and "stories" for each of them... with the intention that I then donate them. I have had this plan in mind for 3 years and have yet to get them down and get photos taken. I've even bought the album and papers I will use... I just can't bring myself to get rid of them. Why? Why?! Clothes I don't or can't wear, old make up, nail polish that I never use... papers... kitchen items I never use... tchotchkes... I have tchotchkes up the Wahzoo! So many things with so much sentimental value attached... and yet, it's just all clutter.
I need to declutter my outside life. I think that will help me declutter my insides as well. My one little word is Release and I have such a very, very hard time of it. Suggestions, anyone?
How 'bout a visit for those of you who are good "tossers"? I'll let you throw away my junk... and cry the entire time... I just can't figure out how to get myself to do it.
Please... comments, suggestions...all welcome here.
I won't even begin to go into my yard and gardens... that's a whole different, frightening topic for a different day...
We did our spring cleaning a bit early and did it before the move. It was very freeing. Nick is a bit of a hoarder though, and I had to take over the basement to actually get things out of there. I would be happy to help anytime! :)
ReplyDeleteI went through this about two years ago Kai - and I went to the library and took out a bunch of books on decluttering. Like "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh, which I blogged about here - http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com/2009/06/clutter-sucks-life-away.html. Most of the books offer this advice: look at the stuff. Does it immediately make you happy when you see it? Do you love it? Do you use it? If yes, then keep it. If no, then toss it! I kept "sentimental" stuff that actually made me miserable and guilty when I saw it. Finally getting rid of it was liberating! You pay my plane fare and I'll come help you declutter! :)
ReplyDeleteuh....hire somebody else to do it? Is that a cop out? It is really what I do. I declutter as I go in my life...I have to. I have two small children. The paper alone would drown me if I didn't stay on top of it. But I have cleaners coming every other week now...its amazing how clean they got my house.. in between, I do maintenance.
ReplyDeleteOk...that said...there is a spring cleaning guide on Simple Mom. ITs a phased e-book. "today you will..." Go here http://simplemom.net/spring-cleaning-party/
I'm terribly about clutter as well. Here is my strategy... I tackle one room (or one corner of a room, if it's a large room) at a time. I have three baskets with me, one is the toss/recycle basket, one is the donate basket, and one is the move basket. The idea here is to set aside a free hour/two hours, etc. Make sure there will be no interruptions (from outside, or from yourself), in other words, make sure you're not hungry, thirsty, etc.
ReplyDeleteThen you go in, set up your three baskets and start putting things in baskets. The toss/recycle basket and the donate basket should be self explanatory. The move basket is for anything that has managed to find its way into this room that actually belongs somewhere else (the bathroom, kitchen, etc.). Don't leave the room until you are done.
The same strategy can be applied to spring cleaning as well, just bring everything you need into room, and add a fourth basket for things that should be washed/laundered/etc.
Tackling a huge problem in smaller steps makes it less intimidating.
Dont know if you have ever heard of flylady.net its not for everyone, but I found it really helpful to get on top of clutter and get routines in place to stop the clutter from building up so badly again.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, its a big job, but worth doing.
If I'm serious about achieving something I get pen & paper out and make to-do lists. I love ticking things off as I complete each task, keeps me motivated and focussed. I'm sure I have an Ebook or something on Clearing Clutter with EFT. Will look for it and send to you.
ReplyDelete