Let it GO! Decluttering (simplifying) your life of (people, places or things) success stories?

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Replies

  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    I am ashamed of my hoarding of clothes and now that I've read everyones remarks - it makes me feel less isolated. I began getting rid of stuff about 2 years ago but IT is difficult - because every dress/piece of china etc etc etc., has a memory attached. But YOU are ALL correct - it does weigh you down - and now that I know I'm not alone in my tendancy to clutter, I will push forward faster and more quickly than I have been doing. Thank you all for the insight.

    W <3 W How very powerful and encouraging you are. Thank you ever so VERY much for posting this, you've inspired me something terrific and it makes me smile from ear to ear, knowing we're so NOT alone and getting stronger and stronger more and more each day. You ROCK, period. What you've contributed here is hugely motivating to/for me--BAM! <3o:)<3
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    edited December 2017
    Steff46 wrote: »
    I have donated boxes and boxes of my items this year (clothes, books, dishes, jewelry, etc.). I still have two things that hold me back on keeping my home decluttered.
    One, I'm really bad about going through a box of things and only getting rid of half of it then putting the box back in the same spot....so I really didn't get that box of stuff gone:( I'm working on this.
    Two, my other half is a clutter bug. We don't use our dinning room table anymore due to his mountain of stuff. We have two other bedrooms with his "stuff". He isn't to the point of being a hoarder but I give up. I used to go behind him and put stuff in it's place and then he claims he can't find anything and I just stopped being his maid. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on here bashing him I just can't figure out how to motivate him to keep his areas neater.

    @Steff46 Can your cleaning of your shared areas still help? Try to focus on your own space for now. With the boxes, once you've tackled a lot of boxes, start a plan where you take two boxes, and turn them into one box of stuff. Just an idea. Warmest regards. x
  • Piqueaboo
    Piqueaboo Posts: 1,193 Member
    I watched another TED talk on decluttering and am inspired to do another sweep of the apartment now, when 2018 starts. Especially in light of moving to another city soon I want to have as few things as I can to make my life easier!
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    edited January 2018
    beerfoamy wrote: »
    I love decluttering, and a mate made it even easier for me by suggesting that if I was really struggling to get rid of something I had found, to take a picture. I have a collage now of all my important memories from 'junk' and it takes up a document on my computer! W hen house is decluttered fully I am going to get it put onto a canvas or 2 and put them up in what used to be the junk room. Then I can see the things every day which is more than I used to do with the actual objects :D

    Say what???!!!!???? "Take pictures of the "junk"?????? W <3 W and super duper BOOM!!!! Who'd thunk that--seriously, who'd da THUNK IT????? Man, this is like I just hit the decluttering lottery or something--YAY!!!!

    {{{{ Big ole Hugs and the HIGHEST of fives to you beerfoamy }}}}}}. I have a huge perfume collection that the greater majority of which I've rarely if ever use(d). This has been the last "bastion" of excess stuff I have left from my decluttering odyssey/combat/adventure/quest/goal(s). Although the collection looks absolutely lovely--just gorgeous, it's simply tooooooo much >:) and it's been almost impossible for me to even think about parting with the majority of it, let alone some of it. Thanks to YOU, you fabulous person you, I can simply take pics of it and get rid of the greater majority of my dear collection--without so much as a whimper, eye-roll nor any such thing AT ALL--because it's just too much and I'm OVER living in/with excess in my life (inside/fat and outside too much "stuff").

    Girl, seriously, mere words can NOT express how much I appreciate you posting here. You've really contributed something outstanding and mega helpful to me/us. Taking pictures of the beloved "stuff".....BAM!!!! That's the ticket, period.


    {{{{{ <3Hugs and THANK you again and again~BOOM!!!! <3 }}}}}}



    P.S. WOW...I LOVE this idea so much, so utterly simple and yet sooooo powerful, effective and with joy unspeakable, DOABLE--YAY! o:)<3o:)
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    edited January 2018
    ereck44 wrote: »
    Has anyone ever seen George Carlin's stand-up about owning houses just to store our "stuff"? I love this thread. I need to get rid of my stuff too. I have too much and it is so hard to let go.

    Wow..."owning houses to store our stuff"--that's funny and deep at the same time! Ya know how as we are downsizing our bodies is making us look and feel sooooo much better? Well, believe me, getting rid of our excess junk ( thinking about the ole saying of "one person's "treasures" is another person's trash/junk"), ummm, "stuff" is just as amazing and satisfying as losing weight. I can't tell you how most excellent it is to no longer be "looking for keys, looking for the garlic powder, looking for my jacket, looking for other slipper, looking for (fill in the blank). Once you get started, it's sooooooo wonderful to have a place for everything and everything in it's place. No longer living in clutter (no matter how small) because living in/with excess stuff and clutter and mess is and can be so stifling and irritating. Living with less "stuff" is so much more calming and cozy and makes life so much easier and better quite frankly. Now when I'm talking about getting rid of excess stuff--I'm NOT talking about "perfection" or mania (ya know the dreaded "obessive/compulsive slavery type of thinking, doing and being) I'm referring to the type of decluttering and simplifying our homes and our living, just to be making our environments more simplified, more beautiful and just plan cool!

    Thanks so much for posting!!!! <3o:)<3
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    The idea of taking photos of collections (such as perfume and artwork) is a brilliant one!

  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Sherbog wrote: »
    When friends walk into my house they ask if I have it staged for selling. Am I moving in or moving out. LOL For several years now I have tried to minimize. Mostly as a gift to my two children so they have less work in case I should take a journey of no return. :) (Sounds better than die!) I also rid myself of toxic people who either were great enablers or sabotaged my diet plan. Surrounding myself with a weight group of people (TOPS) sure helps!

    When people ask me out to lunch I suggest a walk or morning coffee meet up. I tell them I am addicted to food and if they would not mind I would rather walk and talk.

    Your post just encouraged AND inspires me something terrific and makes me smile from ear to ear--you ROCK, period. Thank you ever so VERY much for posting!!!! <3o:)<3
  • beerfoamy
    beerfoamy Posts: 1,520 Member
    Bumping this as it is a great thread to read and re-read :smile:
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    beerfoamy wrote: »
    Bumping this as it is a great thread to read and re-read :smile:

    Agreed!
  • Piqueaboo
    Piqueaboo Posts: 1,193 Member
    Roadie2000 wrote: »
    lately I've just been decluttering all of my bad habits.

    A couple months ago at my yearly checkup with my doctor I decided to swallow my pride and face the fact that I probably needed to be on antidepressants. I've dealt with the death of my father when I was a teenager and never really had a male role model to help me grow up. I lived by myself for a long time and developed some nasty habits throughout the years and never really let anyone get close to me.

    I finally met an awesome girl and got married a couple years ago, I cleaned myself up a little bit but the depression was still there and a few lingering bad habits. Then last year my mother died and had a hard time dealing with it for a while. I thought it was temporary and was getting better but I would still fall into a funk fairly often and would shut out my wife which she had a huge problem with.

    So anyway a couple months ago at my yearly doctor visit I decided to actually be honest with my doctor and he gave me a scrip. And to be honest, I don't "feel" any different really but I don't have the crippling low energy and my cravings for the bad habits I had for so long faded as well.

    On my 41st birthday I decided to smoke my last cigarette. It wasn't even that hard unlike every other time I tried to quit. I figured if I could do that I could give up pop that I would drink almost every day for lunch. Then I stopped playing this mobile video game I was obsessed with for like 2 years. I stopped drinking alcohol except for a small glass of wine with dinner once in a while or social occasions. Pretty much all of my bad, embarrassing habits are now gone. And now with all of my new found energy, time, and ability to concentrate I've been going to the gym regularly, brushing up on my Spanish, reading, and learning how to cook. I'm finally starting to think this being an adult thing isn't so hard after all.

    You are amazing. Thank you for sharing!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    @Roadie2000 Yours is a heartwarming story. Totally mean that.

    So happy for you that small changes have led to so much more health and happiness.
  • foss44
    foss44 Posts: 119 Member
    This is a great read!!
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Roadie2000 wrote: »
    lately I've just been decluttering all of my bad habits.

    A couple months ago at my yearly checkup with my doctor I decided to swallow my pride and face the fact that I probably needed to be on antidepressants. I've dealt with the death of my father when I was a teenager and never really had a male role model to help me grow up. I lived by myself for a long time and developed some nasty habits throughout the years and never really let anyone get close to me.

    I finally met an awesome girl and got married a couple years ago, I cleaned myself up a little bit but the depression was still there and a few lingering bad habits. Then last year my mother died and had a hard time dealing with it for a while. I thought it was temporary and was getting better but I would still fall into a funk fairly often and would shut out my wife which she had a huge problem with.

    So anyway a couple months ago at my yearly doctor visit I decided to actually be honest with my doctor and he gave me a scrip. And to be honest, I don't "feel" any different really but I don't have the crippling low energy and my cravings for the bad habits I had for so long faded as well.

    On my 41st birthday I decided to smoke my last cigarette. It wasn't even that hard unlike every other time I tried to quit. I figured if I could do that I could give up pop that I would drink almost every day for lunch. Then I stopped playing this mobile video game I was obsessed with for like 2 years. I stopped drinking alcohol except for a small glass of wine with dinner once in a while or social occasions. Pretty much all of my bad, embarrassing habits are now gone. And now with all of my new found energy, time, and ability to concentrate I've been going to the gym regularly, brushing up on my Spanish, reading, and learning how to cook. I'm finally starting to think this being an adult thing isn't so hard after all.

    You sir, are a first class winner AND all time champion, period. BOOM and YAY you and you rock, period. Thank you ever so VERY much for posting. o:)<3o:)
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