Let it GO! Decluttering (simplifying) your life of (people, places or things) success stories?
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I had huge amounts of ‘stuff’ in my life; I like buying things, I like books, and when I bought my first house my parents gave me all my childhood possessions. I was living in a three-bed house, alone, just to have enough storage; and failing to keep it in order or clean
...and then I decided to go back to university to do a Masters, which required me to move an hour away and into somewhere much smaller in order to release funds. So the grand decluttering began.
I approached it from the perspective not of ‘what can I throw away’ but ‘what do I absolutely have to keep’. So five and a half floor-to-ceiling bookcases of books turned into one. All my soft toys went (except for, at the last minute, my oldest and favourite). Most of my kitchen gadgets. Boxes of candles and candle holders and ornaments and half my yarn stash and the tools from hobbies I got tired of and camping gear and... you get the idea.
I am now living in a one-bedroom housette (it’s the corner of a larger original property, converted into starter homes). It’s tidy, because there is now room for everything. It’s easy to keep clean, because the surfaces aren’t completely covered in clutter and there are no storage boxes blocking parts of it off. I have lovely, expensive but small furniture designed for small spaces, so it doesn’t feel cramped; the open-plan downstairs is positively spacious.
I wish I’d done this years ago.35 -
Me, too...I like that line....what do I absolutely have to keep? I think it would help with a lot of items.3
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@ceiswyn
Lovely story indeed. I didn't know what a housette was in the UK so I asked Mr. Google. I saw lovely indoor and outdoor pictures as well. I was familiar with the architecture but not with the name. I loved it, and I am happy that you found the right approach to simplify your life and possessions.. Well done.2 -
I've gone through all of my clothes and the file cabinet. When I get back home in June, I will be going through my kitchen. I heard that soup kitchens will take pots, pans, and the like, so I'm hoping to donate there.5
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Start of spring cleaning on Monday! I’m so glad I found this thread. It’s given a lot of motivation. Just wish my partner wasn’t such a pack rat. He keeps most of it in out buildings on the property. My first husband was a saver too and when he passed I was stuck with the headache and cost of sorting and cleaning up all his stuff.
I will never do that to my partner or kids. 6 -
amberellen12 wrote: »Start of spring cleaning on Monday! I’m so glad I found this thread. It’s given a lot of motivation. Just wish my partner wasn’t such a pack rat. He keeps most of it in out buildings on the property. My first husband was a saver too and when he passed I was stuck with the headache and cost of sorting and cleaning up all his stuff. I will never do that to my partner or kids.
Have fun! I can't continue until June, I'm almost jealous. Lol1 -
I've gone through all of my clothes and the file cabinet. When I get back home in June, I will be going through my kitchen. I heard that soup kitchens will take pots, pans, and the like, so I'm hoping to donate there.amberellen12 wrote: »Start of spring cleaning on Monday! I’m so glad I found this thread. It’s given a lot of motivation. Just wish my partner wasn’t such a pack rat. He keeps most of it in out buildings on the property. My first husband was a saver too and when he passed I was stuck with the headache and cost of sorting and cleaning up all his stuff. I will never do that to my partner or kids.
Ooh, exciting!
Don't forget to update us on your efforts! Post pics if you can!
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Recently, I've been able to give away two cupboards that were cluttering up our "Outside Room of Crap".
On Sunday, I then went in there and got rid of stuff that could be recycled, wood that could be burnt, garbage, and stuff for the tip.
Lots of room in there now! Hope to do more this weekend.3 -
I love this thread! My husband and I are gearing up for a spring clean again and I’m so excited to start decluttering and organizing. I’ve already decluttered 30lbs off my body.11
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It is a different type of decluttering than most here, but I feel much freer since letting go of worries, anger, etc, toward certain extended family members. There are a lot of people in my family such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and step-family who just aren't that important to me but I used to allow them too much power over my thoughts and put too much energy into trying to please them, impress them, and/or stay in contact with them. This has been a gradual thing for me over almost 20 years (which I know is nuts) but finally I feel I've reached a point where I don't wish any of them poor fortunes but I also just truly do not care what they think of me or if they think of me at all. It's been a very liberating feeling. Some say it is cold hearted or callous but I don't feel that way at all. These aren't people who have ever gone out of their way to show me kindness or attention. I am better off not seeing or talking to them.29
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seltzermint555 wrote: »It is a different type of decluttering than most here, but I feel much freer since letting go of worries, anger, etc, toward certain extended family members. There are a lot of people in my family such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and step-family who just aren't that important to me but I used to allow them too much power over my thoughts and put too much energy into trying to please them, impress them, and/or stay in contact with them. This has been a gradual thing for me over almost 20 years (which I know is nuts) but finally I feel I've reached a point where I don't wish any of them poor fortunes but I also just truly do not care what they think of me or if they think of me at all. It's been a very liberating feeling. Some say it is cold hearted or callous but I don't feel that way at all. These aren't people who have ever gone out of their way to show me kindness or attention. I am better off not seeing or talking to them.
I completely understand. I think we all have family members like that, just no one really talks about it. If I haven't seen them, other than funerals, for 20 or 30 years, I don't know them.
You are better off, and I would count that as decluttering. Congratulations!5 -
I approached it from the perspective not of ‘what can I throw away’ but ‘what do I absolutely have to keep’. So five and a half floor-to-ceiling bookcases of books turned into one. All my soft toys went (except for, at the last minute, my oldest and favourite). Most of my kitchen gadgets. Boxes of candles and candle holders and ornaments and half my yarn stash and the tools from hobbies I got tired of and camping gear and... you get the idea.
I totally get that. When I moved back to Europe from NZ I did something similar. I knew what the maximum volume was of what I could take back (the volume I ordered in the shipping company)
Had one suitcase additionally for my own flight and that was it.
So furniture and large items were out. As most was 10+ years old that was not a big deal. Other stuff I gave away to friends or neighbours and my furniture was sold to a couple that had nothing and had just moved in together for a song. They insisted on paying something so I had some change from that (It included a 3 year old frontloading Washing machine that really made them happy)
For the rest
I had a piles; must come with me, will come if volume permits, could come maybe, not important and last Potential for wrapping/stuffing (mostly my fabrics and some maybe clothes) I ended up taking even less volume than I had ordered.
It felt liberating to be honest.
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seltzermint555 wrote: »It is a different type of decluttering than most here, but I feel much freer since letting go of worries, anger, etc, toward certain extended family members. There are a lot of people in my family such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and step-family who just aren't that important to me but I used to allow them too much power over my thoughts and put too much energy into trying to please them, impress them, and/or stay in contact with them. This has been a gradual thing for me over almost 20 years (which I know is nuts) but finally I feel I've reached a point where I don't wish any of them poor fortunes but I also just truly do not care what they think of me or if they think of me at all. It's been a very liberating feeling. Some say it is cold hearted or callous but I don't feel that way at all. These aren't people who have ever gone out of their way to show me kindness or attention. I am better off not seeing or talking to them.
I completely understand. I think we all have family members like that, just no one really talks about it. If I haven't seen them, other than funerals, for 20 or 30 years, I don't know them.
You are better off, and I would count that as decluttering. Congratulations!
Thank you! I quite agree with what you said about not seeing people for 20-30 years meaning you really don't know them. This is something I've had to explain many times to my mother, who struggles with a lot of the same individuals I did...she finally seems to understand that people who were important in my life in the 80s aren't necessarily people I even remember now, as I was a child back then! In fact I believe that she is coming around to my way of thinking also, as she recently spent time with some of her previously estranged siblings and told me "they just aren't people I like".
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seltzermint555 wrote: »It is a different type of decluttering than most here, but I feel much freer since letting go of worries, anger, etc, toward certain extended family members. There are a lot of people in my family such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and step-family who just aren't that important to me but I used to allow them too much power over my thoughts and put too much energy into trying to please them, impress them, and/or stay in contact with them. This has been a gradual thing for me over almost 20 years (which I know is nuts) but finally I feel I've reached a point where I don't wish any of them poor fortunes but I also just truly do not care what they think of me or if they think of me at all. It's been a very liberating feeling. Some say it is cold hearted or callous but I don't feel that way at all. These aren't people who have ever gone out of their way to show me kindness or attention. I am better off not seeing or talking to them.
Good 4 you because it does release you for more important and lovely areas of your life
Life IS too short for people and things that don't matter!
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This is why I choose not to get involved with facebook and other social media of the like. I do not want to feel beholding to people and relatives of my past. They are in my past for a reason. I only wish to hang onto precious memories 14
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seltzermint555 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »It is a different type of decluttering than most here, but I feel much freer since letting go of worries, anger, etc, toward certain extended family members. There are a lot of people in my family such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and step-family who just aren't that important to me but I used to allow them too much power over my thoughts and put too much energy into trying to please them, impress them, and/or stay in contact with them. This has been a gradual thing for me over almost 20 years (which I know is nuts) but finally I feel I've reached a point where I don't wish any of them poor fortunes but I also just truly do not care what they think of me or if they think of me at all. It's been a very liberating feeling. Some say it is cold hearted or callous but I don't feel that way at all. These aren't people who have ever gone out of their way to show me kindness or attention. I am better off not seeing or talking to them.
I completely understand. I think we all have family members like that, just no one really talks about it. If I haven't seen them, other than funerals, for 20 or 30 years, I don't know them.
You are better off, and I would count that as decluttering. Congratulations!
Thank you! I quite agree with what you said about not seeing people for 20-30 years meaning you really don't know them. This is something I've had to explain many times to my mother, who struggles with a lot of the same individuals I did...she finally seems to understand that people who were important in my life in the 80s aren't necessarily people I even remember now, as I was a child back then! In fact I believe that she is coming around to my way of thinking also, as she recently spent time with some of her previously estranged siblings and told me "they just aren't people I like".
Haha, yes, so true. I don't add many relatives at all on Facebook, because I don't believe people are friends just because of blood or marriage, or even school "friends".
That's what Kurt Vonnegut called a "granfalloon":
"a group of people who affect a shared identity or purpose, but whose mutual association is meaningless."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granfalloon
It's a "false karass". A karass is a group of people linked in a meaningful manner, even when superficial links are not evident.
I like to think my friends are in my karass.
I've reconnected with some friends who I knew 30 years ago, and we seem to have more in common now. But there are lots of others that it would be phony to believe I have any connection with.
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Clutter is a huge issue with me, my family, my house. For me it's just pure laziness and I'm trying to get over it. Like when I'm in a cleaning mood ill just go at it crazy, throwing stuff away getting stuff done. If I'm distracted for 1 second, the mood is gone and I don't feel like it any more. Trying to stay inspired and motivated is one of the hardest things I have tried to do.5
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Love this thread! I’m getting ready for a garage sale this weekend. I am finally going through boxes we packed when moving here 10 years ago. I convinced my 23 year old son to sell video games and boyhood stuff. Feeling very empowered and have been on point with my weight loss quest this week4
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Gingergal12 wrote: »Love this thread! I’m getting ready for a garage sale this weekend. I am finally going through boxes we packed when moving here 10 years ago. I convinced my 23 year old son to sell video games and boyhood stuff. Feeling very empowered and have been on point with my weight loss quest this week
Great! Hope the garage sale goes well. Be prepared to throw out, give away, or recycle the stuff you decided you didn't need that doesn't sell. No takies-backsies!
One thing I was going to mention in here (unrelated to the above but no need for a new post) is that I read an article a few years ago that I've always remembered.
It was by a woman in her sixties who'd been left the estate of her remaining parent, full of clutter.
So much stuff she couldn't find room for. She already had too much stuff of her own.
It made her realise she would never want to burden her child with so much stuff, so many things. She then did lots of work and kept only her necessities.
Since reading that, I don't want my house to ever be in a state where it would be a nightmare for my next of kin.
I also want it to be lovely for living in.8
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