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

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Replies

  • allison8668
    allison8668 Posts: 885 Member
    Orphia wrote: »

    @allison8668 Sounds like a plan. It doesn't happen all at once, so don't be daunted, you'll have time to get used to "getting rid" of things.

    Start with sorting one drawer. Maybe your own clothes.

    It all happens in small increments, a bag/drawer/shelf at a time. Best wishes.

    You might as well keep trying because the time will pass anyway.

    Thanks @Orphia for the encouragement :)
  • snoo61
    snoo61 Posts: 549 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    snoo61 wrote: »
    I've been using up 30 years of "scrap" yarn making beds/rugs for a local animal shelter. Yesterday it was time to start putting my good yarn in order, and away...now that there's room. I found scrap yarn in the bags of good stuff and in my laundry basket! I really thought I had it all, my daughter laughed and said and your knitting bag? Well damn! How could I not look there? I think I have a yarn hoarding problem!
    I did manage, in the last 2 days, to put away all the yarn I am keeping. 4 big bags added to ravelry, logged where every skein is, and put there. Progress!

    I had a pile of yarn too. I've been working them into blankets for camping, selling, and/or donating. I also had a pile of material for quilting (sold it as a take all box), and cross stitch stuff. For some reason I just couldn't pick up just what I needed, I absolutely had to have the complete set of embroidery floss, of course that requires containers, and the holders, etc. I cringe to think of how much money I spent on these things. I'm feeling really good about having it out of the house though.

    Today I finished sorted through most of the room where my indoor tools live. I have the closet floor completely emptied now, and everything on the shelves is organized. I emptied so much out of that room (not all today), I took a whole shelving unit out. I still have a bit of work to finish everything in there, but it's looking good so far.

    I also have embroidery floss, but not much. I use it for Barbie furniture, so I'm holding onto it. Its one little bag that fits in a corner of a top drawer.
  • AJB1014
    AJB1014 Posts: 1,380 Member
    Going to re read this thread as we prepare for a move. We've been in our apartment for a little over 3 years and have stuffed it full of things despite my best efforts. We've slowly been thinning the pile - but I know that this is going to be a daunting task. Any tips for moving would be greatly appreciated!
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    edited July 2018
    AJB1014 wrote: »
    Going to re read this thread as we prepare for a move. We've been in our apartment for a little over 3 years and have stuffed it full of things despite my best efforts. We've slowly been thinning the pile - but I know that this is going to be a daunting task. Any tips for moving would be greatly appreciated!

    Moving is (or at least can be) a super stressful time BUT you can turn this ugh-ish time to an opportunity disguised as ugh by getting rid of/letting go of more "stuff" than you can shake a stick it and turn this stressful time into a huge win-win situation. Win#1: using moving as an excuse motivation to be RUTHLESS in letting go of a ton of excess, messy, collecting dust, OVERWHELMING to your mind and senses "stuff" that maybe nice and all that jazz, but that you haven't used and won't use...just keeping it for (fill in the blank) sakes. Win#2. You're moving to a new place, a fabulous time to "start-over" with a new attitude about living a simplified/cleaner/prettier/spacious place--that's a super win--a NEW START YAY! Win#3 You're going to be burning a lot of CALORIES as your declutter for your move. Yep, many calories will be burn't to smithereens because of all of the lifting, tossing and cleaning--BOOM. Your moving is a win-win-win situation, it REALLY is. I posted some links in another post that has some tremendous helps/tips:


    https://www.thelily.com/the-art-of-decluttering-how-i-freed-myself-from-too-much-stuff/

    https://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/organization/clutter/18-things-you-can-get-rid-of-right-now/

    https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/g4272/things-its-time-to-get-rid-of/

    What I did was give-away or thow away (ugh such wasted money, but even then...it HELPED me to stop/not bring in more)--so again, painful but helpful. I threw away or gave away ANYTHING I hadn't used in two years or more. Once you get on the roll of tossing and giving away a lot of "stuff", something powerful happens...like a light coming on and a energizing of LET IT GO or something and you'll get RUTHLESS about getting rid of stuff--which I haven't missed or even thought about AT all, WOW o:) . Well, that was for me anyway. YAY you for moving and may your new place be fabulous and spacious and FUN! Speaking of fun, MAKE yourself have fun getting rid of stuff (REFUSE to see it as a "loss" of stuff but instead MAKE YOURSELF see it as the win of GAINING of space and the lovely peacefulness of clutter-free spaciousness. Look at Letting go of all the excess stuff as a WIN and GAIN...REFUSE to fall into the trap of "but I paid so much for this". Give it away to bless someone else or toss and make it a lesson learned. {{{{ Hugs }}}}}
  • tererob
    tererob Posts: 64 Member
    bump--read later
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    edited July 2018
    cabwj wrote: »
    I took last week off work and spent nine days sorting, purging, and organizing my entire house, shed, and car. I'm in So Cal and it was brutally hot through a few of those days but it felt really good to push through it. Took more than one carload to donation almost every single day.

    You first class winner and all time champion=BOOM! Somebody aint playing with this ugh/yuck/help/mess no more somebody is in perma I MEAN BUSINESS mode and that somebody is YOU. How utterly impressive&inspirational--once again BOOM and you rock, period.

    P.S. W <3 W

    P.S.S. Your CAR too, Imma scared of you--get it girl! When you get to the point of declutter and cleaning your car and keeping it that way, that's super I aint playing no more cause I mean busness mode. again W o:) W
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    edited July 2018
    @NewLIFEstyle4ME Thanks for sharing your philosophy for getting rid of toxic people. I think I've always been a people pleaser and peacemaker. But all that's brought me is pain and frustration. As I age though, I am making some good improvements in setting boundaries, fading out people who bring me down, etc. [/b]I will reread your post a few more times; I am grateful for this thread. I've learned so much from all of you.

    My pleasure and {{{{HUGS}}}} to you! I LOVE what you've said about "setting boundaries and fading out folk" that the ticket for sure. Also, taking oneself OUT THE BOX of the "they, everybody, we've ALWAYS done it or thought this or that way" is powerful and empowering...it's kinda lonely/standing alone too (thinking out the box and going against the "popular, comfortable and so-called "safe" way of doing/being/thinking) but loneliness is so overrated--it truly is. One can accomplish A LOT of extraordinary things not depending on others approval and such like. I too am grateful for this thread, I'm learning and APPLYING so much from the contribution of others here--Boom!
  • AJB1014
    AJB1014 Posts: 1,380 Member
    AJB1014 wrote: »
    Going to re read this thread as we prepare for a move. We've been in our apartment for a little over 3 years and have stuffed it full of things despite my best efforts. We've slowly been thinning the pile - but I know that this is going to be a daunting task. Any tips for moving would be greatly appreciated!

    Moving is (or at least can be) a super stressful time BUT you can turn this ugh-ish time to an opportunity disguised as ugh by getting rid of/letting go of more "stuff" than you can shake a stick it and turn this stressful time into a huge win-win situation. Win#1: using moving as an excuse motivation to be RUTHLESS in letting go of a ton of excess, messy, collecting dust, OVERWHELMING to your mind and senses "stuff" that maybe nice and all that jazz, but that you haven't used and won't use...just keeping it for (fill in the blank) sakes. Win#2. You're moving to a new place, a fabulous time to "start-over" with a new attitude about living a simplified/cleaner/prettier/spacious place--that's a super win--a NEW START YAY! Win#3 You're going to be burning a lot of CALORIES as your declutter for your move. Yep, many calories will be burn't to smithereens because of all of the lifting, tossing and cleaning--BOOM. Your moving is a win-win-win situation, it REALLY is. I posted some links in another post that has some tremendous helps/tips:


    https://www.thelily.com/the-art-of-decluttering-how-i-freed-myself-from-too-much-stuff/

    https://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/organization/clutter/18-things-you-can-get-rid-of-right-now/

    https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/g4272/things-its-time-to-get-rid-of/

    What I did was give-away or thow away (ugh such wasted money, but even then...it HELPED me to stop/not bring in more)--so again, painful but helpful. I threw away or gave away ANYTHING I hadn't used in two years or more. Once you get on the roll of tossing and giving away a lot of "stuff", something powerful happens...like a light coming on and a energizing of LET IT GO or something and you'll get RUTHLESS about getting rid of stuff--which I haven't missed or even thought about AT all, WOW o:) . Well, that was for me anyway. YAY you for moving and may your new place be fabulous and spacious and FUN! Speaking of fun, MAKE yourself have fun getting rid of stuff (REFUSE to see it as a "loss" of stuff but instead MAKE YOURSELF see it as the win of GAINING of space and the lovely peacefulness of clutter-free spaciousness. Look at Letting go of all the excess stuff as a WIN and GAIN...REFUSE to fall into the trap of "but I paid so much for this". Give it away to bless someone else or toss and make it a lesson learned. {{{{ Hugs }}}}}

    Love this! Thank you - going to read the articles now (and again probably)! Attitude makes the difference - this IS a win-win-win!!!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    tererob wrote: »
    bump--read later

    @tererob Here's some tips to get you started, from the link @NewLIFEstyle4ME posted:

    https://www.thelily.com/the-art-of-decluttering-how-i-freed-myself-from-too-much-stuff/


    Take a photo. Carlomagno likes the idea of taking a photo to keep (“that leather pencil skirt that you were only able to wear once, after you had food poisoning in 1994”) and letting the object go. This solution was a revelation for me when it came to gifts and paper memorabilia — a way to preserve programs from a wedding or an aunt’s teacup without having to find a place for them.

    Start an “out box.” For each object, Ryan suggests asking yourself, “Do I use it?” “Do I love it?” “Does my apartment need it?” Put any no’s in a designated box. Reassess the contents regularly, and you’ll see yourself detaching from much of what you were initially reluctant to part with. Using this technique, I was finally able to let go of the fondue pots.

    Anthropomorphize your stuff. Well, sort of. Kondo asks us to consider the feelings of the neglected, unused object in the back of the closet, and, I confess, the thought that something might get more use elsewhere did motivate me to give things away.

    Let go of “someday.” As I went through the process, I came to realize that it was almost always easier to go to the hardware store than to sift through piles of screws looking for one the right size; that a texted question would quickly get me any geeky grape fact I may have saved those wine books for; that if I hadn’t yet read a novel I’d owned for a decade, I probably wasn’t going to.

    Do memorabilia last. This advice from Kondo and the author of “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning,” Margareta Magnusson, warns of getting caught up in memories.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    I especially like the tip, "let go of 'someday'":

    It's easier to buy some things than almost always easier to go to the hardware store than to sift through piles of screws looking for one the right size;

    a texted question would quickly get me any geeky grape fact I may have saved those wine books for;

    if I hadn’t yet read a novel I’d owned for a decade, I probably wasn’t going to.
  • cabwj
    cabwj Posts: 843 Member
    cabwj wrote: »
    I took last week off work and spent nine days sorting, purging, and organizing my entire house, shed, and car. I'm in So Cal and it was brutally hot through a few of those days but it felt really good to push through it. Took more than one carload to donation almost every single day.

    You first class winner and all time champion=BOOM! Somebody aint playing with this ugh/yuck/help/mess no more somebody is in perma I MEAN BUSINESS mode and that somebody is YOU. How utterly impressive&inspirational--once again BOOM and you rock, period.

    P.S. W <3 W

    P.S.S. Your CAR too, Imma scared of you--get it girl! When you get to the point of declutter and cleaning your car and keeping it that way, that's super I aint playing no more cause I mean busness mode. again W o:) W

    Aww, thanks! However...it's all decluttered and nice now. Let's see how long I keep it that way.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,155 Member
    @Orphia very zen like room- peaceful.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    edited July 2018
    cabwj wrote: »
    I took last week off work and spent nine days sorting, purging, and organizing my entire house, shed, and car. I'm in So Cal and it was brutally hot through a few of those days but it felt really good to push through it. Took more than one carload to donation almost every single day.
    Aww, thanks! However...it's all decluttered and nice now. Let's see how long I keep it that way.

    Girl, the struggle is REAL...it's a (or can be IF you allow/let it be) battle (mainly in the heart/mind--a lot like/very similar to our weight loss issues). What I do and am doing is looking at this "warfare" as liken unto my weigh-loss "issues". Just like one has to "maintain" your victory and look at it as NEVER turning back or returning to the place of yuck and ugh. How? Here's what I do:

    1.) I "see" clutter as if it were roaches, ants, mice, termites, (fill in the blank of something gross, pesky and yikes). If you know/knew you have a "pest" issue...you wouldn't leave food out to "feed them" right? You would perhaps even get an "exterminator" to get rid of the yuck right? Well, look at DAILY maintenance of your new lifestyle of clutter-free life as you being an exterminator of sorts, but not of pests--but of pesky clutter and ugliness and ugh of clutter, mess and too much stuff.

    2.) You "INVESTED" a week/nine days (your precious and valuable TIME, ENERGY and LIFE) in the good of letting go of lots of excess stuff. Make yourself L@@K at all this time as something you're now permanently "vested in". Look at your hard work of decluttering not as a happen-stance/fluke/one time deal, but a whole new mind-set and outlook on living and being.

    3.) Clutter (like fat/weight gain) creeps up on us. Make yourself put everything in it's place when you're done with it no matter what. Make a place for everything and everything in it's place a rule in your heart and mind.

    4.) Make yourself look at sweeping, dusting, decluttering a DAILY thing and as EXERCISE/cals burnt to a crisp. Use mopping, ironing, washing a 2 or 3 time a week EXERCISE. It takes time for good habits to become "normal"--but in about 3 weeks or so of being consistent, it will become 2nd nature to you.

    5.) If I can do this (and now LOVE my "daily exercise" of cleaning/decluttering--ANYONE CAN.

    6.) {{{{ Hugs }}}}}
  • cabwj
    cabwj Posts: 843 Member
    cabwj wrote: »
    I took last week off work and spent nine days sorting, purging, and organizing my entire house, shed, and car. I'm in So Cal and it was brutally hot through a few of those days but it felt really good to push through it. Took more than one carload to donation almost every single day.
    Aww, thanks! However...it's all decluttered and nice now. Let's see how long I keep it that way.

    2.) You "INVESTED" a week/nine days (your precious and valuable TIME, ENERGY and LIFE) in the good of letting go of lots of excess stuff. Make yourself L@@K at all this time as something you're now permanently "vested in". Look at your hard work of decluttering not as a happen-stance/fluke/one time deal, but a whole new mind-set and outlook on living and being.

    Yes! Exactly this ^. I have actually put an entry on my weekly to-do list that says "tidy up any organization that has slipped".
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