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Post by ontheway on Mar 11, 2012 19:26:47 GMT -5
Dayeanu - I do think that I have an easier time cleaning and maintaining now that I have less stuff. I have gone through several big purges - most recently last April before I painted and the August before that (2010). I have bagged and thrown away, recycled and donated so much stuff! Each time I was happy with what I'd accomplished and thought, this is it - now I have the right amount. This is good! But once again - I am looking around and see - I have too much - so much that I don't use or touch or remember that I have. Why have it then? Before the last couple of purges, I could get my apartment neat, but it was still crammed with stuff. I still had things and boxes, under chairs, between furniture and behind furniture. Closets were packed solid - even when I re-organized. And I kept trying to re-organize, until I realized I was just "moving the chairs on the Titanic" I needed to get rid of even more stuff. In drawers, in cabinets, in boxes, on shelves. This last time I have seen a difference - things looked more spacious and when I pick things up to put them back - I do have a place for them. I mentioned in another post that I used to spend my school vacations de-cluttering - it usually took me 1 week to 10 days - to clean and de-clutter starting from an overwhelmed stage. More recently I could do a good clean-up and feel really good about the state of my place with 2 days (a weekend) of focused straightening up and cleaning. And this week, I probably did 3 hours to get my living room and kitchen and bathroom to a visitor-friendly state - and did it without feeling frantic My bedroom is the last hold out, because I recently de-cluttered my classroom and brought several bags of books home! I realize I need to go through my books - again - professional, leisure and childrens books - as well as go through professional papers/records. And I still need to go through my clothing and actually donate stuff! And I just did a de-cluttering/tossing/recycling cleanup in February! I have to honestly say - I do not miss the things I have gotten rid of - whether I threw it out, donated or recycle or sold. I don't. And what a pleasure to walk into my living room and see cleared surfaced, and the floor! I don't think the advice - touch it once - make a decision - works for me or for many people. I have found what works is to say - I have to get rid of enough to clear off one shelf on a bookcase (and do that with each of my bookcases). - I have to get rid of enough to reduce by half the number of work binders or personal files in a cabinet. - I have to get rid of 2 stacks of DVDs from my movie cabinet. - I have to get rid of enough clothing to have an empty dresser drawer at the bottom. And that next time - 2 months or 6 months later - I set similar goals. Each time I get rid of the things I least use or think is necessary, so yes, I do touch and evaluate items more than once as I go through this process. It is true - I don't have to move and shift so much to sweep or vacuum or mop - less time and the task seems less intimidating so I tend to do it more often. I don't have clothing piled on the bench at the end of my bed - because the dressers and closets are are crammed full of clothing. I don't have to leave big items like the vacuum or my shopping cart out in the foyer because they don't fit in the walk-in closet. It IS easier psychologically and physically to deal with less stuff. I came to this realization slowly - over the years of coming back to SOS and getting the support from all of you to do things. But, the realization cannot be "thrust" upon you - you have to come to it yourself - internalize it and believe in it. That's why many of the shows that have people coming in to clean and clear things up don't work in the long-term - because the understanding hasn't been internalized. Good luck on you next phase! I'll be joining you, working in my bedroom and office area! Ontheway
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Post by moggyfan on Mar 11, 2012 19:43:46 GMT -5
Ontheway: You describe perfectly the process I keep going through--I did have one GIANT clean out, but over the past few years I keep realizing there is more and more I can live without. I purge and think I'm done, and then purge again, . I'm a teacher too--and fight the urge to bring books, etc. home--at this point there is NOtHING to do with my job in my house, except one tote bag with papers, etc. I bring back and forth.
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Post by angelpuss on Mar 11, 2012 20:03:11 GMT -5
I have gone from living in a 7 bedroom, 3 bathroom house stuffed to the gills with furniture and possessions, to a 2 bedroom cottage with room to move and clean with ease. I literally got rid of tons of stuff - gave away to friends and family, charity, burnt in bonfires ( I am the bonfire Queen!!!! ) and took trailer loads to the rubbish tip. I DO NOT REGRET PARTING WITH ANY OF IT. I am not yelling at you, just wanting you to take notice! For the first time in years, I can breathe in my home. I have been in maintenance for over a year now and it is fantastic! There are two of us living here and we have everything we need - and plenty of space in each room. It is not Minimalist by "Country" style decorating - just not cluttered. For example; one four place setting dinner set instead of five 4 place dinner sets. one lounge instead of a three seater lounge, two huge armchairs, beanbags, stools and cushions on the floor. It is MUCH easier to clean and it is more motivating if the cleaning is simple - I can get the vac out and use it without having to shift ten things out of the way first. And a big thing for me - I can walk over and open any window without having to step over something or slide something out of the way first. Get excess stuff out - I guarantee you will love the benefits it brings! I whizz through the housework now and get on with more interesting things - two years ago this was impossible, I could not even get to my kitchen sink. I wish you could feel the difference - you would know its worth every bit of effort. By getting rid of "stuff", you literally give yourself back breathing space.
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Post by alic on Mar 11, 2012 20:14:04 GMT -5
You've asked the same question that I have just realised myself. I think for me that things started to get out of control when I stopped putting things away because there was no where to put things. And then as I got more stuff ... So now I'm seriously into throwing things out. I have donated a lot of stuff, given stuff away and I've got a nicely controlled pile for listing for online sale - which I plan to do shortly. And I've lost count of the bags or rubbish that have gone.
I do feel some distress when I'm getting rid of things that I've had for decades, but I'm trying to make myself look honestly at whether I will ever use it. And messymimi has given me amnesty to give away all the gifts I've been given over the years that I've never used or liked.
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Mar 11, 2012 20:15:54 GMT -5
it was still crammed with stuff. I still had things and boxes, under chairs, between furniture and behind furniture. Closets were packed solid - even when I re-organized. And I kept trying to re-organize, until I realized I was just "moving the chairs on the Titanic" I needed to get rid of even more stuff. yes, Ontheway has it nailed. Trying to organize a hoard is like arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Great metaphor! Thanks, ontheway! -
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Post by hangers on Mar 11, 2012 20:28:26 GMT -5
Wait just a cotton picking minute. Are you saying I should get rid of some stuff?
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Post by phoenixcat on Mar 11, 2012 20:29:10 GMT -5
I remember Peter Walsh saying to people on his Clean Sweep show - "but where is it going to live?" when they refused to give up their treasures. I know that when something doesn't have a "home" - it becomes clutter which blocks access to other clutter which sits on even more clutter. Clutter is also frisky - it breeds . But "less is more" - more of everything - space, time, freedom relief, happiness. Good thread! PC
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Post by def6 on Mar 11, 2012 21:04:14 GMT -5
Absolutely, less stuff = cleaner envionment. And even if it is not clean... it seems a lot cleaner if stuff isn't piled up and around it. Then you know you can just take your sponge or mop and clean it rather than having to deal with a lot of items before you ever get to it. been there!
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Post by casper on Mar 11, 2012 21:15:15 GMT -5
I have a good decluttering session every year. When I get out all the things I don't need/love/want at that time in my life I feel content but over the course of the year I change, my needs/loves/wants change too. Things that I thought I would keep forever no longer interest me. We are ever evolving, changing, reinventing and renewing ourselves. And I have never regretted purging anything. Purging has allowed me to move forward.
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Post by ontheway on Mar 11, 2012 21:26:53 GMT -5
Wait just a cotton picking minute. Are you saying I should get rid of some stuff? Just a "little bit" over and over and over and over......again There was an intermittent (sic?) step to my massive, but gradual decluttering- when I realized I really had to much stuff for the space I was in BUT - I felt that most of the stuff I needed - or would need (down the road) - some stuff was too precious to part with because of memories and sentiment for me to discard - some stuff was in good shape - never been used - valuable (after all, I paid good money for it) I had to deal with each group of the above in slightly different ways: - Did I really NEED EVERY one of those books, DVDs, shirts, file books, etc (no), could it it be replaced down the road when I really did need something like it (and could get an up to date version) - did I really like and appreciate and could view all the precious/sentimental items (well no, some were tacky, no longer my taste, too large for my apartment...) - did I really need to keep items that I'd forgotten I had, had not touched since I bought or acquired it, was taking up space of things I really did need and use? (no - it wasn't adding anything positive to my life anymore) and could not someone else really benefit and feel happy getting it? (yes) or would my life improve with much of it out of my apartment? (yes!) The mental energy and shift in thinking necessary to go through the above groups of items and get rid of the stuff is AS hard or even harder than the physical effort in many cases (at least I found). Good luck in all our journeys to a simpler, more minimalistic existence!
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Post by ontheway on Mar 11, 2012 21:33:54 GMT -5
Ontheway: I'm a teacher too--and fight the urge to bring books, etc. home--at this point there is NOtHING to do with my job in my house, except one tote bag with papers, etc. I bring back and forth. Wow - I am impressed! I also have to laugh (or cry) - I have 7 bookcases of school related stuff and a cabinet worth of hands-on manipulatives, resources. I want to reduce my school related bookcases to 5 and bring into school my paper files/resources, but that means I have to clear out my school filing cabinet . My plan - get rid of 1 bookshelf of stuff from each of the 7 bookcases and donate the books. I already cleared most of 1 of my tall bookcases and have the books boxed to go - somewhere. We shall see! i plan to do this over spring break at the beginning of April - so much for NOT de-cluttering over breaks
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Post by dayeanu on Mar 12, 2012 4:37:50 GMT -5
Wait just a cotton picking minute. Are you saying I should get rid of some stuff? Yeah, Hangers, I think that's what they are trying to tell us! Instead of fighting that bear all these years, trying to stuff him in the broom closet, we should have been fighting to get him out the door! We been fighting the wrong battle all along! Dang! From now on, when newcomers ask, "Where do I start?" we should answer, "with a trash bag, a donation box, a pick-up truck, and a dumpster, if possible!" Everybody has made VERY good points here. I think what Angela and Puppybox and Casper said in the opening posts is sort of what my initial thought was - if I only have 4 plates, bowls and cups, my kitchen can never be overflowing with dirty dishes, right? If I have two weeks' worth of clothes, they will be easy to sort and organize, and my house cannot be overrun, as it is now. If I have two magazines instead of 265, they will not take long to pick up and put in the magazine rack. If stuff is not all over the house, vacuuming and mopping would be easy. And so on. That's the train of thought that got me wondering if LESS STUFF IS ***T.H.E.*** KEY to getting out of squalor. So really - *******the whole key to why we just can't do it, is because we are doing the wrong things. Instead of trying to organize, clean and put away, we need to discard, and then the cleaning and putting away would be so much faster and simpler!******** WOW. Just send it on it's way! So much easier than what I've been doing!!! (I couldn't help but notice last year that once I removed everything from the floor, then and only then could I clean the floor. That first clean-up was actually pretty awful. A real challenge. But after the initial cleaning, when I mopped the floor every week, it was downright easy. And fast. But then stuff got piled on it again, and so I didn't clean it.) It's the STUFF that is the issue! Not my organizing skills, although they may be lacking. It's not that I'm l@zee (although I well may be). Having ADD is not the whole problem, either. It's not the size of my house, nor do I need more closets or cabinets, or a certain size box or tub. I don't need another room built onto my house. None of that is the problem. It's just the presence of STUFF. Too much stuff. I think I am FINALLY getting it.
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Post by puppybox on Mar 12, 2012 8:38:15 GMT -5
Less stuff does not automatically lead to the cleanliness and order you seek, but having way too much stuff guarantees you won't be able to have it. Getting rid of the excess gives you the potential. It's so much easier to keep your place clean when tidying up doesn't feel like working one of those sliding-number puzzles. I think this is the best way I've ever heard it expressed ever!
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Post by dayeanu on Mar 12, 2012 9:56:47 GMT -5
it was still crammed with stuff. I still had things and boxes, under chairs, between furniture and behind furniture. Closets were packed solid - even when I re-organized. And I kept trying to re-organize, until I realized I was just "moving the chairs on the Titanic" I needed to get rid of even more stuff. yes, Ontheway has it nailed. Trying to organize a hoard is like arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Great metaphor! Thanks, ontheway! - I love this! It also reminds me of Lioness' version of Hotel California. I can arrange the stuff any way I want, but unless I get rid of it, I'm still going to sink in squalor.
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Post by ponygirl on Mar 12, 2012 10:18:50 GMT -5
I agree. If what I have all had places to "live", there would be no clutter/disorganization.
Less stuff = more freedom/possibilities.
Continuing to de-possess...
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