declutter my life

My biggest problems with clutter are:
1. PAPER – I’ve been taking an online class that has been helping, but I still have some mental blocks when it comes to getting it all done.
2. Clothes – I have a lot, and I’m trying to operate off of keeping only the things that fit, flatter, and that I LOVE. I started a donation pile, but I keep rescuing things out of it…
3. Books – love books, but have too many.
4. Knick-knacks and trinkets. I have a lot of little things – small gifts, small tokens of whatever – but I don’t really NEED them and they add up.
5. Misc. etc. – that just collects, because I believe there’s a good use for it.

And I think that’s the list. SO, if I can get to work on whittling all that down, I should make progress, no?

And perhaps the goal is to actually PART WITH that which I really set aside.

An Un-Ode To Clutter:

Clutter, you haunt me.
You keep me from living simply, fully.
Whenever I come near to shoo you away,
You remind me of the subtle attachments I do have.
And then I feel stuck.
In A Rut.

Clutter, silly Clutter,
Please disembark.
Please disintegrate.
Find a home for all your children.
Clue me in to why you’re still here.
And please free me from the heartache of our break-up.

We’ve known for years the break-up was coming.
Don’t fight it.
Just go away.
Don’t pop up in another place, in another room.
Just gently go on your way.
And let me have mine.

Thank you.

My office! (The work one.)

It’s become so dysfunctional. Probably attributed to the lousy attitude I feel when I’m here. So, I’m working really hard to sort the junk from the stuff that needs filing, and get it cleaned up for whoever takes my position.

Shall be fun…

Essentially, I am not that big into feng shui. I’m confused about how the placement of mirrors, doors, and windows can have such drastic effects on one’s prosperity. I’m confused about all the attention given to the colors of a room. Sure, warm colors invite intensity, and cool colors a calmness, but I’m skeptical of any analysis greater than that. And I just don’t get how energy works in physical spaces.

Enter a book that my sister-in-law gave her dad – I think it’s by Karen Kingston (?) – about CLUTTER!!

Wow! What a book! It describes what clutter really is, why you have it, why it’s bad, how to get rid of it! After a lot of self-deprecating, I think it can be a very useful tool to have functional space and even a functional life again!

Granted, I’m always more inspired to tackle the clutter problem when I am far away from home, but I feel I have enough backing now to really keep going once I start. Last night I made a promise to myself to reevalutate my clutter as things that I don’t use, things I don’t love, things that have stopped serving me well, and things that are preventing me from moving forward and embracing the life I’m meant to have! And since I am a generational packrat, much better for these terrible patterns to stop now BEFORE I have children than to give them more messes for them to clean up (OR continue to pass on.) Blech! No! Gotta take care of it now while I’m young and motivated. :)

J and I have done a lot this weekend. The bedroom still needs some work, but it’s so much better. I’ve got clothes put away, I’ve filed a bunch of my important mail, I’ve shredded and recycled a lot of paper-junk not needed anymore, I’ve traveled down memory lane (one of my favorite places!), and J’s been putting away a bunch of his stuff, too. Oh, and the kitchen looks amazing!

Now, tomorrow, hopefully I’ll still have a lot of personal momentum to really make some amazing progress on my office-space. Wish me luck!

...and it’s so sad, because it looked so good before.

My mail has piled up, I never found a good spot for my bridal magazines, I’ve gotten lazy with my clothes, J’s not doing so hot with his side either.

Ugh.

My fiance has designated the downstairs closet as a priority. He doesn’t mind if it contains the stuff that I just can’t get rid of yet, but he wants a clear pathway to be able to get to the back and access everything.

His parents were in town this past weekend, and sure enough the closet became a topic of discussion. His MOM actually volunteered to help me sort through stuff. How embarassing! This is not the kind of bonding I’d like to have with my future mother-in-law. But there was no polite way around it. It did have to get done, and she was clear about her willingness to help.

So we did, and it went fine. Would I have preferred to go through the closet on my own time and with my own agenda? Of course. But it was beneficial, I suppose.

Now J and I just need to buy another bookcase, and I think the downstairs will be pretty much ok.

Then, we can tackle the upstairs again! : )

So, the office/guestroom is in MUCH better shape! There are still a few of my boxes lined up against the wall, which should be able to be emptied if I can purchase another bookcase. I’m sure my fiance would still say that the closet looks atrocious, which it probably does…but I’m confident that our guests scheduled to come visit in the next month will indeed have a place to comfortably crash!

Our bedroom is even coming along. I have found a place (nearly) for all the clothes I have. I’m working on another donation box for the clothes that I’m not wearing as much. I’ve been getting rid of junk paper, and I’m trying to make the best use of the wedding magazines, so they’re not just piled next to the bed. Soon the closet will be in the best shape it’s been all year, and I can really be proud of the whole bedroom space.

The bathroom even got super-cleaned this weekend, and we’ve been much better about clearing counter space and putting things back under the sink or in the medicine cabinet.

OK, decluttering the house at least is foreseeable. Thank goodness!

Now, moving onto my office space at work….Mmmm, that looks fun….

So help! I need so much help. I think my physical clutter is a reflection of some kind of internal clutter. I have so much trouble throwing things out. I feel like everything can be used at a later date, and therefore, I feel like I can’t get rid of it! Plus, I’ve realized I feel like if I get rid of something, I will forget the memories and feelings associated with the object. I’m young enough that the clutter hasn’t TAKEN OVER my life, but it’s coming pretty close. I just moved in with my fiance and I’ve over taken the office space with all my crap. This is bad, bad, bad. Now, my workspace is being affected, and I just can’t function like this anymore.

And it’s not like I love the stuff. I mean, sure, I like special gifts from special people, and things I’ve worked hard to get, but in general, I love living simply! I don’t need stuff. I don’t need the newest, best thing. I just want to enjoy life.

I need goals to clarify how to declutter.

Goal #1: Fix the office. Give everything that’s keepable its own special place. Go to the new Container Store at the mall, if I have to, but price it out in accordance to your budget. Not another useless storage item that you think will solve all your problems. And make sure you can see the floor.