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Sep. 28, 2008
Thoughts about Spring Cleaning/ Decluttering/ Simplifying
Over here in Australia it's spring, so I'm spring cleaning. Somehow this feels less obsessive than decluttering for me. It's the time to throw things out and then I will stop. I will stop. I must stop. Do not try to declutter perfectly, Pam!
Some things I've read lately that have struck a chord have been:
Think about your boundaries/requirements for keeping things before you start a particular group. So, if you are doing plastics, say, work out how many of each size you think you need and then choose that many and throw the rest/give the rest/whatever. This way you are not making a decision about each and every item you are handling, which has to be more exhausting. I have found this one very helpful.
Everything must have a home. This is so old, I think I stopped listening to it. But when I thought about it, I realised that many clutter-y things just don't have a home. So they end up in places where they shouldn't be. Each time I eyeball something, I'm trying to think "Do you have a home?" If it does, it goes there. If it doesn't, I'll make one or get rid of it.
Leave a room better than you find it. Well, duh, again. But do I do it? No. So I'm going to try and start a new habit.
Don't kick yourself because you second-guess yourself. It's a big responsibility to be the caretaker of a household of stuff. Most of us don't have spare cash. So of course we take it seriously when we're trying to decide to keep or get rid of something. Worrying about something is often just a sign that it is important. Not that you are doing something wrong. (Got that last bit from an article by Susan Wise Bauer on education but it reallly applies to everything.)
Hope this helps someone. |
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Posted by Anonymous 
Oct. 11, 2008 - Spring Cleaning