Love to read about a successful declutterer. I’m still in full clutter mode. I’ve read the books (and my goodness own the books), tried many methods and still never seem to find/make the time. The method I’m most hopeful about is the ‘just spend x minutes’ one. In other words make a start somewhere. Endorsed by Oliver Burkeman in his latest book Meditations for Mortals which I think you would enjoy.
Fiona, sadly I can’t find her on YouTube, but a professional organiser said that she thinks “we do it wrong”. First we need to address “emotional management”, the ways we feel overwhelmed and entrapped by the stuff. You are not a victim to the “stuff”. She urges “Challenge your own expectations of yourself and of the process; and
Slow down. This avoids overwhelm, frustration and exhaustion. If you don’t slow down, it may well end up with you feeling depressed, resentful and with that sense of entrapment.. Then address time management - declutter your diary, diarise no more than two hours a week and do the two hours. If you can’t do “those” two hours, reschedule but don’t skip a week. Then, the final stage is actually the sorting and decluttering. We jump to that final stage as the first stage and that’s how I kept on failing at it. Her questions for decluttering were
Do I love it now?
o Do I use it now?
o Do I have the space for it now? and
o Does it honestly fit my current lifestyle?
Hope that helps. It changed my mindset and the rest began to come together.
“…a reminder that decluttering isn’t about perfection but progress.” Perfect. The most valuable lessons I learned through this process (and I can’t praise Joshua Becker highly enough - married, two children, and focused on each person’s own definition of how to clear mental, schedule and physical clutter to create space to live intentionally - “Becoming Minimalist”) are: (a) I used the process to change my outlook to an “ abundance” mindset. I wasn’t “getting rid of my stuff”, I was actively choosing what to keep in my life that serves me as I am now. (And it is “actively” choosing”. Doing nothing IS a choice, in every aspect of life.) I focus on choosing “how to let it go”, not on “get rid of”. Latter is punitive and the language of deprivation and scarcity.(b) it came into my life/house with my permission, and I can permit it to leave now it no longer serves me and my present life. You mentioned James Clear. He wrote that “My goal is not to reduce life to the fewest amount of things, but to fill it with the optimal amount of things.” A great reminder to focus on the immense empowerment in every aspect of our lives that decluttering our stuff and our diaries gives us. And (finally!) (c) from Joshua Becker directly: “Just because we wasted a lot of time and energy and money on things in the past, doesn’t mean we need to hold onto them if they’re not contributing to us living our best life today. Don’t cling to a past mistake just because you spent a long time making it.”
Be careful not to overdo it though. I am one of life’s great thrower outers ……only to find myself re buying items again and again. Especially kitchen stuff !
Great article Tom. I decided to start decluttering yesterday because I have a skip outside of the house. I managed to throw away lots of old bedding and clothes. I still have a long way to go though!
Love to read about a successful declutterer. I’m still in full clutter mode. I’ve read the books (and my goodness own the books), tried many methods and still never seem to find/make the time. The method I’m most hopeful about is the ‘just spend x minutes’ one. In other words make a start somewhere. Endorsed by Oliver Burkeman in his latest book Meditations for Mortals which I think you would enjoy.
Fiona, sadly I can’t find her on YouTube, but a professional organiser said that she thinks “we do it wrong”. First we need to address “emotional management”, the ways we feel overwhelmed and entrapped by the stuff. You are not a victim to the “stuff”. She urges “Challenge your own expectations of yourself and of the process; and
Slow down. This avoids overwhelm, frustration and exhaustion. If you don’t slow down, it may well end up with you feeling depressed, resentful and with that sense of entrapment.. Then address time management - declutter your diary, diarise no more than two hours a week and do the two hours. If you can’t do “those” two hours, reschedule but don’t skip a week. Then, the final stage is actually the sorting and decluttering. We jump to that final stage as the first stage and that’s how I kept on failing at it. Her questions for decluttering were
Do I love it now?
o Do I use it now?
o Do I have the space for it now? and
o Does it honestly fit my current lifestyle?
Hope that helps. It changed my mindset and the rest began to come together.
Great tips, Denise. Thankyou!
“…a reminder that decluttering isn’t about perfection but progress.” Perfect. The most valuable lessons I learned through this process (and I can’t praise Joshua Becker highly enough - married, two children, and focused on each person’s own definition of how to clear mental, schedule and physical clutter to create space to live intentionally - “Becoming Minimalist”) are: (a) I used the process to change my outlook to an “ abundance” mindset. I wasn’t “getting rid of my stuff”, I was actively choosing what to keep in my life that serves me as I am now. (And it is “actively” choosing”. Doing nothing IS a choice, in every aspect of life.) I focus on choosing “how to let it go”, not on “get rid of”. Latter is punitive and the language of deprivation and scarcity.(b) it came into my life/house with my permission, and I can permit it to leave now it no longer serves me and my present life. You mentioned James Clear. He wrote that “My goal is not to reduce life to the fewest amount of things, but to fill it with the optimal amount of things.” A great reminder to focus on the immense empowerment in every aspect of our lives that decluttering our stuff and our diaries gives us. And (finally!) (c) from Joshua Becker directly: “Just because we wasted a lot of time and energy and money on things in the past, doesn’t mean we need to hold onto them if they’re not contributing to us living our best life today. Don’t cling to a past mistake just because you spent a long time making it.”
Be careful not to overdo it though. I am one of life’s great thrower outers ……only to find myself re buying items again and again. Especially kitchen stuff !
Great article Tom. I decided to start decluttering yesterday because I have a skip outside of the house. I managed to throw away lots of old bedding and clothes. I still have a long way to go though!