I Thrive Here

Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail.~John Donne

by Leave a Comment

Fifty Easy Items To Toss Out On Your Decluttering Journey – Part 9

Deciding what to get rid of is one of the toughest parts of decluttering. It’s natural to develop a certain attachment to your possessions, and it can seem wasteful to give away something you’ve hardly used. Believe it or not, there are some things that really aren’t that difficult to part with. Start with this list of 50 easy items to toss on your decluttering journey, and you’ll soon be paring down like a pro.

 

 

 

  1. Junk mail
  2. Broken or ugly jewelry (Broken or not, gold is money!)
  3. Old Calendars
  4. Duplicates of anything
  5. Nearly empty perfume bottles
  6. Old makeup
  7. Outgrown toys or games
  8. Heavily worn socks, underwear, or clothing
  9. Boxes from electronics or small appliances
  10. Unused paint (unless it is touch up paint for your home)
  11. Kids’ clothes that no longer fit
  12. Non-perishable food items you haven’t eaten (donate to your local church or food bank)
  13. Excess shopping bags
  14. Outdated holiday ornaments
  15. Broken laptops or devices you’ve been meaning to fix
  16. Unused blankets
  17. Old trophies or memorabilia you no longer value
  18. That collection of buttons you never sewed back on
  19. Unnecessary receipts
  20. Unused or old spices
  21. Accessories for hobbies you no longer pursue
  22. Frozen foods past their use by dates
  23. Small appliances that you never use
  24. Vacation souvenirs you never look at
  25. Purses long out of style
  26. Instruction manuals for things you no longer own
  27. Last year’s calendar
  28. Craft supplies for projects never begun or completed
  29. Pens that don’t work
  30. Beauty products that don’t suit you
  31. Stuff that’s been in your junk drawer forever
  32. The clutter at the bottom of your purse
  33. Pantyhose or tights with runs
  34. Gift you never liked in the first place
  35. Anything you forgot you even had
  36. Pet supplies from animals that have long passed
  37. Chipped dishware or cookware
  38. Home decor that no longer fits your personality
  39. Earrings without a mate
  40. Games with missing pieces
  41. Old magazines
  42. Books you’ve read once or will likely never read
  43. Expired medicines
  44. Electronics chargers without a device
  45. Excess or mismatched glassware
  46. Toys from fast-food children’s meals
  47. Videos you no longer watch (anything VHS not a collector’s item)
  48. Kitchen gadgets or excess utensils you don’t use (sandwich press, smore’s makers, the super-dooper-what-a-gadget that you paid way too much money for, etc.)
  49. Scraps of or faded wrapping paper

50.  Swimwear with snags

 

Do you see? There are lots of things you can discard or donate easily with little stress. Go give it a try, yourself, and see how your motivation increases when it comes to ditching your old stuff. You’ll be making a big dent in your clutter before you know it!

by Leave a Comment

Methods Of Decluttering From The Minimalist Masters – Part 8

If you’re feeling that you are being closed in on by the amount of clutter in your home, you’ve likely come to the realization that it’s time to make a change. You’ve probably thought about what life could be like if you reclaimed your space, making it clean and organized. However, decluttering requires getting rid of stuff, and parting with possessions can be one of the most emotionally overwhelming experiences for some people. Fortunately, there are tons of creative ways to make the process easier. Top professional organizers have developed systems for breaking the process down and making it seem more bearable. Keep reading to learn the decluttering methods of minimalist masters.

 

KonMari Method

Let’s start with one you’ve probably heard of due to its sweeping popularity (No pun intended). Author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo is considered by many to be a decluttering guru. With over four million books sold, it’s definitely worth considering her “magic.” Kondo’s method involves focusing on what to keep, rather than what to toss. The core principles involve categorizing your items, and then taking time to sort through each category with the mindful intention of keeping only the ones that bring you joy. If you’re a collector of glassware, place all of your pieces on the table or counter. Pick up and inspect each, carefully determining which ones you love for their unique characteristics or sentimentality. Then box up the rest to donate or sell.

 

365 Less Things

Colleen Madsen of, 365 Less Things, has a brilliant approach to paring down possessions. She decided at the beginning of 2010 to make minimalism her resolution by giving away or selling one item each day for the entire year. Madsen documents both the physical results of the project and the psychological aspects on her blog.

 

Minimalist Game

If you want to take the daily give-away approach a step further, consider playing the Minimalist Game. The brainchild of Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of the popular blog, The Minimalists, this method requires you to on the first day of the month and choose to get rid of the number of items that corresponds with each date. Giving away one thing on the first day is easy, but can you come up with 31 to part with at month’s end? Those who stick with it will have a home with 496 pieces of clutter. Making it a challenging competition with friends or family ups the stakes.

These are just three of the creative methods to help you begin the decluttering process. Other popular strategies include Oprah’s Closet Hanger Experiment, 5-Minute Decluttering Tips from Zen Habits, Project 333 or the Packing Party. Pick one that resonates with you and start making progress today!

 

by Leave a Comment

Decluttering A Whole Room In Just One Afternoon – Part 7

You may dread the idea of trying to tackle decluttering your home, but it is a task that must be done. There are a number of ways to approach the process, but sometimes you just want to get this job out of the way as quickly as possible. If that’s how you feel, you’ll want to read on to discover just how to declutter an entire room in just one afternoon.

 

The Right Tools For The Job

You’ll need some tools to make this job easier. Be sure to have large garbage bags for trash and for the items that you want to recycle. Get some baskets to hold things you plan to keep or sort and cardboard boxes for donations. You’ll also need post-it notes and a marker for labeling. Finally, a timer will keep you on track. Set aside a large space for sorting; this can be on a bed, a card table or just the middle of the floor…your choice.

 

Label The Baskets

Use the post-its and marker to label your baskets. You’ll want one for Keep, one for Action Needed (for repairs, returning to friends, etc.), one for Sell and one for Move (to another room). You may also wish to label your boxes if you plan to donate to separate places.

 

Have A Plan

Create a strategy for the manner in which you plan to tackle the room. Always go in a single direction, focus on one shelf or drawer and commit to never returning to an area you’ve already hit. You may wish to start with the back of the room and work from left to right, then toward the door. Or you could begin at side of the room, moving steadily across to the other side. But whatever you do, HAVE A PLAN FIRST!

 

Start With The Biggest

Before you get down to the smaller tasks of emptying drawers or clearing shelves, it makes sense to get rid of any large items you can first. Set a timer for 15 minutes enlist a friend or family member to help carry and start moving any big stuff you plan to get rid of in some way. Stuff like furniture falls into this category. Make another 15-minute sweep if necessary, but be thorough.

 

Step Down To The Medium Stuff

If you’ve gotten some of the big things out of the room, you probably now have more space for sorting. Medium-sized items come next in the decluttering process. Simply repeat the same steps you took for the large items, except you will put these items in their designated containers instead of removing them from the room completely. Again, set your timer for 15 minutes. If it warrants it, make another 15 minute pass.

 

Time To Tackle The Small Stuff

Once again, repeat the process with the small things. This is likely where you’ll need your sorting space like the bed or card table and it will take the most time, so feel free to set your timer a few extra rounds.

Even with an extremely cluttered room, this process shouldn’t take more than several hours to complete. Be firm with yourself when it comes to deciding what to discard. Don’t sit there and debate with yourself over getting rid of something, go with your gut decision and move on. Keep only what enhances your life. If necessary, come back the next day to organize. The important part is removing what is no longer needed. At the end…one more room done on your way to having a happy, clean, organized, and Zen home.

by 1 Comment

5 Reasons Why Decluttering, Alone, Won’t Work – Part 5

Decluttering can be a very worthwhile and valuable project. There is a wide array of benefits to the process. Yet, decluttering on its own is a fruitless effort. Without personal evaluation and insight, any progress you make will more than likely be undone in a short period of time. Read on to discover why decluttering won’t work and how deeper personal insight can lead to lasting change.

 

Decluttering doesn’t require introspection

Getting rid of stuff you haven’t used in the last year or donating an item of clothing for each new piece you bring home are short-term fixes. For decluttering methods to work, you must reflect on your reasons for the decisions you make about your possessions, such as making statements on your values, passions and desires.

 

Decluttering won’t help you understand your attachment to possessions

Dig a little deeper, you must actually consider your motivations behind your attachment to the stuff you own. For example, do you hold onto things because you fear being without? Further thought may lead to the realization that you are holding onto habits from a childhood of poverty and that it’s okay now to let go of your over-abundance of stuff.

 

Decluttering doesn’t necessarily benefit others

Decluttering without mindfulness does little to help others who could benefit from your excess. Taking steps to get rid yourself of some things and tidy up, without understanding your reasons for doing so, rarely leads to the benefits that could come from purposeful action. When you understand what you hope to gain from this release of clutter, you can significantly pare down your possessions, allowing more people to benefit from your abundance.

 

Decluttering has no impact on your debt

You may think decluttering can help you raise some cash by selling your unwanted things. However, without examining your motives for acquiring so much stuff and evaluating your priorities in life, you’re practically guaranteed to buy more items to take the place of those you’ve sold.

 

Decluttering rarely leads to lifestyle changes

Mindless decluttering is temporary. Your clean and organized environment is merely a illusion that isn’t likely to last. If you want to change your life by implementing healthy changes and making positive strides, you first must do the work of introspection.  Taking time to evaluate what has led to your clutter and to consider your lifestyle goals will go a long way toward creating a soothing home environment that lasts.

Decluttering doesn’t work on its own, but combining it with mindfulness can lead to success.

by Leave a Comment

Six Rules of Decluttering – Part 4

declutteringWhen it comes to getting organized, one of the key elements must be decluttering. Yet, the very idea of getting rid of their possessions comes as an offense to the hearts of many. As with any other process, it often helps to have some rules in place. Consider these six rules of decluttering to help you take steps toward living your life, clutter free.

 

Bring Less Home

The most important rule to set before you even begin to purge items is to make a sincere effort to bring less stuff in. There’s no point in putting forth the effort to declutter if you undo all your progress by acquiring more stuff. Setting a mindset to shop with intention is the first step to clearing out the clutter for good.

 

Document Your Nostalgia

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that can lead us to hold onto clutter. An effective compromise is to digitize your prized possessions if possible. You can scan the images of things like certificates or kids’ artwork into your computer and organize them into folders. For three-dimensional pieces like trophies or prom dresses, take a photo of the item to add to your digital keepsakes. If you can’t bear to part with certain possessions, limit them to 10 or less physical keepsakes and create a permanent home for them.

 

Keep It Small and Simple At First

One way to gain momentum in the paring down process is to start with the easy things. Begin boxing up items that don’t hold much emotional attachment. Doing so will lead to a sense of accomplishment and provide motivation for you to keep going when the decision-making becomes harder.

 

One Is Enough

Another relatively easy decluttering task involves getting rid of unnecessary duplicate items. Take a moment to go through your home and gather up all your duplicate articles of clothing, dish sets and books. Then sort through them, keeping only your favorite colored piece or the one that is in the best condition.

 

Ditch the Guilt

An empowering decluttering strategy is to get rid of things you’ve been holding onto out of guilt. It doesn’t matter how much you paid for that stylish coat if it’s not being used. Unwanted gifts are also something you should part ways with immediately. These things are yours. The decision of whether to keep them is also yours.

 

Everything  In It’s Place

Another way to organize your home is to make sure all your possessions have a designated place and to always return them there. Knowing where everything belongs makes it easier to keep it all tidy and lowers the chance of clutter becoming a recurring problem.

 

These rules aren’t the definitive last word on clearing out the clutter, and they won’t remove all of the difficulties from the process. Hopefully, though, they will serve as guidelines to help you begin your own decluttering journey.

I Thrive Here On Twitter