So far my time off has been great. I'm trying to de-clutter, which is tough to do. You hold an item in your hand and wonder, do I really want to keep this thing? Even though I haven't used it in over a year? If the answer is I most likely won't use it for another year, I either donate it or throw it away. It's easy for me to do this with clothes and shoes, but other stuff? And why am I keeping my old high school yearbooks? Or the two of my mother's? And for heaven's sake, why am I worrying over it? Mom probably never looked at hers either. My sister has a metal container where she puts crap she's not sure she wants to get rid of. Handy, because it's out of sight. But I refuse to rent a storage unit for crap. I'd rather just get rid of it.
Usually I approach these jobs in a small way ~ I take one thing, make a decision and move on. But contemplating a whole closet is over whelming. Don't get me started on the filing cabinet. It's full of old paperwork we no longer need, but I missed my opportunity to put it in the office shredding bin, as they filled it up on clean night.
Well, I need to get busy, I plan to do a bit of sewing today. Have a great week!
Love, 365
I worked on that all summer. My son helped me twice a week. We emptied TWO big assed filing cabinets. And the thing that helped me the most was as soon as I said, "Get rid of this" it was OUT the door and into his car. I didn't second guess that way.
ReplyDeleteThe Purge/Declutter/Dehoard thing is HARD. Which is why so many people have trouble with it.
I need to do it again. Still a lot of stuff I haven't used since then.
Good luck!!
Once I make a decision, it's all good.....it's starting the process, right? It's so much easier to just shut the door to that closet and go do something else, lol. I have made progress, but it's pitifully little compared to the final goal. I'll probably wait until retirement!
DeleteA friend doing a declutter was telling me about some system she follows (marie something) you start with certain things that are less imbued with emotion an work your way up to the really tricky stuff. Apparently the question to ask yourself is not - have I used it/will I use it, but DOES THIS GIVE ME JOY?
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I know who you mean. She's a little too intense for my taste! Even the joy question doesn't take me anywhere with some of this stuff, I just have to go with my gut....some things I wait for 6 months and revisit if I can't decide. It is so hard for some things, and so easy for others. Those darn yearbooks. Ugh.
DeleteI had to laugh at the high school yearbook question. I know some people treasure their yearbooks. Quite a few years ago, I was dusting and looked at the stack of yearbooks and thought "I am never moving those again." Picked them up and deposited them in the garbage can. They have never been missed by me. It was one less thing to deal with when I downsized.
ReplyDeleteShirley, you have given me hope. :-)
DeleteI've still got my yearbooks somewhere. But where? So much junk around here we could be on one of those hoarder programmes. I LOVE throwing stuff out. I'd be a minimilist if I could but hubby screams with pain if I throw out a rusty pin.
ReplyDeleteKeep going it's good for the soul.
By the way, those yearbooks. My neice in nz had a nurse who went to school with me. Told me the name which I remembered but can't bring up her face even tho we were friends. Have to find the yearbook!
Oh I have been living this. Some of these things make me cry. Some of them while difficult I toss. Why was I keeping my yearbooks? They are in that pile - I know I must toss you, but it's difficult.
ReplyDeleteMoving has made this necessary so it is getting done. For so many years we moved every 3 years for his job or mine so we were always purging at every move. But then I moved and lived there for 21 years and didn't purge a damn thing. Do it now while you can. It sucks though. Besides you can go to classmates.com and see all those pages of your yearbook. Not the sentiments written to you inside but if that helps know you can find a picture online it may be easier to toss. Good luck Y.
Well, honestly, yearbooks are the least of my worries. Romeo took out all the boxes of photos I have taken over the years and stacked them on the top stair landing. So every time I walk by, I see the darn things. I guess I will ask him to move them into my office because that's way to big of a job for the odd day off. I certainly don't want to see them gathering dust over a six month period!!
DeleteI would love to know someone who gets a real kick out of organizing to scan and store these on something. But what to use? Disks are out. And my new lap top has a different way of connecting, so I had to buy a separate contraption in order to download digital photos (SD cards). So, I'm still at a loss on how to store them.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. I go through what you do and did manage to shred or burn in the fireplace tons of files. I still have two boxes to go before I start on the old photos belonging to my Mother-in-law.
ReplyDeleteOh, the photo sorting. I simply don't have enough room on my computer for them all, so am exploring other options. My sister and I went through all my Mother's photos, kept the ones we liked/didn't have and tossed the rest. Which is why I want to clear up the clutter....
DeleteI never watched Turn. I heard it was slow and I didn't think that would work for me at the time. Good luck with the decluttering.
ReplyDeleteIt is slow! I didn't get to finish it, because the series was only free through Nov. 30th. I kept hoping it would speed up, closer to the end.
Delete