How many times have you decluttered in the past but then a year or so, or maybe more, later you find yourself back at square one. This is often the outcome when the task of decluttering is the focus and not the cause. In fact many times in the past I have decluttered only with the intention of making room for new stuff. Stuff I didn't even realise would be my future clutter. The thing that was different this time for me was that my focus was mainly on my intent to remain decluttered in the future. With that intent in mind it is helpful to analyse the clutter as you let it go and recognise … [Read more...]
Pack lightly
I received the following comment/request from Shirley via email last week. I would like to comment on your trip and carry on luggage only. Do you think you could tell us just how you managed this especially for six weeks and I presume different climates? Surely you had a jacket and jumper which are very bulky and how many pairs of shoes which also take up a lot of space. I have never commented be fore but do enjoy reading your messages and they do help me, so thank you. Regards Shirley... Of course packing for travel will vary depending on when, where and how one travels. My husband and I … [Read more...]
Effortless Decluttering
Last week Kayote left a comment on my Righteousness post where she explains how difficult it is for her to find time to declutter. I have to admit I do sympathise living a double income, one child, family life. It is no doubt hard work and downtime is a priority in order to recharge. But the good news is that decluttering doesn't have to require much effort at all if you approach it in the right manner. And I am going to try to help with that in this post today. There is nothing new in this post that I haven't mentioned before but as I always say "Reating the same things in a different … [Read more...]
Slaying the “PROCRASTINATION†dragon †By Jackie
Do you have trouble with procrastination? Is “later†always the perfect time to do something? Are you stressed, missing deadlines, and constantly playing catch-up? Well…..hello! It’s so nice to meet a kindred spirit! Procrastination has always been one of my worst habits. But I recently finished an online course in “Learning How to Learn†(www.coursera.org) that has taught me something new about procrastination. Brain researchers have discovered that when we dread doing an activity, the thought registers in the same physical area of our brain where pain registers. So naturally, we … [Read more...]
Kids and clutter ~ A guest post by Andréia
I am a mother. I have two small children and, as all mothers will agree, I have been constantly aware how much our kids are brainwashed to want stuff. It is hard that even in school they do that. Recently there was a book fair at my son’s school. At the present moment we are really short of cash for extras so there is no money for spares. And I am a big FAN of books so I don’t usually question buying a book! Anyway, along comes my 4 year old son (who can’t read) with two little slips of paper saying that he wants two books, for the “lovely†bargain of US$50. Just so you have an … [Read more...]
Guest post by Moni ~ Photos
A few years ago I began the task of digitising our family photos. I used a service to digitise our negatives and was making great inroads arranging our photos in year and month folders, when I ran into two problems. One, my external hard drive was knocked off the desk by the cat and all was lost. Fortunately my brother-in-law had copied about 3/4 onto his computer while preparing a digital photo frame for the grandparents but I have the tedious task of working out just what is missing. The second problem is that around that time my decluttering unearthed two shoe boxes worth of photos that … [Read more...]
The right attitude
Yesterday in one of my paragraphs I wrote these words regarding stuff ~ ...acquiring it, for most people, is much more fun than having to deal with the task of getting rid of it. However with the right attitude the decluttering can be far more rewarding than the acquisition of the items in the first place. ~ Which brought to mind my friend in Sydney who I helped declutter recently. Now there is a lady who had the right attitude. She had acquired so much stuff over a long period of time. We had also discussed her starting to declutter well before she suddenly had to move. Yet she had done … [Read more...]
Sage advice or tough love depending on how you view it.
Below I am going to share with you some advice, both of my own and quotes I have happened upon. I will then explain how these quote apply to decluttering. Although the first needs little explanation. So bear with me and don't run away screaming after just reading the quotes. "The clutter didn't appear overnight so wishing it would just disappear overnight isn't going to happen either." ~ Colleen Madsen "Performing the same actions will never result in a different reaction." ~ Unknown to me. However this version is a twist on a quote from Albert Einstein ~ "Insanity: doing the same … [Read more...]
The hurricane method of decluttering. Part 1
The hurricane method of decluttering, as Moni dubbed it, is when one rips through the house decluttering a vast amount of stuff all at once. A person's hand is often forced into this action due to a sudden change in circumstances which makes a big declutter necessary. A hurricane declutter was exactly what I was helping a friend with on the weekend. She had been thinking of moving but found a new place quicker than expected, and just when her best friend was leaving for an overseas vacation. She phoned me in a panic on Wednesday last week begging for my help. I quickly agreed and took a three … [Read more...]
Declutter your mind to declutter you home
The hardest part of decluttering happen in you mind. The clutter itself isn't really the problem it is the preconceived ideas we have about what we should, could and must keep and what we think we can't live without. If these thoughts are hindering your decluttering perhaps it is time to declutter your mind. Question every thought about what you should, must and have room to keep even though you don't really need or want them. And rethink what is really important to you when it comes to those items you feel you can't let go. We are often in a tug of war over wishing we had the space or that … [Read more...]