Decluttering: It’s a Constant Process

Yes, I’m still working on setting up the home office, but I’m not giving up. I keep looking at items and asking myself, “Do I need that?” Part of the problem is that my living situation will change in the next year, and I will need some of the items I have packed away. It’s way cheaper to keep them packed in a box right now than to donate them and have to buy them all over again next year. When I started decluttering, I was only deciding what could fit where I currently live, and the answer to that was not much.

Now I’m having to think 6 months to a year ahead of what I will need. That means a lot of boxes packed away that can’t go anywhere. I finally found a method to make it work better though so I’m using what unused space I have to squirrel away items that I will need when I move. It’s a bit like playing a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle with cardboard boxes. Sometimes boxes stay in one stack for a while, and then I realize that they don’t fit where they are. I move the stack into a better place, and then I find a new stack to shift. On the upside, I’m still finding things to donate so the decluttering continues.

I’m now to the point where I can start putting similar items together, and I can walk into a room knowing that all the craft items are together, all the filing is in place, and all the home items I’ll need next year are stored together. I’m learning to love the sound of my paper shredder because it means another unnecessary piece of paper is leaving the house. Slowly but surely, things are taking shape, and I see corners and carpet that used to be covered and hidden.

After a recent discussion with friends, I realized that I don’t want to move unnecessary items into a new place. I only want to move things I need, use, and appreciate. If it’s trash or a donate item, I want to drop it off where it belongs before it ever gets to my home. It helps to have a moving mindset when I’m decluttering.

In addition, it’s important to remember that some clutter comes in constantly. Mail comes in several days a week, and I’m getting better at immediately discarding junk mail. Groceries come in every week, and I try not to order more than I have room to store. When a package is empty, I throw it out, and if it’s almost empty, I sometimes move it to a smaller container for the sake of space.

As I have decluttered, I’m finding that more items have an actual place, and that I can now find them when I go looking for them. Instead of searching for them, I know exactly where they are. That’s a major improvement over when I started decluttering last year. I keep reminding myself that it isn’t about speed. It’s about making a difference in the amount of clutter and the organization of what I need to keep.

If you aren’t moving but your still trying to declutter, what’s your mindset? What’s the purpose of the decluttering? If it’s just to get rid of stuff, you might lose your motivation rather quickly. Instead, if you tell yourself you want to make a particular corner your craft area, then you have a goal to work toward. If you decide that you want a relaxing place to sit, then cleaning out a cluttered area might give you that spot. Just imagine how nice a space will look when it isn’t filled with stuff. I try to visualize what a room would look like if all the clutter was gone and things were organized just the way I want. It gives me something to look forward to.

No matter what, just remind yourself that it’s a constant process. Even when you have it the way you want it, there will be maintenance work to do in order to keep it that way. Just keep at it, and think about all that space you’ll have when it’s done.

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Inspirational Verses for the Day:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21, NKJV)