The Declutter Diaries is a series of posts I did for a former blog as a glimpse inside a real decluttering project [with occasional editorial comments from my present self]. You can start with Day One here.
Two Steps Forward…
In the ongoing mission to get actual boxes of stuff out of my house, I managed to deliver one bag today. However, one of my friends is moving and she unloaded some of her stuff on me. Somehow I ended up coming home with two bags of groceries and a returned double stroller that I forgot I had. Aargh!
How did I end up with more clutter than I started with?! (Actually, the groceries are not clutter; I appreciate them very much). But now I have to get rid of another large item! I am hoping to pawn it off on one of my friends this evening….
[Hmmm….this seems to be a common problem in the never-ending quest to declutter the house. Somehow more stuff keeps finding its way in. Sometimes the way in is through our shopping habits: we just keep on buying stuff. Other times it comes in because we can’t say “no” to well-meaning friends who are trying to unload their junk. And then there is the occasional item that you loan out, which somehow miraculously returns to you.
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The other big entry point for clutter is the mailbox. It is a never ending flow of paper, delivered directly to you, with no way to shut it off.
Most of us never think twice about bringing stuff into our houses. But we seldom have a plan to dispose of things. Remember that every single thing you bring into your house will one day be something you don’t want/need anymore. It’s all headed for the garbage one way or the other.
We would do well to give some thought as to how we can gracefully maintain the equilibrium of stuff in our homes. There has to be an exit strategy.
One of the best things you can do is seriously limit the amount of stuff you bring in. There’s a lot to be said for quality over quantity. Maybe you can buy fewer things that are nicer.
And when you are done with something, pass it on. Or when it has lived out its usefulness, recycle it if possible, but do get rid of it.]