Unclutterer

1. Posted by April - 01/19/2010

   Yes, I am!

   Growing up I only had a path from the door of my room to my desk, and from the door to my bed. And I only had those to please my mother who’d have a fit if she couldn’t find a place to put her feet without stepping on something!

   During college, when I was forced to live with little (I went overseas, so I couldn’t take more than two suitcases) and in a small dorm room (9′x13′ shared with a roommate), I came to realize how much I loved having an empty/cleared room.

   I’m still trying to overcome my clutter habits, but even at its messiest my apartment still has plenty of room to walk in! My mother would be shocked.

2. Posted by NAPO National - 01/19/2010

   Thank you for referencing NAPO’s “Get Organized” MonthSM! Find more information about NAPO and “Get Organized” MonthSM, including tips on home and office organizing, how to hire a professional organizer, a calendar of chapter events and organizing statistics by visiting http://www.napo.net. You can also follow us on Twitter at @NAPOnatl!

3. Posted by Lose That Girl - 01/19/2010

   I’ve always been pretty neat and have a mother who is an uncluttering queen (as was *her* mother…) but the gene clicked into place in a major fashion when I got a place of my own and was living with someone who was very messy. Nothing like a schlep to make you appreciate neatness and order!

4. Posted by Jessica - 01/19/2010

   I am!

   When I was a kid I was the family slob. There was no path through my room – I would leap and hop over the piles to get to my bed. I had rotting leftover sack lunches in my closet. I never understood what they meant when my parents told me to “clean this pigsty up!”

   I was cleaner as a young adult, but no better organized. I couldn’t keep track of my housekey and I was constantly losing my day planner, umbrella, gloves, hats, bills, etc.

   What helped me turn the corner was reading Elaine St. James’s “Simplify Your Life.” I spent two months unloading clutter and I developed a fascination with reading organizing handbooks. Now I’m notorious among my friends and family for having the *cleanest* house, instead of the messiest. I’ve even worked as a clutter consultant! It took several years but I would say the transformation has been permanent.

5. Posted by opadit - 01/19/2010

   From the article:

   They convinced me I was not the only one with footage of the Nazi invasion of Poland.

   One of the earliest things I had to teach myself was that it was not my job to be an archivist in my own house! Some things are irreplaceable, such as family mementoes and original art. But I’m not a library or the Smithsonian, and it’s not up to me to keep the entire back catalog of a particular magazine that I subscribe to — that’s up to the publisher, or the Smithsonian, or a library.

6. Posted by Sarah - 01/19/2010

   Is there really such a thing as before and after for most of us?

   For me, it’s a daily choice. Some days I do better than others. It’s a process – making a lifestyle choice.

7. Posted by chacha1 - 01/19/2010

   I agree with Sarah, I think it’s a process.

   I spent some fairly cluttery years but my focus now is on “net loss of stuff.” In the relationship between me and DH, I’m holding the line! He has “his” room, and the junk shall not impinge upon our shared space. I’ve found that the occasional conversation about the state of his parents’ house has been useful in motivating him to manage his hereditary packrat tendencies.

   Oh! Yesterday while doing phase 1 of tax prep I watched a few episodes of “Hoarders” on A&E. How very sad!

8. Posted by Handy Man, Crafty Woman - 01/19/2010

   I used to be more of a packrat, and a “messy”. In the last 5 or 6 years, I’ve really turned things around by tossing/recycling/donating a TON of stuff!! Even the hubby has started to do the same, and we are teaching our son about how to organize his room. We are also teaching him about passing along toys he has outgrown. I am determined to give him the skills to be more organized, so he doesn’t have to learn the hard way, like I did!

9. Posted by Stormbringer - 01/19/2010

   Ohmyverymuchso! I have had times through my life when I tried to get organized and then slob out again.

   Some things came together in my mind and my life, culminating in my 50th birthday ten weeks ago. One thing that resonated with me was in a surprising self-help book for men, “How to Live the James Bond Lifestyle”. One thing author Paul Kyriazi said is that the subconscious is sensitive to birthdays, holidays and so forth. So I used this plus my new-found interest in getting things done and in order; I wanted to start this year, MY “New Year”, hitting the ground running. I even wrote up my thoughts in my Weblog.

   Things got tidied up, loose ends taken care of (including getting my will signed) and I started taking an interest in sites like Unclutterer, Minimalist and others.

   I got fired up all over again, hitting it for 2010 so I can get my game on for the last year of this decade. Thoughts and experiences are still being put in some parts of my Weblog.

   I agree with the people that agree with people. This is a process, and you cannot beat yourself up if you fall behind. Just get up, renew your commitment and go at it again. Instead of the New Year, how about the New Week? I’ve missed my own standards in some ways, but will not give up.

   Hello? Hey, I’m done. Wake up.

10. Posted by infmom - 01/19/2010

    My dad was an obsessive neat freak–he got it from his mother, who was worse. My mom, a product of her times, tried to please him, and even if I had a time machine and could go back, I don’t think I could count the number of times the two of them told me I was a slob. My mom went so far as to tell me I’d never marry because no man would put up with such a slob.

    The thing is… I wasn’t. I just had more disarray in my room than my dad could tolerate. I have photos of my room from those days and it was not by any stretch of the imagination a mess (and I’ve showed those pictures to people who would have spotted a real mess in a heartbeat and they agreed with me–a tad untidy but not a real mess).

    So, while firmly resolved never ever to be an obsessive neat freak (and I’m most emphatically not) I have found that I really enjoy the process of organizing and getting rid of stuff. My husband does not. I don’t know whether his parents resolutely threw out his treasures when he was a kid (I wouldn’t put that past his dad) or what it was, but the idea of getting rid of things gives him a major case of the wim-wams.

    He worked for yet another obsessive neat freak for a while, and kept getting in hot water with his boss because his office was a trash pile (there’s no other way to describe it). I finally went in there with him one weekend and it took me about an hour to get the place looking tidy. The key word is LOOKING. I solved most of the problem by getting a cardboard box and stacking all the papers neatly in it and shoving that under his desk. So he wasn’t traumatized by the loss of his precious papers, and the boss could pass the office door without wetting his pants.

    The real solution is to DEAL with stuff, but sometimes you have to settle for just looking clean rather than being clean.

11. Posted by Mike - 01/19/2010

    @ opadit

    Well observed. For me it was music videos and bootleg concerts. I realized that I was never going to have time to sit down and watch all those old shows, and virtually every music video ever made is on YouTube now in case I want to see it or show it off to someone.

12. Posted by Annette - 01/19/2010

    My uncluttering beginning came with one line in a book by Don Aslett, probably “Clutter’s Last Stand”. The line went something like this – ‘If you choose to put something down in the wrong place you have chosen to be messy.’

    It had never occurred to me that someone actually MADE the messes I was always trying to clean up. Somehow I thought they just appeared and I was the one trying to keep on top of them. From that day on, I put things away and began getting rid of things I no longer used, didn’t fit, were the wrong color, were given to me at my wedding and had never made it out of the box, etc.

    When we moved into a motor home for four years and had minimal space, I decluttered more and found I really liked having only eight days worth of clothes to care for, and four pair of shoes. How liberating that is. Right now I have a three drawer chest with two very small drawers at the top and I don’t have enough folding clothes to fill it. My hanging clothes take up only half the space I have to use in the closet. And still, I work on getting rid of memorabilia. It is a process, not a destination for me.

13. Posted by Pam - 01/19/2010

    I grew up in the cluttered home. My mother was (is) a collector, and encouraged me to collect things too. I thought this was how everyone lived, even though I felt stifled. Going to live in a dorm was liberating because I only brought what I needed. On each trip home, I decluttered. After graduating from college, my husband and I went to Guam to teach in a Christian school. I shipped a lot of junk over there, and what finally got my attention was surviving a supertyphoon. In the midst of the storm, I just prayed that we would survive, caring little for our possessions at that point. Our house had little damage, but our school was heavily damaged, and some people lost everything. When we finally got power back (after a month), I attacked the clutter with a vengence, and worked furiously to get my pictures organized (the only thing I truly cared about). I had seen that PEOPLE are what is important, and that STUFF only stands in our way, AND becomes something to worry about in a disaster. If you don’t love it, want to move it, and wouldn’t care if it was damaged by a typhoon, why not just get rid of it?

    After being in Guam for six years, we left with half the number of boxes we came with AND an extra person (our daughter was born during our time there).

14. Posted by Onlinehandyman - 01/19/2010

    Interesting post – I love reading these kind of success comments. Although I have always been uncluttered and very organized, I know how difficult it is to make such a transformation.

    Recently a good friend of mine made this kind of change. I think what did it was when he just got to a point of “enough” and that he wasn’t going to be like that anymore. Spending 20 minutes a day finding stuff before being able to go out will do that to a person.

    Now the tricky part is maintenance and not going back to an old lifestyle. Which really means it is just a matter of one day at a time and not losing focus and forgiving yourself should you not live up to your expectations.

    Thanks for the post!

15. Posted by Sooz - 01/19/2010

    @ Opadit, you are so, SO right in saying “One of the earliest things I had to teach myself was that it was not my job to be an archivist in my own house!”

    That is the exact issue I struggled with, and the realization that I don’t have to be the archivist has been very freeing. Thank you for saying it so articulately!

16. Posted by Lilliane P - 01/19/2010

    Never thought of it that way. Don’t have to be an archivist in my own house. A definite “aha” moment for me. So, so glad I read this post.

17. Posted by Ginger - 01/19/2010

    I’m still undergoing a process of transformation – I tend towards collections and love thrift and vintage stores, but I’ve begun to get the feeling that all my THINGS are crushing me. I cleaned out my bookshelves the other day and now have less than half the books I started with and it feels amazing. I’ve keeping my desk at work more tidy and it’s a million times easier to find things and I feel as though I can think again!

    I’m a bit worried that I’m becoming addicted to purging though – I fantasise about emptying drawers and cupboards pretty much constantly. Hm.

18. Posted by localhost - 01/19/2010

    About four months ago I started reading unclutterer. I live alone, and was always the keeper of all kinds of old things in all kinds of boxes. But one day, partly inspired by this blog and the photostreams of other peoples perfect offices, I started clearing out the clutter, painting walls white, and organizing remaining items all around the house. What a great experience it has been! I took the time (why, I almost made it my hobby, so to speak) to look at stuff and assess whether I really needed to own it or not. Luckily I own a van, so I was able to haul away the incredible amount of things I suddenly needed to get rid of
    Today I’ve got a lovely home office with an organized archive system, and the house is almost totally free of clutter.

    Thanks, Erin and Flickr-photostream-contributors.

19. Posted by Laetitia in Australia - 01/19/2010

    About 8 years ago I started getting tired of the feeling that I was going to kill myself one day by tripping on our stuff. When I look back, I wasn’t in any actual danger of this, I just had that “sinking, drowning feeling”.

    When we moved from that house we got rid of an old 3-piece lounge set that was sitting outdoors (it “belonged” to the cat by then) and two very large chairs. These pieces of furniture were very comfy but we were going overseas and had to purge to fit our stuff in storage while away. We also got rid of a few bookcases, table & 4 chairs, extra fridge, returned a desk to my mother…. Some furniture has since been replaced, generally with more portable items as we rent.

    My decluttering got a bigger kick along when I bought the “Cut the Clutter” book about 18 months ago and worked on my Creative Memories / study room. It slipped a bit as other activities became higher priorities. Oops.

    For me it’s an on-going job and “remembering to be lazy”. “How’s that?” you say. Think – if you take your glass to the sink straight after finishing your drink or as soon as leave the room, you don’t have to come back for it to pick it up again. If you file paperwork as soon as you’ve dealt with the task, you don’t have to sort through a big pile later.

    The other thing I have to keep in mind is to not have too many activities on the go at once or I’ll lose things under stuff that’s out for another activity. For example, my quilting can’t come out while I have assignments to finish or album-making materials out; I need to write a few letters before doing craft so the table is clear and I don’t find that letter writing reminder in 3 months time.

    I have now become addicted to unclutterer and have fantasies of being a pro organiser – I’ve already encouraged my Mum to the point where she’s calling me daily with updates!

20. Posted by Another Deb - 01/19/2010

    I had a moment of enlightenment ten years ago as I was moving to another state and trying to sell some used books. The owner didn’t want any of the reference books and cookbooks I had been carting around for several years. He said “All the reference meterial is online now. That was TEN years ago! The books he did want were novels, which sell better.

    Now I try very hard to get rid of novels after I have read them (the unlikely next time I read them will be on a Kindle, years from now) and I buy fewer science reference books and keep even less of them after giving them a first read.

    Cookbooks? I have been simplifying my meal strategy as well and have a rotation of favorite recipes that I use, the rest usually get downloaded for a special occasion and I try them once.

    I am with Laeticia on the hobby clutter!

21. Posted by randy - 01/20/2010

    I have about 700 old record albums. I don’t have a turn table. What is a man to do? I love the album art but am I really fated to carry around with me for the rest of my life? Help!

22. Posted by s - 01/20/2010

    Just like there’s no need to be an archivist in my own home, I have to remind myself that I don’t have to keep junk which makes my house it’s own “landfill.” There’s no reason for me not to let stuff find other places to live–other people’s houses, recycling, and even trash.

23. Posted by Claycat - 01/20/2010

    I’m still working on it! I’m about halfway there. What is wonderful to me is this blog and the accompanying forum! The encouragement we have been able to give each other, and the amazing success stories mean so much to me!

    Thank you, Erin, for providing a safe, friendly place to unload our pain and frustration along with our possessions!

24. Posted by Stormbringer - 01/20/2010

    So…we have been, or are being, delivered from the demons of our possessions. But if we don’t keep at it, we’ll get repossessed.

25. Posted by Mike - 01/20/2010

    @ randy -

    I had to “reconcile” a record collection not quite as large as yours some years ago. First, you have to make a decision: do you want the art or no? The record album covers worth keeping are probably the ones worth framing; the rest can go.

    Then you turn to the music. Do you want to keep the music? Well, music on a vinyl record is garbage quality (don’t listen to collectors who claim it’s “warm” sounding — that “warmth” is their hearing loss) so reacquire the songs you want on iTunes or on CDs. CDs are great because you can get them used at generally good prices; iTunes is great because there’s a near-perfect digital transfer already done for you and the metadata is all in place.

    For those very, very few records that have never been reprinted in digital form, there are various transfer options out there. I ended up buying a used turntable at a thrift store and running the audio to the line-in on my computer, and made high-bitrate MP3 files. I just gave the turntable back afterward.

    Good luck!

26. Posted by Mike - 01/20/2010

    @ randy -

    I almost forgot! When you’re done, just sell all the records to a vintage music shop or on eBay. Mise well cash out, amiright?

27. Posted by Jess - 01/21/2010

    Growing up, I was called Messy Jessy for good reason. When I was seven, my parents found a lightswitch plate of Oscar the Grouch leaning out of his garbage can, yelling “Yuck, this room is a mess!” and installed it in my room.

    But my parents conveniently ignored their own sloppy, clutter-friendly ways. My Dad would save every magazine he ever read, eventually collecting them in Xerox paper boxes he brought home from work, and would keep every extra bolt, nut or screw from an assembled piece of furniture, even long after said piece of furniture was gone. My Mom had surfaces covered with dusty knickknacks. The dining room table was used as a storage area 360 days out of the year.

    I became more acutely aware of clutter and its depressing nature in a long-term relationship during my 20s. We would visit my then-boyfriend’s parents’ house every few months and the clutter got worse, eventually taking over the spare bedrooms in the house until, despite there being only two people living in a four-bedroom house, they had no room for us to stay there and we had to stay with friends or in nearby motels at Christmas. That stuck with me as a model of How I Did Not Want to Live.

    What really cemented it for me was, between 2007-2008, I wound up having to move three times. Each time, I had to rent and load a truck by myself. And with each move, I wound up loading less onto the truck and divesting myself of more possessions. Frequent moves can really make you think seriously about what matters to you most.

    One really good side effect of having less stuff is not just that it’s easier to clean up the house but I lose things less often when I have a few items and a place for each one. I used to get physically stressed and angry whenever I couldn’t find my wallet, keys, glasses or phone. I enjoy not experiencing that feeling and not being late for work because I don’t have everything I need. I like having everything organized so that I don’t forget to do important things on time.

    Someone at work asked me what my resolutions for 2010 are and I said, “Get more organized.” The reply: “Really? You already seem very organized to me!” I do still have room for improvement but my reputation as Messy Jessy is fading. I like that.

28. Posted by Stormbringer - 01/22/2010

    Jess,

    Stories like yours are found in the book “It’s All Too Much” by Peter Walsh. More than an organizational strategy, I think the man is part psychologist because he “set me free” on some key issues and how to deal with them (including items from my departed parents). I suggest that you give this book a try. From the library, so you have to give it back and not add to clutter in case you fall back.

29. Posted by MP - 02/03/2010

    I had a lot of clutter, both at home and at work. It kind of matched my less than structured financial life. I got the financials under control, organized so that I understood where all my money was going (now I budget). Once I did that, it was just natural to put some order to other aspects of my life and get control. Now my office at work is so clean the workplace health and safety committee keeps writing it up as the model for other offices (we have a hoarder at work and she is constantly getting reprimanded for what is actually unsafe – stacks of paper everywhere, piled high – cleaners were refusing to go in her office…).
    At home, I decided to fix the bad habit I had of throwing my clothes on the floor before I went to bed because I was too tired to hang them up. After a few weeks of always hanging them up, it became a habit I always do now.
    Then I tackled the accumulation of stuff. I decided to get rid of 7 items a day (7 pieces of paper, 7 magazines, etc). 7 seemed like something you could do in 5 minutes. After a few months, it was clear I had been keeping stuff out of sheer laziness. So over the Christmas holidays I went room by room. I now have 15 boxes of stuff in the garage waiting for garage sale season to sell….
    I still try to get rid of 7 things a day and we now have a rule – if we buy a non-consumeable something and bring it into the house, something of equal size must leave the house.
    I have work to do still on the house, a lot has to wait until the warmer weather and it’s easier to get rid of the stuff but I’m feeling much better.
    At work I’m more productive because I can find things easily and prioritize my tasks faster, and at home I am getting to the state where I realize I don’t need to buy things to be happy. It’s also helped the budget! We’re heading off to a fully paid Caribbean vacation in a couple of weeks – something we haven’t been able to do in years!
    My lesson – getting control of clutter in one area of your life leads to getting control of clutter in all areas of your life. Once I got financial control, I realized I needed to get control at home and work….

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