Hello!
I am new to this forum and I really need help.
How does one get started?
I have a lot of stuff just laying around, in boxes, closet full of clothes that I don't wear, etc..
How does one sort through stuff.
It's difficult for me to just throw things away.
Overall Rating: 1 vote
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Posted 1 year ago #
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If its difficult to throw away stuff maybe you could start looking for things which are really just rubbish and hopefully move on from there. I suggest you start by looking for things that are broken, ripped or stained and you dont want to fix them. That will hopefully get you to the next step which is parting with something that still has useful life.
Baby steps... :D
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi Joaninha,
my best advice is start with the easy stuff. Decluttering doesn't have to be structured you just have to start somewhere, anywhere. One day at a time, one item at a time so long as you are removing something you are on your way. Once you start to see the benefits of your efforts your will learn to become more ruthless about discarding your stuff.
This is what my blog at 365lessthings.com is all about - removing one item a day. You might want to work on a bag a day or a box a day but so long as you only focus on that item/bag/box and not on the big picture you will find it a lot less scary. Every Monday is Mini Mission Monday at my blog where I give a list of Seven decluttering mini mission one for each day of the week. This way you don't have to pick a task they are all set out for you.Good luck and just remember start with the easy stuff and work your way up to the things you find harder to deal with.
Posted 1 year ago # -
The way I did it was to thoroughly clean a few very small areas and then gradually connect them with decluttered 'lanes'. The trick is to keep the clear areas clear and eventually you'll have a whole room done. For me, the turning point was when it started to take less effort to keep things decluttered than it did to do the initial decluttering.
Others advocate starting in a corner (by the door) and cleaning in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi Joaninha,
I'm a newbie, too. I don't like to just throw things away into landfill, so I try to find a better way to move unwanted stuff out of my home. My decluttering method is definitely a work in progress, but I've learned valuable tips from the collective wisdom of this forum. Here are some of the tips I use to get myself kick-started...
- Get 5 containers (small boxes, trash bags, shopping bags, whatever) and label them Keep, Trash, Recycle, Another Home (donate, sell, freecycle, etc.), and Undecided. Don't worry about stuff that you put into the Undecided box now... as you get into the swing of decluttering you'll be able to deal with those things later on. The idea is to keep your momentum going and get things out of your space now.
- Take some of your stuff to another area or another room, so you can look at it out of its usual context with fresh eyes (for example, take a pile of papers or the contents of one drawer or an armful of clothes).
- Set a timer for a modest length of time. I like to play "The Power of 10 Minutes" but you can choose whatever length of time sounds good for you.
- Go through your stuff one item at a time. This is a bit hard at first, but try to ignore the big pile and just look at the one item in your hand, even if it's just one piece of paper. Ask yourself: "Do I use this? Do I need it? Do I love it?" If the answer is Yes to any of those questions (or all three), put it in the Keep box. If No, put it in one of the other boxes.
- When the timer goes off, check in with yourself. If you're feeling energized, reset the timer and go again. But what if you're feeling stressed? Then take a few slow deep breaths with eyes closed, and drink some water.
- When you feel yourself running low on energy, stop and distribute the items in those boxes to their proper places. Toss out the Trash, Recycle to the bin, and put anything to be donated into your car. If you have items you want to sell or freecycle, label them with a note of the "next action" to take for each item.
- Now, back to the Keepers... you've decided that these items enhance your life and are worth keeping. Make sure you can give them proper care and a proper place in your home where they can serve you and the life you want to lead.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Some stuff is best sorted with what I call the "dump and fish" method but it has other names. It likely works best for junk drawers and small areas. Dump everything out of the drawer/box onto a sheet, towel, newspaper or something similar. Fish for the bits you actually want to keep/sell/donate and put them into piles. Everything else is trash so pick up the towel and pour that stuff into a trash bag.
The best method really depends on the sort of stuff you're dealing with. For boxes I'd dump and fish, for closets I'd likely use ellas method. As for having trouble throwing things away, I'd use the first thing I posted, find obvious trash, throw it out. It might turn out to be as simple as your "tossing stuff out" muscle needs exercise. (I assume you mean you have issues tossing non-useful items rather than trouble throwing away used tissues and old envelopes?)
Posted 1 year ago # -
Many things don't have to be thrown away. I donate or give away most of my still-useful stuff, recycle what can be recycled and only throw away as a last resort.
Perhaps you can find a place or two convenient to you that take donated items, such as Goodwill AmVets. Some will pick up at your door if you have a convenient place to leave donations, such as a porch. Others have storefronts to drop things off. Some have drop boxes in parking lots.
Once you have a few options, try visualizing your unwanted and unneeded things finding a new life with someone who will appreciate them and truly needs them. Make it as specific as you can -- a 6-year-old boy with two quarters who can buy your donated knick-knack to give as a present to his grandmother in a nursing home. A teenage girl looking for a pink sweater to wear on her first date. An immigrant couple who need a pot to furnish their first apartment. You get the idea.
When you donate to a charity shop, the profits they make go towards their programs. Donate to the children's home and perhaps they can afford some art supplies. A lamp donated to Goodwill can pay for 15 minutes of training for a person in need.
It really helped me to envision a better life for my stuff than sitting in a box in the closet.
Then, just start doing it, even if it's only a few things a day or a box or shelf a day. And take it to be donated. Then do it again. It gets easier.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I started by getting rid of books. I'm not a book-lover in fact. It is a very easy way for me to get rid of first stuff (without pain). I put them in the first priority also because they occupy so much space. Although I don't like reading, I can still find about 20-30 useless books in my home. I resale the textbooks(because it takes time to find potential buyers) and then fictions. After that, the result is very obvious, more space. Next, I clear out the notes from school and digitalize some of paper(receipts), then recycle all the paper. Paper is a disaster, I have so many files of paper.
Posted 1 year ago # -
With clothing, I try not to save anything that doesn't fit or doesn't get worn regularly. You can start by taking out a handful or two of hangers from anywhere in the closet, and choose at least one item to give away. Take it off the hanger, fold it neatly, and put it in a giveaway bag before you change your mind. Repeat with another handful of hangers until you've gone through the entire closet at least once. When the bag is full, get it out of the house at the first possible opportunity.
If you have a collection (e.g. 100 stuffed toys) pick the very best of the lot and put them on display; give away or sell the others.
Get boxes off the floor, one by one, and put them in a higher and visible place where you'll have to deal with them. It's harder to ignore them that way, and it'll probably be easier to walk through the house.
Posted 1 year ago # -
The really important thing is just to start. The A Thing A Day thread is great - just look around and find one thing you can get rid of. And then get it OUT to wherever it's going.
The good thing about finding things to discard, instead of trying to organize them, is that you can't rally get out of hand - say, if your goal is to "clean the closet" and you take everything out and get overwhelmed, you've made things worse. But if you think "I'm going to open up this closet and take something out to donate or throw away" and you end up pulling out lots of things - they all just go in the trash or into the donation bag, you don't have to clean up after yourself too much.
I find that if I start looking I can always find something. Maybe someday that won't be true, and I can just look around and be happy.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I just started by thinking around my house and when I get to 'that can go' in my head, then I try and deal with that object or category over the next few days. I can't do 'tackle the whole room' much as I would love to as it would only end up worse than before! I am chipping away slowly and it's getting better all the time.
Posted 1 year ago # -
i started by uncluttering "categories", e.g. towels. i though about "how many do i need" and "which ones will stay" and tossed the rest. the same with bed linen, pans, trousers etc. etc. step by step.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi Joaninha!
I'm a newbie too. Have been reading post after post for the short period of time I've been a member and it's amazing, life transforming! I followed a piece of everyone's advice and found the best way for me to work through my beloved home, former referred to as the "holding area". GRIN!
I took on a few tasks (areas of a room, drawers or cupboards in the room and then decided I need to make a HUGE difference in my life and tackle something really big. I have determined I am a gatherer and one of the biggest things to gather was blankets and quilts. I had them in every closet, a half a dozen totes, those storage bags you can suck down to nothing (making them appear to be less than what you really have) and I finally amassed the whole mess in the middle of my livingroom. When you looked at a pile of blankets 3 foot wide, 5 foot tall and 10 foot long it was really overwhelming. It helped me to get the scope of how much we really need around here and then I left it overnight for my spouse to see. He was as flabberghasted as I was. The next day I made 4 piles: one for someone who I KNOW needs them with three children, a pile to be taken to my local animal rescue person, one pile that is definitely going into the trash and the rest will either be kept or donated to my local Goodwill/Salvation army.
It wasn't easy and I didn't know how I was going to deal with that large of a collection but it came to me once I was willing to face it in full depth. I couldn't even work in one of my closets to sort clothing until I got those blankets out of the way and now that they are out I feel 100 lbs lighter within myself.
Thank you all for your wonderful blogs.......keep 'em coming. I have discovered there are better ways to live and wonderful ideas for my keepsakes that I just can't let go of just yet. I only have one baby blanket and it's pretty shabby but someone suggested I frame a few pieces of it and that will be the end to my one dilemma. I am not ready just yet to throw it out but am sure I will be very soon.
Hugs to you all. Thanks again.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Inga,
I used your method for my junk drawer and I was so pleased with the results. Thank you SO much for posting it!Posted 1 year ago # -
To be honest I think the only way to start- is to start! I know it sounds simpler then it is and is probably the hardest part of the whole thing.
To help you with this I would chose one place - a cuboard or a wardrobe (not an entire room to begin with) and set a time to do it. Make a date with yourself for that day and don't skip it. If it helps, maybe get a friend to come over, but you might prefer to do it alone.
You'll need 3 boxes/bags to either keep, throw away/recycle or give away to charity/sell. I know from my own experiance that it is easier to give things to charity or try and sell them then to throw them away, but if things are in a bad condition or might only make you a few bucks - throw them away or give them away. Otherwise you migth end up with those bags sitting there for weeks before you get round to them again. The reward of having a home you enjoy is worth so much more then a few dollars - trust me.After a while it will get easier - especially as you start seeing the rewards of your efforst: a tidy closet, more space and even spending less time looking for things or cleaning.
Good luck and let us know how you're doing!
Posted 1 year ago # -
all the above suggestions are terrific.
try some out... you will soon find your own groove and your own style.
you might also start by saying "no new stuff" , for a week or a month... or longer.
nothing new coming in is a wonderful start!try ATAD .. i like reading about what everyone else is donating/gifting/recycling/releasing/repurposing!
Posted 1 year ago # -
I actually think you need to start a little differently. I'm new at this, too, but, for me, the first thing I did was to think about WHY I want to unclutter, what my house would look like if I were to unclutter, and what behaviors I would have to change to keep it uncluttered.
The reasons that people want to unclutter are so different ... some want to live an extreme minimalist life, some want to be able to walk freely through rooms, some feel that they would feel more at peace with less clutter, etc. You need to decide what are your reasons for going through items because if you dont' know why you want to do it, then you won't do it. Having closets full of clothes isn't necessarily bad if it isn't bothering you.
Second, you need to think about what you want the result to be, and why it's better than where you are now. For example, I want to be able to find an outfit in less than five minutes without having to go through 3 closets. Or I want to be able to have guests over without having to spend a day clearing out the spare bedroom. Or whatever it is for you. For me, I was starting to notice how much time I was wasting looking for things, and I want to declutter in order to waste less time.
Once you can get in your mind those two things, then you can start decluttering because you will have a goal and a purpose. Of course, then comes the hard work, the actual doing, which the other posters have described well. My only comment would be to make sure that you have plenty of time to finish the project that you start so that you can actually deal with the items you ahve decided about. For example, I find that if I try to organize too much in too little time, then I end up not dealing with the items that I've decided to give away or whatever and it just becomes clutter in another room.
Good luck!
Posted 1 year ago #
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