I considered it a great compliment when my friend, Anne, said, “Your house is always so tidy.” And most of it is. But I have some “dirty little secret” areas (like my desk when I’m on deadline) that become cluttered and messy. Time to declutter.
It happens on my kitchen table, too. I bring in the mail, but I’ve got to do something else, so I leave it on the table. For a few days. Where it piles up. This decluttering is ongoing.
And our basement shelves. When we moved to West Michigan, those shelves were organized, things were in labeled bins, and each section had a theme. What happened? Life, that’s what. Time to declutter.
I’ve started by ordering the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. While this book might sound morbid, it’s been lauded by many as right up there with Marie Kondo. The focus is to not make your kids have to go through all your stuff when you’re gone. That’s fair.
I plan to expand from death cleaning into more cerebral areas. I’ve been a bit fuzzy-brained of late between holiday duties and my annual Christmas sinus infection. But I can’t blame my 3,923 emails on just that. They’ve been backing up for quite a while. Time to declutter.
So, the two questions I will be asking are: 1. Does this bring me joy? and 2. Do I want my kids to have to clean up all my stuff?
Let me make it perfectly clear that I have no intention of leaving this earth anytime soon. Based on my Great-grandpa Patrick Ford, I’ll probably last another 30 years. At least. I just realized that means I have to keep up this decluttering habit for a looooong time.
Today I took my first step with my underwear drawer. I have more bras than my girls need. I’m donating 4 unopened packages of pantyhose that I bought when I was teaching. (I retired in 2011. I think I’m safe.) And shapewear??? These days I mostly live in yoga pants and sweatshirts. At least when I’m writing.
The hardest things to part with will be books. I have to realize that there are some I will never read again, and someone else could be enjoying them.
The idea behind all this, according to an article by Sara DiGiulio in Better by Today is if you have less stuff to take care of, you have more time for relationships and experiences. I like that.
Now to make a plan. I intend to create a schedule of what to focus on first. I’ll keep you posted on how I’m doing.
Do you have tips and tricks for me? Please post them in the comments. I need all the help I can get.
Happy New Year,
Elizabeth
I can certainly relate to the need to declutter many areas in my home! One tip is to take a picture of the item or paper that you will then donate or discard. Then you can reference that for the sentimental value, if needed.
That’s a great idea, Barb! Thank you!