decluttering vs organizing

jnbythesea · **decluttering vs organizing**

Is anyone else getting caught in this trap besides me? I find myself cleaning up, reorganizing and putting away... a whole room will look great, but the thing is... I haven't actually parted with anything!

I guess I still am having trouble with the whole "detachment" side of decluttering. And I fully realize that endless reorganizing and tidying up is stealing my time. If the stuff was just gone, I wouldn't have to deal with it over and over.

One more thing to work on...

periwinkle · 01-04-2008, 04:24 PM

I used to have that problem, now i have got better at getting rid of things. I try and make a minimum of what must go from a certain area...... like if theres a huge mess on the bookcase, a minimum of 5 items must go.

LJGZsmom · 01-04-2008, 04:41 PM

I think I am the opposite. My hubby calls me the throw away queen. I throw everything out. My motto is if I haven't used it in six weeks, I don't need it. Of course that does not go for holiday stuff. I deep clean and declutter weekly. Sentimental things like baby stuff, love notes, kid's drawings, things like that I will save in boxes. We have a "special box" for each kid, baby things (that is done now since my kids are a little older) and hubby and I. They are in the attic and easy to get to so we can add to them when we need to. Of course I don't keep every drawing and such. I like things as simple as can be.

ruthie · 01-04-2008, 05:11 PM

Last year, i had to clean out my grandmothers house, who had died and left me her house and stuff. She had lived in the same house for 50+ years. I said then that I would no longer be a "pack rat", for the very reason, that I woun't want my daughter to have to go thru the decluttering that I did.

I now give everything to charity, that I haven't used in 6 months.

I also am in the habit, if I buy something new I have to get rid of something old.

It sures does help cut down on clutter and impulsive buying!

josephfive · 01-04-2008, 05:22 PM

I completely agree with Ruthie! When my Mom died, it took my sister and I one solid week, working 10 hours a day to go through her things. And she lived in a small 2-bedroom condo. I will never ever do that to someone I love.

You could do a time limit, say get rid of 10 things in 5 minutes. If I haven't used something in 6 months it is a pretty good bet that I won't use it again. But what if I need it? Well, would I be able to find it quickly enough?

I just went through a bunch of Christmas decorations that I haven't used in a few years. I didn't really think that I would use them again and didn't want to buy yet another storage tub to store them. It felt good to have just the things that I really love and my family enjoys.

Good luck!

MandaRenee · 01-04-2008, 05:41 PM

I think to be successful you have to find a balance of both. Starting my crafting business and also my stockpiling (for emergencies), and my baby

really requires a lot of "stuff" so I am forced to find a way to organize it since I can't get rid of it. But then the areas of my life I can, I try to get rid of as much stuff as possible. I think it balances out that way...at least I keep telling myself it does.

queenboxtop · 01-05-2008, 11:20 PM

My suggestion is to start small. Get a bag and fill it with things you haven't used in awhile and don't think you will use. Start with a book shelf or something like that where you can SEE the difference. When you see the new shelf you will think WOW it looks great.

I promise it gets easier the more you do it.

Kim · 01-06-2008, 10:14 AM

I love it when Peter Walsh says you can't organize clutter. I totally agree! It's so much simpler to have less. Decluttering is a constant work in progress for me. It's like doing laundry, as soon as it's done you need to do it again.

cindysip · **here's my strategy.............**

I figure the only way to organize is to declutter first........I hope this works out because I am always so disorganized. I used to try to organize everything......now I have come to realize that there is just way too much to simply organize......the purging has begun!

momof3invancouver · 01-07-2008, 02:32 PM

I do the same thing! I need to just part with things I am not even using. One thing I am doing soon is a clothing swap because I have so many kids clothes here just in bags everywhere!!