There is
absolutely nothing in my house that any of my children will want after I pass away, save for my great grandmother's aluminum dutch oven and maybe my recipe books, so I'm confident that whatever is left at the time of my demise will end
up at thrift store. No need to hang onto
any extras so I've been diligently going through my home, space by space, and
getting rid of everything I no longer need, want or use. It is quite a job, but it is also extremely
liberating. At the end of the day I feel
really good about the things I've decided to let go of.
Our stuff can be
good and helpful impacting our lives in positive ways. However, when we have too much, it can weigh
us down to the point of causing stress, anxiety and depression. When we have too much stuff the walls of our
homes start to close in on us. We waste
countless hours moving, cleaning, maintaining, storing and navigating around
hundreds of items we no longer need or use, or even care about. Now is the time to let it all go.
I know it can be
overwhelming to even know where to start.
Here is a list to help you get the ball rolling:
Day 1 - Make Up
& Toiletries
Day 2 - Books
& Magazines
Day 3 - Water
Bottles & Coffee Mugs
Day 4 - Purses,
Belts & Scarves
Day 5 - Food
Storage Containers
Day 6 - Art
& Craft Supplies
Day 7 - Cooking
Utensils
Day 8 - Old
Electronics - Cell Phones, Laptops, Cameras, TVs & DVD/VHS Players, PCs,
Monitors, Etc.
Day 9 - Games
& Puzzles
Day 10 - DVDs
& CDs
Day 11 -
Cleaning & Laundry Supplies
Day 12 - Towels,
Washcloths, Dish Towels, Dish Cloths, Potholders, Cleaning Rags & Scrubbers
Day 13 - Socks
& Shoes
Day 14 - Throw
Blankets & Pillows
Day 15 - Broken
Toys
Day 16 - Candles,
Candle Holders & Essential Oils
Day 17 - Blankets,
Sheets & Pillowcases
Day 18 - Pots
& Pans, Bakeware
Day 19 - Rugs,
Doormats, Bathmats
Day 20 - Broken
& Worn Out Furniture
Day 21 - Art,
Wall Hangings, Posters, Picture Frames
Day 22 - Coats,
Jackets & Backpacks
Day 23 - Office
& School Supplies
Day 24 - Mail
& Junk Mail, Piles Of Papers, Owner's Manuals & Instruction Booklets
Day 25 - Stuffed
Animals, Age Inappropriate (Too Young or Hazardous) Toys
Day 26 - Jewelry
& Accessories
Day 27 - Nail
Polish & Manicure Supplies
Day 28 -
Placemats, Cloth Napkins, Table Runners & Tablecloths
Day 29 - Food
& Condiments
Day 30 - Clothing,
Pajamas & Underwear
To begin with you
can start with trash. Anything that is
old and worn out, broken, stained, has a hole in it, is expired, is dangerous, or
you absolutely do not like it, it can go.
Like peeling a layer off of an onion you can get through the stuff in
your house. Take it one step at a time
and soon you will see a change. And you
will start to feel really good about it too.
Decluttering our
homes and our lives is a constant process.
Once you've completed the list start over. You will be amazed at how much stuff you will
end up getting rid of, but also, it will be easier the second time around. And the third and the fourth and so on. As time goes on we get better at this with
each pass through. Remember too, any
progress is still progress so don't get discouraged if you don't think you did
a good enough job. There is always
tomorrow and we get to start again.
We did a serious declutter about 25y ago when we replaced the carpet in the entire house. Well, it looks like crap and we are about to replace once and for all with an engineered hardwood this time (we are 61 and want this to last our remaining decades!).
ReplyDeleteAs we did the first time, we're dividing the house in half and emptying it into the garage. Everything will be touched and evaluated again-into the house? Into the garbage? into the trunk for thrift store?
I'm nearly giddy at the thought :-) I know you understand this enthusiasm.
Yes I do!! :o) Good luck with this go around!
DeleteThank you for this little push to get going again. There is always something to get rid of it seems.
ReplyDeleteI find that to be the case as well.
DeleteWhat a good list! But I would caution that some of those items will take more than 1 day.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I recently cleaned out my pantry. And it took DAYS. So many days to sort through expired or unneeded items. It was quite the job. It would have been much easier if I had just tossed full cans/bottles in the trash, but my conscience would never let me do that to the environment. So then it was days of work to empty the jars/cans, wash them for recycling, and compost the expired contents. I'm so very glad it's done.
I would have to say the hardest part of decluttering is all the decisions you have to make. It's very, very tiring to evaluate every single item for keeping, for donating, for trashing. Donating and trashing are fairly easy to accomplish. But if you do decide to keep an item, where will it best live an active, useful life?
Decluttering is good work, but it does take its toll...
So true. You just do what you can with the time you have to work with. Any progress is still progress and you can always start the list over!
DeleteThat is quite a list. I did a major purge about 8 years ago but a couple more family members passed and I need to do another. I have no grandchildren - doesn’t look like I will so yes, my stuff will end up in a thrift store. I’d rather start giving things away - the deal with that is the ones who want it are older than me and who haven’t taken the big purge yet. Oh well. I will copy that list and try to get started on part 2.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy how stuff creeps back in. Good luck with you next go around!
DeleteThanks for the list. And, I so agree.. each time I declutter, I find more and more. It feels fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI love that feeling too.
DeleteThis is a great list. Thanks for sharing. I moved five years ago and went through every single item I owned. It was amazing how much I got rid of. Downsizing is a great motivator. Despite my best efforts, things seem to be creeping in again so I look forward to working on this list to reign things in a bit.
ReplyDeleteWe decluttered a lot 10 years ago, when we moved to California. And, then again six years ago when we moved into our current house. During the height of COVID/WFH, I prioritized decluttering some small space every day. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI'd describe our house as in "pretty good" shape from a clutter perspective, although things always do creep up and it requires constant vigilance. We also have two teens, and try to respect their space, although I do have them clean/declutter occasionally. One, in particular, is a clutter bug!