2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

avscomps

Hello! I'm in for the year. Setting myself a target of 100 items to start with, I'll see how I get on and maybe extend that!

regnbue

Hello everybody

Please may I join for 2023.  I did a mega declutter in 2021 but it was so intense I was a bit burnt out and so did very little this year.

However having read the 2022 thread over the last 3 months I have got all fired up again and would like to aim for 500 items this time.

Thank you all for inspiring me!

EcoIntent

Hi, I am going for 2023 in 2023 . Plan is to donate, pass on and sell. Or recycle/bin as needed.

Starting early:
1. Office scrap paper and receipts found on my desk today, shredded / recycled
2. Alumni magazine - recycled
3. Christmas cards - recycled
4. 2 x used up tea light - (set aside - I collect them to post to the Recycled Candle Company)
5. Plastic wrap from new set of tea lights  - Landfill bin
6. The Boy who Made the World Disappear book by Ben Miller 
7. The Green Roasting Tin - fab book that I seem to have two copies of!
8. Set of 3 red, white and blue Next ceramic ducks 
9. Red, white and blue beach huts and sea gull ornament
10. Local theatre brochure - Recycled
11. City map from recent trip - Recycled
12. Vintage Ladybird book - The Twelve Dancing Princesses

x

CMD79

Hi everyone! I've not joined in before, but my husband will be delighted if I can get rid of a lot of stuff from all over the place! 

I have a lot of clothes that I don't wear, nor like, loads of crafting stashes that I don't use/have time for, and despite the child being 6.5 years, a lot of baby stuff!

This is probably quite ambitious, but in for a penny, in for a pound! I'm going to try to get rid of 2023 kilos worth. That's just over 2 tonnes, so will aim for 40kgs per week (that sounds a lot when you say it like that!  

I also have a lot of clutter in my inboxes. My main personal account has 50,950 unread emails  so I'm going to aim to clear all that as well, 1000 email per week.....

Beshki

Started off on a good note. Our household bin is filled & a bag of unwanted Christmas gifts (mostly) donated to the charity shop this afternoon. Hoping to make a good start whilst I’m off work, to start the year in a good place to continue when life gets busy.

thriftyscotslass

So I've changed my target - I'm goin' in - 2023 items out in 2023

Florenceem

I want to join please.
I have spent so much time at my Salvation Army Corps this past year that my house has been neglected.

Bored

I'd love to join for 2023. I'm a minimalist at heart but I've realised that once you buy a home that it is very easy to accumulate a lot of possessions without realising it.

I'm mainly going to be doing maintenance decluttering and some advanced organization and cataloguing of possessions so rather than picking a target number, I will just generally update with my progress. I'm also going to maintain inbox zero for my personal life and work email addresses.

daisy_1571

Hello all the new people, lovely to see all the new faces.  Remember we are all here supporting each other, if it all gets a bit much we have a quiet carriage and a tlc carriage where there are massage chairs, tea coffee and some alcohol too I think plus all sorts of extras to bring peace and refreshments to tired bodies, minds and souls.

This is probably a marathon not a sprint so don't get disheartened after a week or a busy month, keep popping in and other posters' successes, failures,  hints tips and tales help us all keep our spirits from flagging.  There are as many reasons for each particular clutter as there are posters and lurkers.  Some is physical,  some is in some way psychological,  most people didn't gain it overnight so dont expect it to leave the house/hut/shed/garage/attic overnight. 

Some will be yours, some belongs to or is left by other members of the household or previous members of the household but if you know you need to do SOMETHING but are overwhelmed about where or how to start heres some tips gathered from the collective wisdom (so you don't have to trawl through every post on the 2022 thread):

start with your own stuff,

start with just one surface and keep it clear,

start with a drawer,

start with your underwear drawers,

start somewhere that you can turn into a peaceful haven to relax and recharge in when you get overwhelmed again,

start with the area that annoys you the most,

use a timer set for 15 mins and do something/anything - if that's enough, stop.  If you want to carry on set it again

start with a general sweep for proper rubbish that can go in your rubbish and recycling bins to give you a boost,

although it may seem counter intuitive, as you pick up each thing literally walk with it to where it needs to be properly put away- then as soon as you get tired or need to stop you won't turn round to a big pile of stuff that still needs put somewhere as that can be enough to put you off,

don't rush out and buy loads of 'storage' as storage will naturally appear as you empty or sort and

in many cases the question might not be 'how can I store these (for example) 100 pens neatly? I need a new plastic storage chest of drawers' but question 1 'how many of these pens actually work?' That's 25 straight in the bucket, now question 2 'how many pens do I realisticly use in say a year?' right, keep 20 pens handy and question 3 where can I send the rest so they will be used before they dry out and still end up in the bucket (try not to let the idea that everything must go to a perfect new home stop you though.  Lots of energy can be drained away by trying to get that 6 inch bit of plastic that you just KNOW will be useful to someone somewhere but it merely ends up in a bag near the door, still draining your decision making.  Sometimes its ok to just let things go, even if it will go to landfill),

try not to get caught up in the 'that cost me money' internal conversation - you paid for it, now you're storing it.  Storing it doesn't bring back the money, thats already gone.  Storing but not using something means it doesn't matter if it cost 50p or £500, its just clutter to your house

similarly maybe don't put everything in a 'to be sold' pile unless you genuinely intend to start selling it now, as you go along.  Otherwise chances are you've just created another pile plus another thing that subconsciously will weigh on you reminding you you spent money on that and now there's another task on your list etc etc

gather all like things together.  Once you see just how many of an item or category you might find it easier to realise you have 'enough' and can let the excess go (see 100 pens example if you know you only use a pen once in a blue moon).  Conversely you might realise you can never find something simply because you don't have enough 

take before and after photos.   Its easy to not realise what a difference you've made

Other useful resources: Marie Kondo life changing magic of tidying up book.  Minimalist mom website. Flylady website.   


I'm absolutely certain ive missed some genuine golden insights (sorry I've not kept a record of who contributed what to acknowledge you) and ive certainly missed other websites and philosophies of decluttering - any and all contributions welcome to help anyone feeling a bit unsure where to begin??



Daisy xx

Ps Mrs sd is the most wonderful cheer leader with lots of backup from the rest of the declutter team.  Great to have you all on board, and keep in mind no question is silly or too unimportant to ask, reach out, somebody will have an idea to help.  Or if you just want to rant, unburden,  get stuff out your head thats OK too.

DrCarrie

Dome great tips there @daisy_1571 and thanks to  @SaladDodger for hosting and cheerleading. There has already been so much action on the thread! Very inspiring, looking forward to getting started on Sunday.