October's Dynamic Declutter

Share your decluttering activities and ideas.
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Harriet
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October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Harriet » Fri Oct 01, 2010 10:09 am

Are you experiencing avoidance? :( Good news - you're absolutely normal.

Organizing expert Dorothy Breininger says we have all had to ignore the clutter in household areas sometimes. Then the clutter builds, resulting in unpleasant feelings, and then avoidance of the space. But we can make a plan to reclaim it that will ease our minds and KEEP it decluttered.

"In areas that have been ignored (especially if there are many). I ask myself, 'What is the area of biggest concern today and what can I do for 30 minutes to make headway or progress in that area?' "


Breininger advises working at the 30-minute-a-day level (or more if you choose) until an area of most concern has reached a point you can feel good about maintaining. But she says it's likely that will be the very area in which you'll still struggle against avoidance in the future. So at that point, don't move on yet - make a maintenance plan.

"In terms of advice about these feelings of avoiding a space - it is normal. We all do it. The question is, how much time do we let go by without doing anything about it? I ask my clients to discover their own pattern. Example: Messy bedroom? Client cleans it on Sunday. Every Sunday. On Monday, she leaves some of her clothes on the floor. Tuesday, she changes purses and leaves magazines sliding on the nightstand, on Wednesday, the hairspray and brush don't make it back in the drawers and so on. She's now okay with all of this because she knows that every Sunday, she's going to clean it back up again. That's just one way to make it work."


So when we finish decluttering a space that's been ignored, we must run, not walk, to our household chore plan and formally include a declutter of that space! See? We're all going to be sane yet! ;)

We hope you'll join us in this thread, where we encourage each other to give our lovely homes a minimum of 15 minutes per day in declutter appointments. Last month, we were hummin', with 9 pages of home-rediscovering chat!

sherinjoy
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby sherinjoy » Sun Oct 03, 2010 9:59 pm

I am working in my rented storage unit this month. I have 60 boxes of papers, going all the way back to the 80's. Financial boxes total 22, back to 1979 when we were first married. I have committed to spend 1 hour a day going through the boxes, purging and sorting. My intent is to be able to get the boxes down to 20 and bring them back home to store, so that I can let go of the storage unit. I just hate paying for it every month and the weather will prohibit me from going after next month when the rains and cold begin. So, this is my goal for October decluttering.

I also am working at home on financial papers for 2010, getting them in order so I will be prepared for taxes in Jan. I want to learn from my mistake this year waiting too long and having to pay penalities.

Hope everyone else is working on projects this month to keep me company in the Decluttering forum!

blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:56 am

that's wonderful dsherinjoy.. I will stay with you during October decluttering.
my goal as dfamily is coming to help clean out the garage is to start going through all the bolts etc.
help dh with his papers from the garage (a little each day makes such a difference is right)
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Mon Oct 04, 2010 6:13 pm

went for a garbage run through house... open a drawer here or there.. no real thinking and tossed.
donation jacket is in front hall closet
dd15 is having a hard time letting go. always has.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Nancy
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Nancy » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:44 pm

Yep avoiding it that's me!

I finally got the few things I had de-cluttered out of a closet shelf last week
bagged up and loaded into the car trunk for this week's trip to town.

blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:46 am

Me too me too :lol:

yeah, nancy getting those things into the car.


proud of dh... he went through a stack of car parts magazines and only kept one and recycled the rest. that's huge for him.
I went through dh's bin of papers and am burning 90% of it now. mostly checking accounts papers from 2000 to 2003
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Nancy
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Nancy » Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:22 am

It's trash day here.
Goal:
I'm going to see if there are some things to go mainly papers on the tall side table in the dining room.

blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Wed Oct 06, 2010 4:16 pm

how did trash day work out dnancy. Ours is friday.

we went to donation place: 1 bags worth
dd15 tossed her old gym shoes: one thing in and one thing out.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Nancy
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Nancy » Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:38 pm

Thanks for asking bw2!
Trash day is going better around here got it out to the curb,
I've been encouraging h. to get to it the day before
and that's great forward progress.

Today I got the tall side table decluttered yea!
Also delivered the few donations in the car trunk.
Tossed some food stuffs that were from dgson's other eating program
that were just taking up room in my cupboards.
Set aside just one shelf for their stuff and if it's here more than a month I"m going to
toss to make room for things we need and use here!
One thing was unopened so that went to the food bank.

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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Fri Oct 08, 2010 6:30 pm

great progress dnancy on getting the trash out the door (great progress!)
your tall side table looks marvelous! and you did donations as well.. magnifique!
it is always a joy to be here with you!


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