January Declutter Strategy

[blessedw2]

got rid of wood chair that should have been painted 20 years ago.

[Nancy]

I rounded up cups to donate got them in a basket and loaded up with the other idems to take them to be delivered to the thrift shop!
The rig was full those have been delivered!
Came by home and got books to drop off & got a couple of mags.

[blessedw2]

yay!!! d Nancy!!!!

[blessedw2]

I donated 2 bolts of fabric (I had always thought I would use it as it is beautiful - truly beautiful, but I know that I would not decorate anywhere with this fabric - I had it in plastic for 10 years and the fabric is still perfect).
I donated a sweater, a top, (too big for dd younger), donated some other stuff.

[blessedw2]

I am starting to look at the heritage clutter - what people have given me - mostly d mom - and dd younger is a keeper of everything - she sees importance in everything and can't let go. i have so much.

How I hope to go through things:
find all the keepsakes
think of what is important to me.
take pictures of things and put them on ancestry
(my grandfather's and d mom's paintings)
simplify photos and get them on ancestry
make books for dd younger and older
pare down to a small amount.

[blessedw2]

I took the test in Peter walsh's downsizing book and my findings were fascinating.
my family issues rated 40 out of 40 but my own idea of my stuff was low.
I feel good that I have come really far over the years to separate the stuff from who I am

I will put Part 1 through 5 in each day.


Part 1 Downsizing feelings"

"I'm fearful about the idea of downsizing 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)"

"I am confident that my stuff is going to fit in my new home (or my parents' stuff that I'm keeping will fit into my current home"
5 - very much to 0- not at all

"I'm worried that I'll make a wrong decision when downsizing" 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

"I think downsizing will be one of the worst experiences of my life" 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

"Downsizing will cause me a lot of emotional upheaval 0" (not at all) to 5 (very much)

"I have enough time to handle this downsizing process" 5 Not at all to 0 (very much)

I feel physically able to pack, carry, and load all the stuff while downsizing 5 (not at all) to 0 (very much)

"the change in my life that prompted me to read this book feels scary" 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)


Hope this helps anyone paring down.

I will post "part 2 : The quantity of my stuff tomorrow.
part 3: My feelings about Stuff"
part 4: Legacy issues
part 5: family"

Peter Walsh book: Let it go - it's really good.

[Harmony]

So, blessed, do we add up our scores and is there a chart of numbers as to how we're doing? I didn't add mine but my score would be very low. My problem is not me, it's more DH's problem.

Here we're trying to figure out how to get rid of the 2 wheelchairs we were given. 1 was DFiL's before he died, and other was the people mover DH's sister gave us. Both of them have dry-rotted rubber on the wheels. Right now they're sitting in the garage. We will need to get a knee wheeler.

I keep going through papers. So far 1 1/2 wastebaskets of paper tossed.

[blessedw2]

d harmony - I am at the same place as you. My dh, my dd's struggle (they don't think it is struggling) with letting go or taking the time to let it go.
I also have to add my d mom has given me old family heirlooms and things she has bought over the years that she feels I should keep.


I know the hospitals won't take the old wheelchairs - I don't know if donations will take old wheel chairs without good tires. You may just have to let it go to the dump or call your local charity and see if they want them knowing they won't have good tires. good luck!!!

Each section of the is added up individually - I did one for me and and I did one on how I think my family will react (by past experience)
I did well but my family - nope. I don't mind listing where mine is at after i am done typing the rest of the test.

wishing you a wonderful day.

YAY D HARMONY ON PAPERS!!!

[blessedw2]

I finally realized how much pressure my d mom has put on me over the years to keep things she bought herself - she sees so much importance in her purchases and her art work and crafts. (understandable and the things she had made) - she doesn't see that once it's made it goes out to the new person who can decide what do do with them. She can't understand that even if she spent money on them (lots of money) that the person who receives them may not want to keep them.

I know when I purchased our bed frame she was really disappointed that dh and I didn't want her beautiful colonial expensive bed and furniture. It was beautiful but dh and I are not super fancy people and it didn't work for us.

I will say she wants us happy and tries but has this tendency to pressure I or dd younger to keep things to make her feel better. She sees the worth in her stuff and doesn't see that it may burden us - well it burdens me but dd younger doesn't understand that she can't possibly keep boxes and boxes of things.

I have to figure out the question of what did you do with this.. I did a beautiful job on it... She thinks all her purchases should get lots of money bc they were antiques. I have to figure out how not to let dd younger get burdened with all the stuff as she tends to be a hoarder.

A new adventure

[blessedw2]

"Test 2: the quantity of my stuff" by Peter Walsh in his book Let it Go

1. "I have a lot of stuff that I don't need or use? 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

2. I have a lot of other peoples stuff stored in my home (like stuff that belongs to adult children or other family members, friends etc.)
0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

3. I have duplicates of a lot of things - 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

4. I have a lot of stuff that I'm going to have trouble picking up and moving -
0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

5. I regularly declutter the things in my home that I don't need, use, or want
0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

6. I've downsized my "material convoy" in the recent past (5 years or less)
opposite:
5 for (not at all) to 0 (very much)

7. I have a lot of unopened gifts and items I 've bought that are still in their packaging
0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

8. My home feels more full of stuff than homes of most people I know"
0 (not at all) to 5 (very much)

add up your score: _______________