#1 Too much stuff

1 August 2015


I have TOO MUCH stuff.

....and I'm quite sure I'm not alone.
On the surface all looks fine...  but open a cupboard and hooley looley.. thats a LOT of stuff.

The WORST part is that every time I need something I cant find it.
Very few things have a home... things are spread around... bits here..bits there... there are no rules to where you will find things...its a disaster. Its a time waster...and it drives me and everyone else in the house nuts.

My attempts to de-clutter have been ongoing for some time...I've tried the 'room at a time' routine... the 10 minutes a day routine... the cupboard a week routine..and every other suggested 'de-cluttering method' you can think of...I named my previous attempts 'Donnerising' after my friend Donna who has the most organised house ever...but still...
they all fail before I finish.

The reasons I fail?
1. I am not ruthless enough.... I hoard sentimental things...and I am too good at pulling out the old 'keep it in case' cop out card.

2. I don't sort it all at once and then find things a home. Its useless tidying books in one room when I have books in 5 rooms....they all need to be sorted at once and put away in their home.

If you need some inspiring thoughts about clearing out...freeing up....resetting your life...
Have a listen to Graham Hill....  

Then...if you want to try a new approach... or just want to check out the Konmari approach that everyone is talking about then I recommend reading this book by Marie Kondo.
(I bought my copy as an eBook on iBooks.)

Its a quick read.... but it had an impact.
I loved that it had a totally different approach.
The Konmari method is to work through your home in a specific order.

I began as she recommends with clothing.... it means bringing every piece of clothing into one spot....EVERYTHING has to come out of your wardrobe....drawers... spare cupboards...and laundry.... in fact anywhere clothes may hide.
Then you can begin sorting.... make a pile of things that 
'Spark Joy'
and a discard pile  out of anything you no longer wear. Its important to be truthful as you look over each piece...if it doesn't spark joy... out it goes.
The next step is to fold it all in a specific way so that once it is put away in the cupboard you can see everything at a glance.

You know what...I've only dealt clothes at this stage.... but I do feel so much better for having made a big change so quickly... my wardrobe is a breeze to find things in.. its a great feeling.

2 comments

  1. loved this Mardi I love seeing how other people do or do not have sucess. I'm ok with my stuff but live with hoarders so makes it difficult and then I am bad in some ways too. Im a sentimental oh ill hold onto it. LOL
    good luck looking forward to following your journey & hopefully Ill get some tips. MEl xx

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    1. Thanks Mel.... I am the same...I love seeing and reading others as they organise..purge and make life better with less stuff. I searched the web for articles to read and YouTube vids for inspiration too.
      So...my clothes are almost done....I took two bags to the Op shop today before I 'rescued' anything else from the pile. I am looking forward to ticking off the clothes category and moving on.

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