I have scheduled a few days off of work to tackle my 3 closets: the toiletries/bathroom closet, the arts & crafts closet and the bedroom closet. This will involve letting go of many things I no longer use or never really have used. I plan on donating stuff from these closets to a shelter, as I figure people there will benefit more from its use. Even the craft and decor items could benefit an organization that helps women get out on their own again or give them something creative to do.

I also plan to make this a New Year's tradition! Thanks AT & Re-Nest for inspiring me to do so!

www.AConleyCreation.com

PS, for the stuff that is in plain sight, I plan on organizing by making some boxes with fabric scraps and cardboard leftover from boxes.

I am trying to declutter and only keep things I really love or use, I just find it so hard to let go of stuff. This year I am going to do more letting go, this is my 4th year of the 6 week declutter plan :) this is the year I get it right.

It's always been my ideal to only have things I love and use in my apartment, but, really, I have trouble letting go of things I only use occasionally (snow shovel, hammer, and similar tools) and I also have a lot of artwork (that I've made) that I can't bear to discard. We'll see if I make some headway in the junk this year!

By the end of this month, I will dispassionately de-clutter. That is my resolution. Books are my greatest weakness. All books I have read will go - painful as it is. Someone else will find the joy I found in them.

de-cluttering is especially hard for those items that u think, "what if i need this someday...?" a good trick is to actually answer the question: what if i DO need this someday? how easy will it b to replace? or borrow? how upset will i b that i dont have THIS particular one? that can b a huge help in letting stuff go... i also try to weigh how much i am benefitting from this thing sitting in my closet vs. how much someone less fortunate would be able to benefit from it if i donated it...
PS: a lot of things can b remembered just as well w a digital picture- just seeing the image will bring back all the nostalgic feelings w/out overtaking ur space...

I've been reading The Joy of Less by Francine Jay, a very practical guide on why and how to declutter. Jay's particular strength is helping unpack one's emotional attachment to stuff, and she explains room by room how to cope with the kinds of things collected there. While reading, I actually got up and cleared off my dresser before sitting back down again. I doubt that I'll be down to 100 things or a backpack or other minimalist visions I've seen blogged, but, several large boxes later, I am starting to enjoy my living space more.

I have alloted two "declutter" and "cleansing" sessions per year for this purpose. One is in June and the other in December. I "spring clean" my entire room and all the nooks and crannies where stuff is stored.

I used my computer to schedule a "reminder" once every 2-wks to "get rid of something". Even if it was only a cardboard box, it counted. I've been sporadic about keeping to it each instance. I think every one here agrees ... it's not about the quantity, it's about the quality.

an e-reader helps - book clutter is still clutter.

For those who struggle with book clutter (I did), remember the following

1) Certain books get read and re-read, eg. Cook books, dictionaries and thesaurus', poetry, design books. Some don't, like novels. I can only remember three novels I've ever read more than once.

2) Visit your library just once, just once and see what you're missing. It really is a real gold mine.

3) The re-sale price of books is dreadful. Unless it's a first, limited, hardback, signed edition you're fooling yourself.

4) You are not your possessions!!

5) Books aren't design /intellectual currency.... unless you've read them.