So for those of you that don’t know – I’m on a journey to de-clutter my life and cut the crap. You wouldn’t know it if you looked at my office/spare bedroom this morning though, as it is still lined with crap. Crap that is overflowing each shelf of my desk, crap all over the bed, endless crap everywhere making crap babies. BUT – to point out a positive – this is all NEW crap to this room. I managed to absolutely clean and sort my office/spare bedroom to the minimalist standards, but then I made a mistake. Instead of moving to the next room and tackling that, being able to periodically enjoy the beautiful empty space, I emptied every drawer from the large wooden chest I have in my living room onto the bed in the previously immaculate office/spare bedroom. Now, frankly it looks like I haven’t done shit. Since the living room with the chest in it already ‘looked’ clean as all the crap was hidden within its drawers, the cleanliness of those drawers are now hidden and its contents are sprawled out.
I have to keep reminding myself of the slow and steady progress I have been making, and realize that although I have to do this room over, it’s actually really working on another. It keeps me from punching the wall. So that’s what I’m working on today, I’m bound and determined to double my progress this week. I’m ready to be done with the journey to get to a minimalistic life and start living one (because that’s a journey all it’s own). I should just take garbage bags and push everything into one (or a hundred) and be done with it, but I’m not hardwired like that. I have to learn what I can donate, trash, sell – as well as the items I absolutely need or LOVE. It is a process that teaches me how to rid myself of old habits and enable me to bid farewell to my old way of life.
I’m getting there.
So far, I’ve tossed 5 garbage bags, 7 donation bags, and have sold $700 worth of things on eBay. From one room. Granted, it was my messiest and most ‘valuable’ room, but that progress keeps me from giving up!
Laugh Up My Sleeve 
You’re doing great. I get that the previously clean room must be very frustrating to look at, but it is definitely forward progress! Making $700 is incredible, and you’ve come really far. Closer each day!
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Looks like we’re on the same journey! I really want to be one of those “put together” type of person! I’m like all over the place!!! Here’s to us on our journey to self improvement!
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Just keep at it! I’ve been decluttering for over a year now, and I’ve still a long way to go. It takes time. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once.
One of the best pieces of advice I heard re decluttering was to remove items by CATEGORY, not by room. So, decide to work on underwear first, for example, and get everyone’s underwear done. Then get trousers done (everyone’s). Then tops (everyone’s). And so on. Then move to another category once clothing is all done.
It works. Otherwise you get one area done, and it fills up with stuff from somewhere else. When you sort by category, you can see what you’ve done and you feel like you’re actually making progress.
Good luck! Enjoy the journey 🙂
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That’s a GREAT idea! Especially for those that have the same ‘categories’ in each room. Once the category is gone, its gone!
I’ll try that out.
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[…] do a before & after photo, so check back. Check out Renee’s posts on minimalism to see what she is doing with her […]
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Sounds like you’ve made great progress! They don’t call minimalism a journey for nothing, it requires upkeep for sure. You can assume a room is done, then walk in the next day and see something you totally overlooked and probably didn’t even know was there. Resist the desire to re-fill those empty spaces with new things, and pocket that cash for something more important 🙂
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Can we get an update on this? I plan to start my own journey and would like to know how yours is going. When we had the baby last year, our office became a nursery, and the stuff that was in the office was put in the basement. Of course, we would deal with it at the appropriate time (sarcasm font). The pile in the basement has grown and I’m afraid for people to go down there! What if they get smothered by an avalanche of my stuff!? Its time to buckle down and deal with these items.
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