Decluttering,
minimalizing, downsizing and organizing can be a never ending cycle. We clear the counters, we declutter drawers
and closets, bags go to the donation centers, we toss out the trash and take
out the recycling and yet stuff still seems to accumulate. We bring things in all the time. Mail, groceries, gifts, purchases, things that
are given to us, things we can't say no too, school papers, more paper,
packaging (Amazon, I'm talking about you), trash accumulates. On and on and on.
One of the things that
has helped me out tremendously to curb that vicious cycle was to set physical
limitations on what stays inside our home.
If it doesn't fit it doesn't stay and not wanting to be wasteful I'm now
much more aware of the available space in our home so I'm more careful about my
purchases.
We started with
hangers. Each of us has a certain number
and different color hanger. A reasonable
amount of clothing that fits nicely and neatly inside our closets. Now if I buy a new top or pair of pants I
know that if I don't have a hanger then I need to either donate an item or
return what I got to the store. More often
than not, before I even make that purchase I now know what I am replacing and
that item is already gone. And as time
has gone on I find myself wanting fewer clothing options and now I need fewer
hangers.
My office supplies used to be all over the
place tucked here and there. Once I
decided on a place to store them I made sure I only have what will fit neatly
into that space keeping them all together in one spot. The same with our crafting center. The purpose of that unit is not only to organize
and contain what we have in one space but to manage the volume of it as well.
We have one bin of
Christmas décor, one bin of fall décor, one bin of Halloween décor. I have one area in the garage for my canning
supplies, one area for tools and project supplies. You get the idea. Your physical limits and mine will
differ. While I prefer to confine my décor
bins to one per season/holiday you may feel that you need at least six or ten
bins. That is perfectly fine as long as
that is what you are comfortable with and you have the designated space to keep
that many items. I have a small house so
for me to keep more than what I currently have feels crowded and
uncomfortable. I really like my stuff
but I also need open spaces within our home.
More stuff not only
requires more space, but it also requires more time to manage that
stuff. I personally don't wish to manage
a lot of stuff anymore. I find that I
enjoy having less to do and manage so I have more time to do other things I
find enjoyable, such as using those craft supplies I have so carefully
organized and stored. If your stuff
is overwhelming you or your home consider setting up some physical limits. It may just be the ticket you need to get some
control over your stuff so it isn't controlling you.
Such good advice!
ReplyDeleteWe are slowly working through our stuff, but it is going to take a while.
I think I have 4 totes of Christmas stuff, but maybe 1 tote of all the rest of the other seasons combined.
It is definitely a process. :o)
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