When our houses or offices get piled with clutter, much of the reason is procrastination.
We all procrastinate — let’s just get that out in the open. There’s not a one of us who doesn’t, to some degree.
But while our tasks and projects can pile up, giving us some anxiety, the clutter is a visual sign of that procrastination, and carries with it just as much anxiety.
Leo’s solution is to deal with it right now. Instead of piling, or setting it down, deal with it RIGHT NOW.
I agree with the approach, most of the time procrastination does get in the way of minimalism and organization. I say that as someone who is staring at a basket of laundry that has been waiting to be put away for 2 days.
In my work as a professional organizer I have seen many clients procrastinate, or defer making a decision about a particular object, pile, or even an entire room once.
The problem is not solely procrastination, though. It’s the emotional attachment to the object that gets in the way. For instance, you could look at your wedding band, a childhood toy, or even a favorite book, and something happens inside you. You may have a feeling that is wonderful, or one that the particular object brings out that includes anger, sadness, pain, etc.
There are 2 ways this can manifest into clutter:
avoiding dealing with the object(s) to avoidance of the emotions they feel
the inability to separate the emotion from the object
In my experience, the second one is the most common cause of clutter.
I have had clients refuse to let go of things that were taking up space, time, and money because the mental association was so good. I have also had clients who could not face the feelings they associated with objects, so the objects stay there, the emotions never get released.
In my work, I act as 25% therapist, 25% heavy lifting, and 50% guide. Holding your hand, sometimes literally, as we go through each and every thing you own.
It is an extraordinarily difficult process for some people that is not born out of procrastination, but born out of fear. Fear of what was, fear of loss, fear of what lies ahead. If you get rid of all your layers, you are left exposed, and you have no excuses anymore. You are bare, without attachment, without clutter, and the focus becomes you. For most people it is the fear of seeing and being who they really are.
Now, I’m off to face my own issues, and put the laundry away.
You saw my Goodwill load, and I had a small bag of stuff to giveaway, a bag of recycling, and a bag of trash. We also put out a few things at the curb which were promptly picked up. (or neighborhood is full of “trash pickers” on trash day, and we never have anything usable go to waste)
Even while on vacation at my parent’s house I continued decluttering. I recycled or threw out some expired items in my Mom’s fridge and pantry. We won’t talk about the grossness that is dressing from 2007.
I’m still going little by little through every drawer, every load of laundry, every nook and cranny to find things, and 5/day has NOT been a challenge.
If you count all 6 of us I should be doing 30/day, and I think I’m pretty close to that number most days.
By cutting back on what we own, we don’t need to tidy up or clean up as much, and there is less to do.
Today I’m tackling the kitchen. I’m sure there is at least a dozen things I can donate, that are rarely used.
We’re 4 days into my 5/day challenge. Do you have 20 things so far? I guess if I count every member of my family I should have 120 things. I actually might! (I’ll share an update later) While decluttering and selling your used stuff may come at the bottom of your to do list, it may net you more in the short term than re-allocating your stock portfolio or slashing your monthly expense by 10%.
I got a question I hear often, and one that you my have as well.
“How do I decide if something is worth selling, or donating, or if it is better to give it away or toss it?”
Give your item a good once-over. If it is damaged, broken, and or repairable it should be trashed. (the exception is cotton clothing which can be re-used as rags)
If it still has life left, consider how much it would sell for. If you know what your time is worth, you can use that as part of the equation.
Most of my work is unpaid, but I consider my free time to be worth at least $10/hr, so if a sale won’t net me that I don’t bother. If it is something BIG I need gone I either post it to freecycle, put it by the curb (we get a lot of trash pickers on trash days), or put it on Criag’s List.
Donations are another option. REMEMBER NOT TO USE GOODWILL (or other charities) AS YOUR TRASH! Do not send them stained, ripped or irreparable items. It wastes their time and resources.If you are sending donations, remember to take photos of everything, and use a value estimator like It’s Deductible so when tax time rolls around you have an accurate number, and accurate accounting.
Despite what many people think you CAN donate more than $500 in goods, you just have to have proof. A receipt from the charity, your photos, and your estimates will be sufficient.
I’m not a fan of holding yard sales, since that is time away from work, projects, and the kids. I usually only net about $100 (or less!) and that’s for 8-10 hours of work.
My favorite place to sell things is Amazon.com. The listing stays up until it sells, and you have the prices of similar or the same items right on the site to draw from. I have used it to sell books, electronics, and several other items.
Tips for selling on Amazon.com
Ask your buyers for feedback
Be sure to ship orders quickly, and make sure you communicate with your buyer about expected arrival date
Do NOT make your item the lowest price. Most sellers who sell items for the lowest price do not have good customer satisfaction.
For books, be sure to be honest about the condition, and make sure you pay attention to condition when you compare prices. If I’m selling a Like New book, I would price it higher than a book that’s listed as “Acceptable”.
Here is a short video on me processing a few books from the kid’s rooms. Ignore the bad hair
Tell me how you decide what goes where when you are decluttering. I’d love to hear your ideas.
