| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Oct 17 2009 : 2:05:47 PM
Ok...here goes...
First, I truly believe you have to know what your goals are. I believe your home reflects your inner life...what your foundation is that sets the stage for everything in your life.
I would first say before you buy any totes, shelves, baskets, organizers, whatever, sit down and write down your top 5 priorties in life. You ask why??? WHY HEATHER???  LIke I said, when you have a goal in life, "stuff" will get in your way, whether material or personal clutter.
Here is my list, for your entertainment:
1. Family and Fun
2. Career
3. College
4. Travel
5. Health
My home reflects these areas now. I have the things I need to get these goals accomplished and in the easiest way possible. I don't spend hours cleaning and use those hours to pursue what I love.
A little backstory. 4 years ago, I was tired of where my life was headed. I love my little family but I was exhausted, trying to keep up with a newborn, college, constant moving, trying to get my health in check, etc...I started creating a binder with pictures of the things I wanted to come into my life...kinda like my dream life in pictures--- houses, furniture, clothing, places I wanted to travel, ANYTHING that I felt fit into my goals mentioned above...I labeled 5 tabs and filled them with the things I would need to accomplish them. I also started listing the things I already owned that were definite keeps. Being a visual person, this was my life guide...on all levels. I wanted a complete and different lifestyle. It is scary at first...when I suddenly found myself cleaning out my closet and I had only a 1/3 of what I started with. But each piece is me.
Now you say, my gosh, I still have a mess and a nicely made binder. Congratulations...you have made the first BIG step.
Next...I started with the smallest room in my house. I made the donate, keep and trash piles. You HAVE to make the time to do this. Once you take that first step, you will be surprised how far you can get. This room also became my keep space. See, people often go and by all the storage items and then feel the need to fill them up. You end up buying 10 bins and feel you must fill all of them. Instead, work through each item and do not worry how you are going to store it...if you love it, keep it...the rest can go. Keep it that simple. Make sure it fits into your life you have and want.
One of my sub goals was I was tired of cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and constantly worried about having to keep the house perfect. First, I threw that idea out the window...my home is my sanctuary, not a showcase. Second, I wanted a more simple but understated elegance to my home. I was tired of the mish mash and a lot of that mish mash were things I was guilted into keeping. Come on..you know we all have them. I had that collection of 150 beanie babies, housewares that were gifted to me, never mind my style or pleading for them not to be sent to me    ...along with the guilt maintenance, as I call it. I had a complete shed filled with things I collected many years ago and since then, had changed my style and no longer could relate to those things but had to move them out of my mom's house. This was a serious issue with my mother...because I had sorted out what I didn't want into bins yet she wouldn't dispose of them for me..she kept guilting me about picking them up...so Scott and I made the trip from CA to NY and loaded up a small moving van...drove it to MA...donated everything in the back of the truck and dropped off the truck. Best $300 I ever spent...Books..tons of books...crafts...clothing...you get the idea...it was as if I had left that life behind and here it was cluttering up my life again...choking the breath out of me. I refused to move it into my new married life and continue the packrate tendencies I learned growing up. What I did keep fit nicely into my duffel bag and onto the plane, home to CA..which mounted to about 1 small box of items. FREEING!!!
Once I got honest with myself, I will admit it was easy to start and keep going. It took me a good 6-8 months of 1 day a week of RIGOROUS decluttering to get things under control. I found as I would remove layers, I would step back, take a break and found I could go further during the next round. This was a shedding of skin for me...revealing my true self. It helped that Scott was gone for a lot of this because it is not that he cares but I think we, as women, often harbor guilt over having stuff and now not wanting it or needing it and are afraid to make that change. I did consult him on some things but had free reign...I figure I was the one who cleaned the mess up...and he pretty much goes along with it anywho. 
I will get to the how to in the next part of this..just thought this might help. : )
Heather
"Hitch your wagon to a star"
http://somewheredownintexas-heather.blogspot.com |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Roxy7 |
Posted - Oct 18 2009 : 06:53:11 AM
Good tips. I want to live more simply, but this is taking work for me. Thanks for the post! |
| bohemiangel |
Posted - Oct 17 2009 : 4:27:26 PM
Thanks for sharing Heather. That's awesome!! I'm finally on a similar path. My goal (I still doubt that I'll make it) is have stuff that would fit into 1 room only. LOL we'll see. I live at home so it's a bit diff, but I am shedding things that are crap and don't make me happy and relaxed. It's working, lil by lil. I still get overwhelmed and think oh geez I'll never finish. I've been trying to live below my means too, which makes having money easier. I'm definitely in a better place this year. My priorities are in order and apparent.
I can only hope I will accomplish as much as you have :) Good work!!! Keep us informed :)xo
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/
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| Annika |
Posted - Oct 17 2009 : 3:06:11 PM
Oh thank you so, so much Heather! You cannot know what this means to me to have someone so completely understand where I am at this point, looking in dismay at boxes, bins, heaps and stacks of stuff that I don't want, but not being sure where to start.
SO.... that said, I think I know which room to start in and it should be pretty easy to sort that room.
So...Farmgirl plowin' through!
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
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