See this stack of magazines:
Yesterday I heard myself say ‘I am going to work my way through them before donating’.
The majority are 3-years-old. The bulk is a subscription that was a Christmas gift. I read the magazines as they arrived, and then stashed them away.
I had planned on counting them to see how many there were. But I’m not going to.
The weight of them alone would be enough to break a foot, if dropped from waist height.
Am I really going to look through them again – one by one? Really?
After all, there may be that amazing recipe that I really should rustle up!
‘May’ and ‘Should’ – interesting words.
I could keep the pile of food magazines on the off-chance that there’s that one special recipe. Then there’s the second off-chance that I will actually get around to making it, if it is in there.
Alternatively I can accept that if the recipe didn’t stand out on first reading, then maybe I should let the opportunity go.
But then again maybe I should just check? Just one last time? This could be the lost chance to bake the dish of my existence.
Indecision. A declutterers stumbling block.
Last August I let go of my project clutter. This is very similar clutter,in my mind, to what I am dealing with regarding the magazines. The allure of what I intend to do is very strong. Yet the motivation to actually getting around to doing it is so weak. Catch 22. Indecision.
I could hang on to all similar items, justifying their space in the home because I will get around to doing it one day.
Or I can cut my potential opportunity losses and free up mental, emotional and physical space.
Having an illusive something ‘to-do’ in the future can be a burden to bear. If I haven’t done it by now – will I ever?
The magazines are being decluttered. Today. The magic of the world-wide web means there is an abundance of knowledge and opportunities at our fingertips 24/7. The days of hoarding magazines in fear of losing a nugget of gold has past.
I’ve come to know myself very well since beginning the journey toward a simple family life and starting to declutter almost 5-years-ago. I sincerely believe I have hoarding tendencies, but manage to keep them in check. This I do by knowing how my mind works. Decluttering isn’t easy for me. I make myself do it, and the results when I do are amazing. No pain, no gain. Decluttering gives you the feel good factor.
No matter how far I have come, and continue to progress, I can totally relate to why people hoard. One recent episode of Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners is a great example. Janet from Luton’s passion for haberdashery has taken over her home.
((If you do watch the clip, brace yourself as about halfway through Alison (an obsessive cleaner) shares some sad news about her compulsion))
I have a passion for baking, but it will not take over my home. Yesterday I decluttered and organised the cake-decorating cupboard.
There’s still a lot of stuff in there. But it’s stuff I use regularly. It’s not stuff I will get around to using one-day.
Today I will declutter the food mags I’ve stored, that I don’t use regularly. This doesn’t make me less passionate, it makes me realistic.
Do you battle with declutterers indecision?
Well done! I am a keen baker and totally understand the feeling of keeping recipes “just in case”. I tend to use lots of recipes online now, which have the added benefit of reviews by people who have actually tried the recipes, and have sometimes added their own variations. I have a little notebook which I write my favourite recipes in, but only once they have been tried and I know they will become part of my regular repertoire. My worst hoarding habit has to be plastic containers – if I have an empty butter or ice-cream tub I can’t help looking at it as something useful to be washed out and kept to use for “little bits and pieces”. I threw a lot out recently and am putting them straight in the bin each time I finish one now!
Happy New Year Rebecca!
Totally understand the plastic container thing. I’ll run through how I see it – and why I have to be careful and remember to dispose of them.
The tub seemingly has value. It has purpose and can be reused. It’s hard then to recycle it in the conventional way. Creative people (aka you and I) see a multitude of uses for it. We can store things in it, the Kids can use it to make something etc…
It’s okay to keep one or two. For example I am currently learning ‘piping’ techniques at cake class. I need multiple tubs to hold various coloured icing. But once I have 4 I need to stop collecting them. They can be reused. Last week I made the hubby keep a soft cheese tub instead of popping in recycling bin. The day after (when it wasn’t used – of course – I recycled it myself). It can be a problem – I know it can – so I do something about it now. This was a different story a few years back.
Did you see the programme about Richard (hoarding problems).http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076822/Richard-Wallace-hoarded-rubbish-seen-space.html
I think he was storing old glass milk bottles (among pretty much everything else). Highly intelligent man.
Well done! I am a keen baker and totally understand the feeling of keeping recipes “just in case”. I tend to use lots of recipes online now, which have the added benefit of reviews by people who have actually tried the recipes, and have sometimes added their own variations. I have a little notebook which I write my favourite recipes in, but only once they have been tried and I know they will become part of my regular repertoire. My worst hoarding habit has to be plastic containers – if I have an empty butter or ice-cream tub I can’t help looking at it as something useful to be washed out and kept to use for “little bits and pieces”. I threw a lot out recently and am putting them straight in the bin each time I finish one now!
Happy New Year Rebecca!
Totally understand the plastic container thing. I’ll run through how I see it – and why I have to be careful and remember to dispose of them.
The tub seemingly has value. It has purpose and can be reused. It’s hard then to recycle it in the conventional way. Creative people (aka you and I) see a multitude of uses for it. We can store things in it, the Kids can use it to make something etc…
It’s okay to keep one or two. For example I am currently learning ‘piping’ techniques at cake class. I need multiple tubs to hold various coloured icing. But once I have 4 I need to stop collecting them. They can be reused. Last week I made the hubby keep a soft cheese tub instead of popping in recycling bin. The day after (when it wasn’t used – of course – I recycled it myself). It can be a problem – I know it can – so I do something about it now. This was a different story a few years back.
Did you see the programme about Richard (hoarding problems).http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076822/Richard-Wallace-hoarded-rubbish-seen-space.html
I think he was storing old glass milk bottles (among pretty much everything else). Highly intelligent man.
Oh Joanne, I could have written this post. I’ve replied to you before about our similarities with our hoarding tendencies and again, reading this blog post pulled at my heart and actually made me shed a tear. I have a blog I try and keep up with (although I’m not even nearly as organised as you at regular posting) but I thought you might like to pop over some time. http://perfectionistinpractice.blogspot.co.uk xx Catherine x
Popping over Catherine!x
Oh Joanne, I could have written this post. I’ve replied to you before about our similarities with our hoarding tendencies and again, reading this blog post pulled at my heart and actually made me shed a tear. I have a blog I try and keep up with (although I’m not even nearly as organised as you at regular posting) but I thought you might like to pop over some time. http://perfectionistinpractice.blogspot.co.uk xx Catherine x
Popping over Catherine!x
Well I was in exactly the same dilemma only last year over my cookery magazines. Like you I had lots and lots. I decided to flick through them one by one and put a post-it note on any of recipes that I wanted to cook or have cooked before. I then scanned them onto my Mac, renamed them and saved them. Sadly for the magazine I no longer had any use from them so I donated them round to family members who I knew would put them to good use.
These days I get all my magazine subscriptions on my iPad. Its a much better (not to mention compact) way to keep an archive. I take a screen shot of any recipes I like and then I transfer them to my Mac an file them away till I need them.
I’ve moved to electronic reading. It’s a miracle for a potential paper hoarder like me! You sound very organised 😉
Well I was in exactly the same dilemma only last year over my cookery magazines. Like you I had lots and lots. I decided to flick through them one by one and put a post-it note on any of recipes that I wanted to cook or have cooked before. I then scanned them onto my Mac, renamed them and saved them. Sadly for the magazine I no longer had any use from them so I donated them round to family members who I knew would put them to good use.
These days I get all my magazine subscriptions on my iPad. Its a much better (not to mention compact) way to keep an archive. I take a screen shot of any recipes I like and then I transfer them to my Mac an file them away till I need them.
I’ve moved to electronic reading. It’s a miracle for a potential paper hoarder like me! You sound very organised 😉
I have way too many magazines too. I decluttered magazines last week, and on my “to-do” list today is to drop them off at my local library along with a box of books to donate. Your post reminded me, I need to whittle down my overflowing shelf of cookbooks too.
Keeping on top of it is key. Because my stash of mags was organised and categorised (kind of) I didn’t see them as clutter. They were because they weren’t being used! Well done on the donation.
I have way too many magazines too. I decluttered magazines last week, and on my “to-do” list today is to drop them off at my local library along with a box of books to donate. Your post reminded me, I need to whittle down my overflowing shelf of cookbooks too.
Keeping on top of it is key. Because my stash of mags was organised and categorised (kind of) I didn’t see them as clutter. They were because they weren’t being used! Well done on the donation.
Oh, how I would love to sell/donate/give away all my cookery books! For the moment, however, I have them as ‘decoration’ in my dedicated bookshelf in the kitchen cabinet. Once my overhead kitchen cabinets go, the cookery books will be gone too. 🙂
Laura – you strike me as one of the most uncluttered and organised people I’ve ever virtually met. Pretty sure those books are going to be headed out the door very soon 😉
I need to mail you soon – will message through FB.
Ha, uncluttered, maybe but organised???? I am desperately trying though. 🙂
Oh, how I would love to sell/donate/give away all my cookery books! For the moment, however, I have them as ‘decoration’ in my dedicated bookshelf in the kitchen cabinet. Once my overhead kitchen cabinets go, the cookery books will be gone too. 🙂
Laura – you strike me as one of the most uncluttered and organised people I’ve ever virtually met. Pretty sure those books are going to be headed out the door very soon 😉
I need to mail you soon – will message through FB.
Ha, uncluttered, maybe but organised???? I am desperately trying though. 🙂
I have the same problem with sentimental things from my growing up years, and fabric/notions/all sewing stuff. I used to have problems with ALL stuff, though, so I’m getting better 🙂 I found the website 365lessthings to be immensely helpful. The slow and steady approach, plus discussions about how to handle the harder decisions, plus doing the easier things first – it all helped me to improve. Good luck, Jo. I do believe the ability to declutter is like a muscle – gets stronger the more you use it.
Love that analogy Jo – about the muscle growing stronger you are so right. I was thinking about muscles today as I have started my resistance training programme. The harder it is to do something/resist the stronger that muscle becomes also. No pain no gain!
I have the same problem with sentimental things from my growing up years, and fabric/notions/all sewing stuff. I used to have problems with ALL stuff, though, so I’m getting better 🙂 I found the website 365lessthings to be immensely helpful. The slow and steady approach, plus discussions about how to handle the harder decisions, plus doing the easier things first – it all helped me to improve. Good luck, Jo. I do believe the ability to declutter is like a muscle – gets stronger the more you use it.
Love that analogy Jo – about the muscle growing stronger you are so right. I was thinking about muscles today as I have started my resistance training programme. The harder it is to do something/resist the stronger that muscle becomes also. No pain no gain!
This very topic has been weighing heavily on me lately. I have a history of keeping things just out of sentimentality, watching it all pile up with no purpose at all. I am better about it now; have done many purges of stuff to clear out the physical and mental clutter. And I don’t keep nearly as many things as before. In fact, some would tell me I actually don’t keep enough, but I know what is enough for me. The thing I still struggle with though, is holding on to half-finished projects. Things I keep intending to finish, when I just “set my mind to it.” But it never happens, and then I’m constantly guilt-ridden over all the things that are unfinished. I need to be better at paring down my goals to only what is truly important to me as an individual. Only things that truly speak to me, not just things I think I should do because someone else did it, or because it sounds good. Husband and I are planning on doing a whole-house purge in the next couple weeks, and when we do it, I’m going to get rid of the things that are just never going to get finished.
Good luck Sarah. I can relate to all you have said. I have a hard time of culling sentimental items and am finding that the key is to keep bare minimum. If I give in to one thing, then I want to keep something else and my ‘pile’ grows. I’m sending you all the best in the world for your house purge!
This very topic has been weighing heavily on me lately. I have a history of keeping things just out of sentimentality, watching it all pile up with no purpose at all. I am better about it now; have done many purges of stuff to clear out the physical and mental clutter. And I don’t keep nearly as many things as before. In fact, some would tell me I actually don’t keep enough, but I know what is enough for me. The thing I still struggle with though, is holding on to half-finished projects. Things I keep intending to finish, when I just “set my mind to it.” But it never happens, and then I’m constantly guilt-ridden over all the things that are unfinished. I need to be better at paring down my goals to only what is truly important to me as an individual. Only things that truly speak to me, not just things I think I should do because someone else did it, or because it sounds good. Husband and I are planning on doing a whole-house purge in the next couple weeks, and when we do it, I’m going to get rid of the things that are just never going to get finished.
Good luck Sarah. I can relate to all you have said. I have a hard time of culling sentimental items and am finding that the key is to keep bare minimum. If I give in to one thing, then I want to keep something else and my ‘pile’ grows. I’m sending you all the best in the world for your house purge!
It is hard for me to part with things too. We just moved house 2 days ago, and the removallists told me that it was one of the biggest moves that they have ever done. The problem for me is that I don’t want to waste things, and I can see a future use in things. I realise that I will need to work on this in 2014 too.
It is hard for me to part with things too. We just moved house 2 days ago, and the removallists told me that it was one of the biggest moves that they have ever done. The problem for me is that I don’t want to waste things, and I can see a future use in things. I realise that I will need to work on this in 2014 too.