But at least I’ll have more space temporarily. 
It is nearly eight years since my last radical and major clear out of stuff. It took about 6 weeks of disciplined sorting and chucking out. I did it in three passes of weeding out in what turned into a systematic clearance of space stealers. The time has come to do it again! I’ve made a decision that since I am once more suffocating under a paper drift despite my efforts to implement a paperless home, it all needs sorted and sifted to reclaim my living space.
When I calculate my carbon footprint and look at the square footage I inhabit I feel righteous as I think how – comparatively – little space I live in. Of course this is measured against a western lifestyle rather than what most people actually have to live in, so I can’t justify the warm glow of ‘greenness’ as in reality I use a lot of resources and am aware how fortunate I am to live the way I do. However, I try to make efforts to cut down where I can and I’ve embarked on a big tidy-up in order to make the most of such space as I do have available.
Aside from the relentless paper, most of it unsolicited that pops through my letterbox daily, I appear to be running a handbag and shoe-breeding programme, which has spilled over from the assigned cupboard and into the hall. Sometimes this programme produces hitherto unknown shoes and handbags which I protest that I have no knowledge of acquiring and this has led to a complete inability to ever find the right bag or footwear as required. I suspect I am sometimes guilty of buying new when I’ve simply forgotten owning numerous similar shoes/bags.
On my previous clear out, the local charity shops benefitted from many items of clothing, boxes of ornaments and 500 books. While I have been careful not to let it build up to those levels again, I am beginning to have to store boxes of books in the wardrobe, which is just daft. If I can’t display the books, then really why do I keep them? Edinburgh has an excellent library system, so if I did give away a book I wanted in the future, I should be able to get it quite easily again.
I’m not a complete hoarder, at least not by many people’s standards, as I can reason with myself fairly easily to get rid of unused things. Knowing lots of stuff can be sold in charity shops helps, as it doesn’t feel like waste then. In the eight years since I last did this, there are lots more online resources to help plan a systematic declutter. I won’t list any as they are so easy to find and it is probably best for a potential declutterer to find the system that best fits their nature.
On the other hand, I did read up on some Feng Shui tips last time around. I got quite enthused about finding the Ba Gua and positioning furniture in the correct corners of the room and so on. I even went as far as purchasing a compass so I could get the directions right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa_Kua
It is nearly eight years since my last radical and major clear out of stuff. It took about 6 weeks of disciplined sorting and chucking out. I did it in three passes of weeding out in what turned into a systematic clearance of space stealers. The time has come to do it again! I’ve made a decision that since I am once more suffocating under a paper drift despite my efforts to implement a paperless home, it all needs sorted and sifted to reclaim my living space.
When I calculate my carbon footprint and look at the square footage I inhabit I feel righteous as I think how – comparatively – little space I live in. Of course this is measured against a western lifestyle rather than what most people actually have to live in, so I can’t justify the warm glow of ‘greenness’ as in reality I use a lot of resources and am aware how fortunate I am to live the way I do. However, I try to make efforts to cut down where I can and I’ve embarked on a big tidy-up in order to make the most of such space as I do have available.
Aside from the relentless paper, most of it unsolicited that pops through my letterbox daily, I appear to be running a handbag and shoe-breeding programme, which has spilled over from the assigned cupboard and into the hall. Sometimes this programme produces hitherto unknown shoes and handbags which I protest that I have no knowledge of acquiring and this has led to a complete inability to ever find the right bag or footwear as required. I suspect I am sometimes guilty of buying new when I’ve simply forgotten owning numerous similar shoes/bags.
On my previous clear out, the local charity shops benefitted from many items of clothing, boxes of ornaments and 500 books. While I have been careful not to let it build up to those levels again, I am beginning to have to store boxes of books in the wardrobe, which is just daft. If I can’t display the books, then really why do I keep them? Edinburgh has an excellent library system, so if I did give away a book I wanted in the future, I should be able to get it quite easily again.
I’m not a complete hoarder, at least not by many people’s standards, as I can reason with myself fairly easily to get rid of unused things. Knowing lots of stuff can be sold in charity shops helps, as it doesn’t feel like waste then. In the eight years since I last did this, there are lots more online resources to help plan a systematic declutter. I won’t list any as they are so easy to find and it is probably best for a potential declutterer to find the system that best fits their nature.
On the other hand, I did read up on some Feng Shui tips last time around. I got quite enthused about finding the Ba Gua and positioning furniture in the correct corners of the room and so on. I even went as far as purchasing a compass so I could get the directions right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa_Kua
I went to one of those intimidating outdoors shops – the ones with stringy Munroe-baggers lurking in the doorway. The eager assistant completely misread his customer in my case and recommended the complicated type of compass used by the army in energetic outdoor manoeuvres. He looked nonplussed as I explained I only wanted a simple compass to use at home. I felt any more information, especially about Feng Shui, may have disturbed his views of humankind and decided not to go into too much detail. Friends of the type who are au fait with these establishments have refused to accompany me on these sorts of missions in case it destroys their credibility. Possibly, the search for an indoor sleeping bag tipped them over the edge. I just wanted a little sleeping bag I could take for staying over in people's warm comfortable houses, not some arctic weight hi-tech effort. Duh!
Anyhow, if relevant I'll post updates on progress with the declutter and welcome any suggestions for making it more streamlined.
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