Decluttering

There are some people who like empty spaces and minimal possessions cluttering their homes and there are some who like holding on to items.  I definitely belong to the "if there is room to store it, keep it" camp.  However, with January and the New Year and the promise of new beginnings, I am feeling motivated to start decluttering and organizing my spaces. 

Stuff is beginning to accumulate and pile up because all my storage spaces are full!

It used to be that, whenever I didn't have sufficient storage space, I'd try to increase storage space with additional shelves and boxes.  These days,  I try to limit the amount of stuff I have to the amount of storage space available. 

For some, motivation to declutter might come from a life change. I know of people who declutter after the death of a spouse, when moving to a smaller home, because they are forming new relationships and combining two households, etc.  I just want to declutter because I am running out of space to store things!




Once, I decluttered 10 items a day - either donated them, recycled, or simply tossed (although I tried to keep that to a minimum, preferring to donate and recycle as much as I could).  Over time, my decluttering slowed down to a trickle.  It's time to increase it, if not to 10 items a day, then 10 items a week.  It should be doable.  

What motivates you to declutter?  What motivates you to start going through the cabinets and closets and pull out things to donate or toss?