On to September decluttering week 4 or the final push!
Here are the links to the previous weeks of decluttering during the September decluttering challenge:
Week 1 Decluttering
Week 2 Decluttering
Week 3 Decluttering
22nd - On the 22nd, there were 10 items that I didn't photograph: 6 cardboard boxes I had been keeping because I never saw a cardboard box I didn't want to keep (flattened and used in the garden as a weed barrier), 2 empty gallon sized plastic water bottles I had kept because "you never know when you might need a gallon sized bottle" (recycled), 2 additional pill containers lurking in a drawer, kept because I made the mistake of looking up uses for empty pill containers on Pinterest (recycled) and the following 12 items I did photograph: 1 cute resin kitty with a broken Welcome sign (decided I didn't want a broken welcome sign at my front door), 1 tote bag, 2 lantern shaped candle holders (given to me by M who rescued them from another client who was going to throw them away; I used them for decorations and during a recent power cut, but, I have other candle holders), 1 camera and holder, 2 lab work books (my daughter's that she said to declutter), 2 vinyl records, 1 stack of craft idea cards, 2 CDs. The lab workbooks and craft cards will be recycled.
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| Day 22: The Photographed Items (12) |
23rd: 2 empty yogurt containers, 3 VHS tapes, 18 books (the tattered red book on top will be recycled; the rest will be donated):
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| Day 23: 2 Yogurt Containers, 3 VHS Tapes, 18 Books |
Day 24: Daughter's Text books. She had decluttered them but, I had held onto them thinking I could donate them to someone, but, no one accepts used text books, especially after several years. I will have to dump them all in the recycling bin and that about breaks my heart.
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| Day 24: 24 Text Books |
Day 25: 5 boxes, 10 books, 6 brass coasters, 1 VHS tape, 1 calculator, 1 decorative bathtub shaped painted wooden shelf (craft item), 1 pack of dried out markers ,
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Day 25: Boxes, Books, Coasters, VHS Tape,
Calculater, Craft Item, Dried Out Markers |
And that is where I stopped decluttering for September. I sort of hit a brick wall. I think I got decision fatigue and/or overwhelmed when the numbers got bigger. I sort of anticipated that happening. Which is why I gave myself permission to stop at 300 items, which would have been the equivalent of 10 items a day. But, I went a little bit above that and I am happy about that. At the same time, I feel a little disappointed that I didn't quite make the 465 items goal.
Week 4 decluttering = 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 = 94
Week 1 = 28
Week 2 = 77
Week 3 = 126
Week 4 - 94
Total decluttered in September = 28 + 77 + 126 + 94 = 325
So how do I feel about this decluttering challenge? It was something I felt I had to do as I felt that I had too much and the visual clutter was getting to me. Yet, at the same time, decluttering doesn't come easily to me and it was hard to declutter my books (and CDs and VHS tapes). I felt the need to look through each book (partly because I tend to write my name and the date of purchase on the inside of each book and I don't want my name floating around anymore than it is already with the various data breaches!) I love looking at the pictures of various craft books and I had to tell myself that I was not going make half the items shown in the books, it was better to let someone else try making them. I wanted to re-read all the non-fiction books and I had to curtail that to just a skim through (I did hold back a few to re-read them). I told myself to be realistic about how likely I was to re-read some of my books. As for the CDs and VHS tapes, I listened to each CD before I decided it could be decluttered and watched each VHS tape (yes, I still have a working VHS tape player).
There is much more to declutter, but, as I stated above, I experienced decision fatigue and had to stop for a few day and then, I ran out of month! I will continue to declutter, most probably at a slower pace, in October, too. It's not quite Swedish death cleaning, but, I am mentally preparing myself for a possible downsizing sometime in the future. When that happens, I want to be able to easily fit my belongings into a much smaller space.
The next step is to call for a donations pick up!
Thank you to all of you who have encouraged me and cheered me on. Thank you, too, for not being judgmental in your comments about what I had been holding onto. I know that some of you joined me in decluttering and I hope you had a successful month of decluttering. If anyone is interested, you are welcome to join me again, in October.
