Keeping Up with the Throwing Out of Clutter

Simplifying my life has been something I've been working on for a few years. I'm feeling more in control of my clutter and craziness every month. And actually completing a few larger efforts has really put me in the driver's seat.

However, some days it still feels unsurmountable. I feel as if I will always be participating in some major overhaul of freeing stuff. I really want to get to a place where things are manageable. Where everything has a place in our home.


What I'm trying:

asking the question - 'Does it bring me joy?': I find that often I have useful things that just are no longer needed now that I'm no longer interested in something or that I have doubles of tools. This makes it easy and I can simply select the one that I will keep. More of one thing doesn't make me happier. Being surrounded by useful, beautiful and important items brings me happiness.

decluttering 'by category' - which may not always link up to 'by room': If I'm working on something and I have everything that I need I try to assess what is extra and cut from there. Or if I'm putting away laundry and I have a stack of t-shirts then I can see how abundant this one specific category is... it is pretty easy to admit that I don't need thirty t-shirts to wear around the house.


Things that are working right now:

cherishing the progress: I've recently noticed how happy I feel in specific rooms ... they are so livable and open. These are rooms that we've done a major overhaul together - my husband and I - where we both had some say in what went and what stayed. Rooms that we set the way we wanted to and only allowed back the items that we truly loved and valued.

continuing the process: Each day I keep my eye out to grab things that I just plain don't need/want for example when I try on something to wear that I thought I truly loved and realize it doesn't wear nicely anymore I place it in my donate bag right away.

Now that it is summer break I've started a second minimalist game. This time I'm just cutting clutter from my life, work included, not just in our home. I think it will allow me to breathe a little more easily when it is time to return back to school in the fall. So far I'm really enjoying it! How about you, any plans to cut the extras? What is working for you?