• Home
  • Get Started!
  • Speaking
  • Blog
    • Cleaning
    • decluttering
    • organization
    • All posts
  • Podcast
  • Books
    • Jesus Doesn't Care About Your Messy House
      • Claim Your Pre-Order Bonuses
    • Organizing for the Rest of Us
    • Decluttering at the Speed of Life
    • How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
  • Video
  • Shortcut Solutions
    • Live Classes with Decluttering Coaches
    • Take Your House Back
    • 14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests e-book
    • Make Dinner Happen
    • The 5 Day Clutter Shakedown Video Course
    • Printable Checklists E-Book from A Slob Comes Clean
    • Teaching Kids to Clean e-book
    • Giving God the Worst of Me - free e-book
    • My Book Publishing Journey
  • Decluttering Coaches

Dana K. White

A SLOB COMES CLEAN

Reality-Based Cleaning, Decluttering, & Organizing

 

  • About
  • Contact
  • TV & Media

  • Home
  • Get Started!
  • Speaking
  • Blog
    • Cleaning
    • decluttering
    • organization
    • All posts
  • Podcast
  • Books
    • Jesus Doesn't Care About Your Messy House
      • Claim Your Pre-Order Bonuses
    • Organizing for the Rest of Us
    • Decluttering at the Speed of Life
    • How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
  • Video
  • Shortcut Solutions
    • Live Classes with Decluttering Coaches
    • Take Your House Back
    • 14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests e-book
    • Make Dinner Happen
    • The 5 Day Clutter Shakedown Video Course
    • Printable Checklists E-Book from A Slob Comes Clean
    • Teaching Kids to Clean e-book
    • Giving God the Worst of Me - free e-book
    • My Book Publishing Journey
  • Decluttering Coaches
Videos
Blog
Podcast
Products & Courses
Books
About
Decluttering Coaches

The KEY to Maintaining Decluttering Progress

September 19, 2017 By Dana White | 6 Comments

  • 539shares
  • 334
  • 3
  • 202

I needed new silver flip flops. My old ones were flopping more than they flipped.

I knew I needed new ones because the old ones were embarrassing.

And yet, when I scored some new ones for 75% off at an end-of-summer clearance sale, I didn’t automatically throw out (because they were too bad to donate) my old ones.

And that right there is why I need something as obvious-to-normal-people as the concept of out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-new to be a rule.

Replacing old stuff, even mostly-unusable old stuff, even when I’ve gone to the trouble of buying a new version of the old one because the old one is junk, does not come naturally to me.

Even when I’m taking off my new silver flip-flops and shoving them in next to my old-and-icky silver flip flops and lamenting the fact that our shoe-shelf has become a shoe-area and needs to be decluttered.

Having learned from experience that the One-In-One-Out rule is the way to maintain any decluttering progress, the way to maintain a Stuff Equilibrium in my home, helps me stop in these moments of eye-rolling frustration and realize that the solution is actually simple.

Ummmm, just one-in-one-out those flip-flops.

Duh.

It doesn’t solve the shoe-area problem, but it keeps it from getting worse.

From becoming more overwhelming.

One-in-one-out is the key.

Need more explanation? I talk about it in this new video.

--Nony

Related Posts:

Read Newer Post 139 Taking Advantage of Decluttering Opportunities Podcast
Read Older Post Pinners Conference TX Sept 29&30!

Filed Under: decluttering, vlogs | 6 Comments

Comments

  1. Tracie @ SomewhatAwry.com says

    September 19, 2017 at 9:27 am

    I know exactly what you mean. It is incredibly difficult for me to throw away things that are obviously trash, too. My husband will occasionally look at me like I have three heads because I am having a crisis over putting something like your silver flip flops in the garbage. I don’t want them because they are so far gone, but in my mind I’m still thinking, but SOMEONE could probably find a use for them! Uhm, no they couldn’t, just put them in the trash already! I obviously have a problem! LOL. Thanks so much for sharing and making me feel normal too! Love your blog! Tracie – a long time lurker 🙂

    Reply
    • Meemaw says

      September 24, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      I’ve got the same problem. No issues if I can donate or Freecycle, but to throw out! Never! I have a pair of black merrell flip flops that the sole looks good, but some of the trim on the thong part has cracked off. They moved from my shoe storage to my foyer, for “quick runs to the mailbox.”

      Now i have an old pair of suede adidas slip ons that my dog snagged when he was a puppy, so I’ve got them parked at my basement door, in case I have to run out in the damp grass from the basement. Did I mention that my dog passed away over a year ago at 16 years old and he tore these a tad when he was a puppy teething? When he tore them, I immediately stopped wearing them out and they have been relegated to the basement ever since. At tjis rate, they’ll never wear out although I do check them for insects like spiders before I slip them on.

      Does this make me cray-cray? Or practical and frugal? My husband will never understand me, after almost 50 years of being together.

      Reply
    • Caroline says

      September 24, 2018 at 4:52 pm

      Completely me! I AM getting better at it, though. On the other hand, I keep finding great craigslist scores . . . .

      Reply
  2. Barbara says

    September 24, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    nice to know I’m not alone.

    Reply
  3. Suzi says

    September 26, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    Ty for your tips! 💜 Your sense of humor/facial expressions!

    Reply
  4. Debi Z says

    September 27, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    This is me with furniture. It would be more convenient if it was little things like flip-flops LOL

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want solutions to your biggest decluttering problems?

Get my newsletter and we'll start by teaching you how to declutter without making a bigger mess.
* = required field

Popular Posts

Why-I-Have-To-Run-My-Dishwasher-Every-Single-Night-at-ASlobComesClean.com sidebar
Five Truths about a Clean Kitchen even without a dishwasher at ASlobComesClean.com sidebar
How to Clean a Messy House at ASlobComesClean.com sidebar

Topics:

blogcast Cleaning daily checklist decluttering failures figuring myself out kitchen laundry Menu Plan Monday organization parenting podcasts progress random stories reader stories recipes sponsored posts Uncategorized

  • About
  • PR/Advertising
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Contact
Search

  • About
  • Contact
  • TV & Media

© Dana K. White | Site by Little Leaf Design