Today, I’m sharing what is (in my personal-turned-professional opinion) the absolute worst decluttering strategy ever.
For me.
Don’t separate those two things. The thing about it being the absolute worst, and the part about it being the worst for me.
I finally started making real, lasting, bigtime decluttering progress when I stopped crying about how “methods” didn’t work for me, and decluttered anyway. Imperfectly.
As I decluttered, I figured out the best way for me to declutter. As I made mistakes, I learned how to avoid them.
But this post is about what I have found to be the absolute worst decluttering strategy for me. And just so you know, in case you landed here as a newbie, this strategy has turned out to be the worst ever for a whole lot of other people whom I have encountered here on the internet.
Are you ready?
The absolute worst decluttering strategy ever (for me) is pulling everything out of a space as the first step of decluttering.
Or as any step of decluttering.
And yet, this is the step I always heard was the most obvious one. I still hear it. Things like, “Y’know, pulling everything out is just what you have to do.” Or “Well, everyone knows you have to pull everything out to be able to declutter.”
Or (and this is the most common): “Unfortunately, things have to get worse before they can get better.”
I say nope.
Nopity nope nope nope.
The above statements simply aren’t true. And I’ve proven this in my own home. Again and again and again.
I’ve taught you how to declutter without making a bigger mess. I have shared my strategies for making visible progress (and only progress) in any amount of time. I’ve written books about all of that.
But for this post, let me just explain why the “pull it all out” method doesn’t work.
I’ve had the “opportunity” to experience and observe and consider this problem over the past few months while we had work done on our house. We had our popcorn ceilings professionally scraped, walls painted, and floors replaced.
If we only needed to paint, we could have simply moved things around within the room, but new floors meant every single thing had to leave the room. All at once.
I was forced to pull everything out.
And as I tried to take advantage of the decluttering benefits of this situation, I confirmed that it isn’t good as a decluttering strategy for me.
Oh, there are advantages for sure. We totally benefited from seeing the open spaces and evaluating whether certain things needed to go back in at all.
But the problem happens when reality happens. And I have to let reality win over the ideal way of doing something.
In decluttering reality, exhaustion hits.
Moving furniture is physically exhausting. Moving every item out of one room into another room and then maneuvering in the double-stuffed room is ultra-exhausting.
All that is obvious. No one is going to argue about the special-kind-of-tired caused by moving furniture.
But even when I was well-rested . . . I immediately felt exhausted again when I saw the sheer chaos of the space where I’d stuck everything I’d pulled out. Thinking about all the decisions to be made drained my energy.
This is the same thing that happened when I used to pull everything of a space I was decluttering. I glanced at the empty closet and felt happy. Then, as I took a step back, I tripped over the pile of stuff I had just removed and scowled as I looked down at the mess. The mess, now outside the space where it was formerly shoved and hidden, was completely overwhelming. I felt my heart drop and all my energy drain out through my big toe.
I felt exhausted, even if the heaviest thing I removed from that closet was a bag full of feathers. (<- not an exaggeration of what I once might have found in my home).
That kind of exhaustion makes me angry. I look at the mess and want to walk away. I pick and pull and shift a few things around, and then decide I don’t have the time or energy I thought I did right now and either shove it all back in or leave it out in the floor.
Either one of those means my home is worse off than it was before, and I’m in a bad mood. And I’m definitely not motivated to keep decluttering.
Even if I was having a good day, be-bopping and scatting through decluttering decisions, once I got to the point where only hard decisions remained, the leftover mess overwhelmed me.
This is what happened in our garage. We moved things out there for the remodeling, moved things back in as we needed to, and then just stared at the rest. And I got madder and madder (and felt more overwhelmed) every time I looked out there.
Once the definite keepers were moved back in, we were left with things to go through. As life barreled on, I avoided the hassle of dealing with all the extra stuff. And so it sat. And attracted more clutter. And I kept avoiding.
I adjust to cluttered spaces way too easily.
A big perk of my personality and a big fault of my personality is that I adjust to my environment quickly and easily. I can walk the twisted, narrow path through my garage to get to my driveway without ever thinking twice about how un-ideal this situation is until I’m mad that my windshield is frosty because I can’t park in the garage.
While I’m enjoying having less in the original space, I just pretend the space where I shoved everything doesn’t exist. And the longer I pretend and ignore, the more jumbly the mess gets and the more clutter is magically attracted to it.
I could blame the fact that we had legitimately difficult circumstances like my husband’s final walk through his childhood home. I was legitimately sick on that day and couldn’t go with him to talk him out of bringing home things we’d already decided to not bring home.
Now emotional stuff has been added to the piles in the garage, and the desire to pretend that space doesn’t exist has increased.
“I Dids” work better than “I’m Gonnas” for me.
When I started this (originally anonymous) public journal of my own deslobification process back in ’09, I stopped making excuses. I reported exactly what I did and didn’t do. I didn’t make big declarations of how things were going to change or what I was going to do, I just did it.
And finally, after years of big declarations and big failures, I made real progress.
That’s how my decluttering strategy developed. Making final decisions item by item, with steps that help me make a big visual impact quickly, means I only make progress.
When I pulled everything out of a space, I created big piles of “I’m Gonnas.”
When I work steadily, eliminating the clutter as I go by acting on every decision immediately, I see a space that makes me smile because “I Did.”
I did declutter.
Since I learned again and again to not trust my own “I’m Gonnas,” “I Dids” are so much more satisfying and spur me to keep going.
Again: Pulling Everything Out is the Worst Decluttering Strategy FOR ME
If you only have a little clutter, and don’t really know what I’m talking about when I say things like “never decluttered successfully before” go for it. Pull everything out.
If you have the kind of personality that won’t let you sleep in a home with an unfinished decluttering project, even if that means you stay up all night, make those piles!
But, if you’re like me and adjust too easily to a mess or purposefully ignore things you know will cause you angst, listen up. There’s a better way (for us).
Don’t pull everything out.
Make a decision about each item as you pull it out of a space. Put it in the trash (immediately), take it to its home (immediately), or put it in the Donate Box.
It’s really that simple, but I know it isn’t simple. Not for the person who feels overwhelmed by their stuff and has never decluttered successfully in a way that can last.
I’ve written hundreds of blog posts, two books, and recorded almost two-hundred podcasts explaining the ins and outs of the mindset changes needed and the step by step strategies to make all this happen successfully.
But the point of this particular post is to let you know that if you fail and end up paralyzed when you follow the most commonly assumed and given (by people other than me) decluttering strategy, you don’t have to do it that way.
You do not have to pull everything out.
Really.
Did you know my newest book, Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control, is releasing on January 11th? Pre-order any format anywhere, and then fill out the form here and you’ll get a printable decluttering flow chart NOW which walks you through my decluttering process. If you want to more about the book, read this.
Would you see benefit in pulling all of one child’s clothes out at once? Say…when you can walk in the room and they can’t put all their clothes away anyway. I love your strategies and am using for myself in most of my home. I’m just trying to wrap my head around helping my 11 & 12 year old girls. And by the way we are a family of 7 (1 moved away) who are creative, procrastinating tyype people who love a clean house but can become blind to the messes. 🙄
Nope. One drawer at a time. Designate what should be in that drawer.
Then make a decision for each piece as it is picked up.
Donate box/bag, laundry basket, donate (to be washed first) laundry basket—not to be mixed with keep clothing to be washed, mending, pass down to someone younger.
If it doesn’t belong in the room…put it where it does now.
Both girls can do this with your guidance. They can learn it now and for future.
It is their clothing.
This is what I do.
Girl. I’m 1000% in agreement with this. I don’t see the clutter after a while either. If my husband doesn’t move the Christmas tree out today I’m going to have to because I know if it keeps sitting there much longer we’ll have a Valentine’s tree.
Omg this made me laugh so hard because when I was a kid it took my dad so long to take down the tree that my mom let us decorate it with valentine hearts. And she told my dad if it ended up with cherries on it for Washington’s Birthday (this was before they were combined into Presidents’ Day) that he was going to be sleeping under it. 🤣
This! We have clutter from both sets of parents, my brother’s house, my son, when he moved out, and all the stuff that everyone thought, “Oh, give it to Chip & Lorrie! They have a big old house. It will look great there!” And on top of it, we have a bit of depression era mentality going on, as our parents lived through that. However, what I declutter, one small step at a time, it works. We have taken many, many boxes to our local church thrift shop and put things out by the road for free. We still have a long way to go, but your article validates that our way of doing things can, and does work. Thank you.
I had a Christmas Tree that became the Valentine’s Tree of Shame, by St. Patrick’s Day it seemed kinda funny in a subversive way. Then it morphed into an Easter Tree, that then became an Independence Day Tree. I drew the line when the kids suggested we just leave it up until next year…which was by then four months away. That was the last year we had a Christmas Tree. The kicker? We’re JEWISH!
Know this is dated Nanette (& Dana):
But always good to share good advice! We once a house that was built in 1895, had those parlor rooms in the front. That’s where we put our tree…..(it was up till mid-March & it was a live tree!!!😂)
And yes, for me also – I canNOT pull everything out (unless I had a giant crew to help me, right? #neverhappens) otherwise I have no place to sleep for days! Ha
I have gotten so much better at doing what you suggest – only what fits [ ], and favorites first! Thanks!
My best friend declutters this way. It doesn’t work for me. Our compromise is that she pulls things out and I go through all of that before she brings out anymore. That way she doesn’t have to sort in the cluttered space and I don’t end up with the clutter in a new spot.
Thank you for your class ! The pull it all out way never worked for me and my apt shows that! Today I am doing your way for the 1st time and feel worn out but not panicked if someone comes over.
I wish I lived nearby. I think what you need right now, in the face of an overwhelming pile in your garage, is someone who can come over and help you. Someone who can share the work, but more importantly, someone who can help you see that what you have isn’t a garageful of stuff. What you have is a bunch of boxes, each of which is a small decluttering project that you can totally do, one or two boxes at a time, using your favorite methods that work for you.
Your declutter buddy’s job is to keep you looking at it in small chunks, not the big picture.
You can totally do this, although not overnight.
This is sooo encouraging! I’ve been decluttering for several years now and have learnt loads. But there are still a few areas to tackle, and other areas that just keep needing to be kept on top of. Knowing that you still find decluttering an ongoing task gives me hope that I can keep going too.
Can I tell you I love you?
It’s not even that it’s actually making progress (although it is). It’s that I’ve had years of “This is the only way to organize. Oh, you think you’re soooo special that what works for literally everyone else won’t work for you? Just stop being lazy.” It’s so much easier to think of decluttering as a thing with strategies that work for me rather than a giant representation of failure to be an adult human being.
Yes!!
Wow, as I was reading, I found myself nodding along in agreement. It’s like You are describing me! Thank you so so much for this post. It was much needed.
I am the same as you. I feel so overwhelmed if I bring everything out to sort. I end frustrated and leave it or let it sit there for awhile. I have a donation box area, so as I come across things which are unneeded, I put it there to be donated. Thanks for your post 🙂
I actually tried the kon Marie method once. I got through my clothesis, which was not a big chalking as I am quite good at purging there, and my cookbooks. And then I was overwhelmed and was left with a bigger mess…
Your method is the way for me to go. You explain stuff I never got and thought I was stupid because of it. I am working on small decluttering jobs every day. My home is transformed. I am company ready every single moment of every single day! And I only stared about 3- 4 weeks ago!
Me, too. Only I did it for my books. Fortunately I didn’t take all the books off my shelves but only the ones I didn’t want or belonged to someone else. That pile is still sitting on my hearth 5 months later.
YES!!! I just did this 2 days ago and found myself in a puddle of tears on the floor the next day because it was too much for me to handle! Thank goodness my grandparents came and took my 16 month old for a couple hours so I could get my kitchen back in order but I quickly learns that this method IS NOT for me! I discovered your blog a few days ago and wish I had seen this post before pulling everything out haha but your blog and podcast are the first that I have that I can 1000% relate to and doesn’t make me feel like a failure for not being able to complete the “obvious decluttering methods”
Can I just say, why doesn’t Netflix pick up a show with you? 😄
I know this isn’t a post about why your method is better than everyone else’s. But I absolutely stand in agreement that it works, and is the most logical for me!
I’ve never read a book that I related to as much as yours. It was Like reading my exact thought process that I was never able to put into words!
I’ve noticed that a lot of people are getting really inspired with the Kon Marie method show and I think that’s great. But I found out a while ago after reading her book it does not work for me! So when my parents (who are both physically disabled) was telling me they too had watched and was ready to tackle some clutter I said that’s great, but check out this blog first! – while its thorough and will get the job done the main thing I noticed was how each couple talked about how exhausted they were just trying to complete the tasks. The last thing I wanted my parents was for them to over do it and be left with an overwhelming mess that they physically couldn’t handle.
Thank you for your honest and transparent account of the battle with clutter!
What an awesome idea!!!!!!!!!!!..I would love to have her on TV or Netflix!!!! Although it is wonderful having her podcasts…This stradegy is what I NEED totally…I made such a mess in the livingroom we weren’t using it..Stuff I brought from the other house….. That side of the house is colder anyway so was using that as the excuse not to take care of it.. Much was in boxes, so easy to just put in a room Before Christmas..The rest quickly went in boxes and put there too..Son dusted and vacuumed thank goodness and actually pretty well made Christmas ready..BUT, I want this to be my LAST year to stash and dash…I said that for years now…I am 70 so about time I smartened up and got on the proper bandwagon…This way will cause less mess and stuff won’t be sitting around WAITING for someone to deal with it…till months later…AND just maybe my family will have a better attitude towards me…Can always dream….lol…I wish I didn’t have to wait till I was 70 to finally have someone like Dana to come along and BANG …FINALLY someone who relates.. FINALLY someone who understands and doesn’t make me feel stupid…AND found a way for people like me( yeah, there are others like me…who knew??? ,I thought I was the only one sooooo flawed that nothing would help me)None of the other Books I read, did the people sound like ME..She is so REAL… Love you Dana!!!!!!!!!!!!!….
I’m just found this Declutter webpage and have been reading it for a couple of weeks. Wow! I thought I was alone in the slobbering mess of mine – clutter. I don’t know where to start. Since I’ve retired and moved from my house to an apartment I’m surrounded by clutter. As I start to make a plan I get exhausted and say what’s the use! I will keep reading these tips and blogs, they will help me get started – I hope!! Thanks
Thank. You.
As one who has drunk from the KonMari Method Kool-Aid, I will say this method worked for me… sort of. And sometimes.
I did it by category so I didn’t take out all the things, just certain things. I also had to make sure I set my timer and take frequent breaks, and plowed through. When I felt my energy dipping, I called it good and put what was left away.
But then didn’t do any more decluttering for a month or two after.
So hence, it sort of worked, but definitely wore out my decision making abilities for a while.
Recently we had a situation like you where we had to move everything out of the house into an EZ-Up in the back yard and deal with each piece before it came back in. We set a deadline of New Years to finish emptying that tent and we made it. But lordy it was exhausting.
What I appreciate is knowing the different strategies – especially yours, of prioritizing the visual clutter rather than what’s behind door #2 – because it helps me manage my time and energy. And sometimes one way works for one situation, but other ways work for another.
Thank you for giving the rest of us hope and encouraging us to embrace the imperfect way of DOing things. Done is way better than not.
Dana, I COMPLETELY agree with you! Just looking at reviews of her book, and “how to implement the magic” posts on other decluttering websites overwhelmed me! I think her ideas are great for certain types of personality, but not for me! I DID use her fancy folding methods to pack my suitcase in December, but folding underwear is NEVER going to happen at my house–never!!
I have experienced the whole “pull everything out” method for decluttering, and ended up climbing over and through things, stepping on and breaking things that were important to me, and not being able to use the main family area of my house for weeks on end (or likely longer than that, in reality) because I got so overwhelmed just by being in that room.
I think it is important to realize that, like with anything else, a decluttering strategy that is perfect for a lot of people is a disaster waiting to happen for others of us. The true wisdom lies in figuring out what does work for each of us personally, and sticking with it. There is nothing wrong with reading methods from a style that won’t work for you, as you might pick up a couple of little nuggets that will be helpful, like using her folding methods so you can cram a few more things in one suitcase instead of having to use two. But trying to turn yourself into someone else and then feeling like an utter failure because that method was not a great method FOR YOU is counterproductive.
Thanks for being brave enough to share your methods with the world! So many of us have reaped the benefits and learned to do what works for us, instead of judging ourselves and feeling like we’ve come up short.
Totally, totally, totally agree! The thought of going through my WHOLE HOUSE to gather ALL THE BOOKS in one place – nope – not gonna do it. I’d much rather go through the books on one bookshelf in one area and decide what I keep and what goes. Same with my closet and my kitchen – one shelf at a time please! Then if I get tired/interrupted/have to make dinner, etc. I don’t have a huge mess to deal with. Thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone in this!!
I wish I could attach a current photo of every flat surface in my kitchen covered with every item from my walk-in pantry. It has been there for three days, and family and business are so crazy right now that I can’t say it will be organized and put away today, or even in three more days. I tend to be an all-or-nothing type of girl, so the thought of a-little-at-a-time gives me anxiety. But guess what? More often than not, I’m more “nothing” than “all”, so somehow I’m going to need to mentally adjust to your other systems. Thanks for the reminder that the way we WANT or have been TRAINED to do it, doesn’t make it best. xo
I can occasionally use this kind of strategy, but only if I have (1) a defined space like a closet (2) a defined block of time where I can’t do anything else like a holiday where everything is closed and (3) a spouse who’s on board with me and will help with the aftermath. As you might imagine, this limited what I could accomplish by A LOT when I thought that was the only good way to declutter. Even for someone who occasionally can go in for the full KonMari, your methods are a lot more sustainable and make my house a lot more livable in the meantime. 😉
My daughter and I were watching one of those shows where you’re told to take everything out because it shocks you into deciding what to get rid of. I told my daughter, it would probably freak me out, and I wouldn’t be able to decide on anything if everything was out.
Your way helps me so much more!
I watched Marie last week and just watching the sheer amount of work they had to do made me tired and anxious. Love love love your ideas.
Thank you for this post, it is really timely because I just signed up for a “cure” with a site that discusses design, organization, etc for apartments (I wasn’t sure how much I could/should spell out the site I’m referring to haha).
Anyway- one of the first to-do’s is to declutter a drawer, by emptying it. Their point is to start with a small item like this “everyone can do it!” etc. That sometimes works for me, but this year I am still not unpacked from my move, so luckily I have 0 junk drawers now, but many junk surfaces. I’ve felt frozen in place because I can’t get past day 1. I know it’s okay to move on but can’t seem to skip day 1. This post is helping to free me from this type of thinking. I’m going to continue with the cure because it does help me get into a routine of making progress daily, but I’ll try to interpret their steps for my brain. 🙂
Also, a victory recently, based on reading Dana’s tips! I was in a home improvement store and the Christmas lights were on a deep discount to 57c, 62c, etc. I cannot believe it but I resisted buying them- I knew that I already had lights in a box, and since I hadn’t gotten them out or needed them this year, then there’s no need to add to the pile. It may seem silly not to buy something so cheap, but any new light strings I bought would probably end up in a separate location, and the time needed to sort that out (and remember) later is much more than 57c.
I’ve also noticed that my mom’s thinking is VERY different from me. She is a very positive person and would say “just buy them!” but she would be able to know where to store them, and remember where they are located next year. It’s helpful to realize that it’s okay to think differently than her, we’re both right.
I’ve tried both methods and, for me, your way works better, but I wholly understand the crisis stress you go through redoing a room completely because we’re in the process of completely repainting and new floors. It’s horrendous!
I think Marie Kondo’s methods work for people like the ones in her show that have absolutely no clue what they have and have the time and wherewithal to complete it. I can’t do that and the relief I experienced upon finding you was enormous.
Awesome progress in such a short time. My progress is going slow but i’m still reading and learning with her books…..its also a lot harder when its only you doing it because it’s overwhelming to drag the kids into it. They whine like babies, 18, 14, and 12!🙄
Your way definitely works well for me, but I did want to say gathering together everything of one kind (e.g., books, shoes, etc.) (as opposed to pulling everything out) is her method and it worked gangbusters for me “for certain things”. I found it just not feasible for others! I watched the show and found it just seemed to be vastly, vastly different from the flow I got from the book. I would very much recommend reading the book and NOT watching the show.
Actually, I’d recommend reading aslobcomesclean.com. 🙂
Yeppity yep yep yep!
Key concept: “. . . steps that help me make a big visual impact quickly.”
Key difficulty (for me): “decluttering DECISIONS”
Yeah we switched bedroom/office once (actually emptied a room to a separate space and moved the office to it so the bedroom could be where the office used to be) and I tried SO hard to slow down and go through everything and put everything away how I wanted it but time just wasn’t there and things got put up on (lovely custom built) shelves unorganized and not decluttered. I have tried the grand scale pull it all out method and every time it stresses me out.
Once in awhile after cleaning my kids room I will dump out a particular smallish size bucket or toys and put back only the favorites but I do it one bucket at a time, and I figure that the room is usually a mess so if we don’t finish at least the room is better than it was before we cleaned. But normally I make it get finished in one sitting.
I have and will sleep on a bed full of (unmade decision) clothes if I have to so it’s best that I don’t unload all my clothes. I can pull one item out at a time to check for happy feelings or tears stains or ill-fit. The it goes back in or directly into the donatable donate box/trash bag.
Sometimes I do have to pull out the “belongs here keepers but stuff behind it might not” stuff but I keep it minimal. One shelf/partial drawer/basket at a time.
I sorted an entire pantry by just scooting a few things to the side of the shelf at once, I pulled out a big box and a few obvious trash items is all. (Not my pantry so no purging allowed) The box was easy to toss back in when I was done.
Every time I see the “worst before better” comment on Decluttering groups I direct them back to the wothout making a bigger mess post.
This reminds me that all of one guru’s (yes I just called you a guru Dana) methods won’t necessarily work for everyone or even one person. Pick and choose the advice tips and ideas from multiple place and find what works for you using personal experiences and honesty.
Oh my h*ck, I’m replacing my “No” with your “Nopity nope nope nope.”
I’ve read Marie Kondo’s books and the only thing in the KonMari that works for me is her question “Does this spark joy?” I watched all 8 episodes of her Netflix show because I wanted to see how people faced the inevitable mountains of stuff in one place, something I could never do in a million years.
I love how you emphasize what works *for you* in your books, posts & podcasts. Taking my cue from that, I tweaked the Decluttering at the Speed of Life process into what works *for me* as follows:
1. Make a decision about each item as you pull it out of a space. [Tweak: I ask myself Marie Kondo’s KonMari question “Does this spark joy?” to help with my decision but it’s not the only criterion.]
a) Put it in the trash (immediately),
b) or take it to its home (immediately) [its home might be a clearly labeled box in the garage],
c) or put it in the Donate Box
Now I no longer have mystery boxes and bags in the garage, just seasonal or occasion-specific items (think beach umbrella and chairs; suitcases; holidays).
Pulling everything out does not work for me nor does origami-folding of clothes. I hang up every blessed thing I can: thank you, Dana! Then . . .
Each dresser drawer contains ONE type of a thing: undies, bras/camisoles, socks, swimwear, cold weather accessories [hats, gloves], scarves, workout clothes, sleepwear. I only keep things I love and only what fits in that item type’s drawer.
Even my darling husband transformed his 6-drawer dresser:
1. Jockeys
2. Work socks
3. Hiking socks
4. Fun socks [yes, he loves socks the way some people love shoes]
5. Travel: luggage tags, luggage keys/locks, portable luggage scale, waterproof bags and document holders, things we only use when we travel
6. HIS drawer: I never look in here so he knows that nothing in this drawer will ever get decluttered, such as a keychain from his grandfather that I thought was an old toy and almost tossed, his high school theater programs, his first car keys. Again, only the amount of stuff that fits in one drawer.
Thanks for your continuing guidance and inspiration!
Throwing things away sparks a great deal of joy for me.
Yes, THANK YOU for this post! Before Christmas, I decided I HAD to clean up my sewing/craft room enough so that my son could comfortably sleep there when he came. So I pulled almost everything out. I thought it was going to be great to purge it once and for all. But guess what– life got in the way, distractions happened, and decisions got too hard to make. And I HAD to get it all cleaned up before everyone came for Christmas. A lot of it did get purged, most of it is somewhat organized , and he was able to sleep on the bed somewhat comfortably– but it is still a mess and there is a lot more yet to be done. I will do what you said and just decide and deal with each thing as I come to it. Hopefully I will find the light at the end of the tunnel!!
Thank you so much for understanding and helping our slob brains. 😘
I once dragged out all my clothes and put them in a pile in the middle of the living room. Once the pile was complete, the job was finished and I was done. (“You mean there’s another job to do? Surely not!”) The pile of clothes was so overwhelming to look at that it stayed there for months. Nopity none. Doesn’t work for me either. By the way, about 12 years ago, I had my floors replaced room by room. It took me a couple of years because moving all the stuff out and in was such a chore for a single woman over 55. Remember that was 12 years ago. 😉 Last summer I cleaned out my three storage buildings and my carport. It took forever, although I worked on it every day. Next I have my garage (which could explode any moment) and the rest of the house. I have one room I want to turn into a sewing/exercise room and another I want to make a walk-in closet. I can see them in my head. But I have a long long way to go. One thing is for sure. I’m not dragging everything out at one time. Your method works so well for me. Thank you for sharing it with the world.
Friend: “Oh but if you pull out all the clothes & pile them on the bed (as per Marie K) you have to deal with them by bedtime.” Me: “Or you can shove the pile in a corner on the floor & leave it there 2 years because you’re exhausted & overwhelmed.” 🙄. That all at once does certainly not work if a person has chronic illness or any other major stuff going on. One thing is still one thing! Progress not perfection! Thanks for keeping it real Dana.
I’m laughing so hard right now! I just watched episode 1 of Tidying Up and I just kept hearing you say -and knowing for myself!- what a recipe for failure that method is for so many (like me!). Happy that mom managed to complete that task, but I know I never would have!
I doubt I’ll watch any more of that series but it has inspired me to get back into your books and to start sending away those things I don’t want to make space for.
I pray this new year brings you and your family wonderful blessings, Dana. You have been a big factor in the *very slow* progress this slob has taken to improve her home.
<3
Pull Everything Out doesn’t work for me either! I get way overwhelmed and tend to stuff things back where they were and leave if for another day. I’ve become better at pulling one box (drawer, bag, etc) out at a time.
I think it might work for clothing maybe, so I can see what I have and which items could be put together to make different outfits. Then get rid of extras.
But Yeah, I’m too easily distracted and can learn to ‘walk around’ piles. And the problem with piles that kinda grow, you forget that some of those important things that you had once placed on top so you remember them, are suddenly down in the middle, lost. Sigh, it stinks to be a procrastinator.
I so appreciate this blog. You describe exactly what I am feeling when faced with a pile of stuff.
I just get paralyzed and then the even the tiniest thing does not get pit away.
I agree, the Kondo method of pulling all out didn’t work for me. Everything got cluttered again quickly. If I kept only what I love, I’d have 5 pieces of clothing in my closet. The rest comes mostly from Marshall’s and is wearable and acceptable. I do love the folding and still follow it. It’s so fabulous to open my drawers and see my aunties’ hand knit socks rolled up and undies nicely folded so I can see them all. But Condo doesn’t understand the slob mindset and the ability to live with clutter. And I’ll do it later when I have time.
I agree with you 100% on it being the worst strategy; i’ve attempted that once or twice and it’s turned out to be once or twice too many times; the whole concept of doing a marathon decluttering is unnerving to me. I do fine allotting myself a specific amount of time and working within those confines. I do appreciate your point though about doing what works for you, as an individual. Way too many people tend to criticize others for not doing something in a particular way and that’s unfair. Thanks for doing such a good job at this.
I just finished reading your book ” How to Manage Your House without Losing Your Mind” It’s one of the best books I have ever read! I’ve been discovering these methods haphazardly on my own by trying and doing, and what you wrote is a real confirmation for the track I’m on. Where was this book 20 years ago! Thank you for being so real and so honest! I’m all for the declutter on the go method or whatever you might call it instead of the put it all in a big pile and deal with it all at once method! With a big family in a big house with lots of stuff, I don’t need crazy extra messes anywhere! I need progress.
WOW! I thought you were describing me, except I’m in Melbourne, Australia, and have (make that had) virtually given up decluttering and am living in the mess which I don’t even see (until guests come around and suddenly, wham, there it is!!). I’ve lived with the expression “I’m just a messy person like my mother” for sooooo long and, like another girl said in the comments above, I felt like a loser because I couldn’t do the ‘get everything out’ method without losing all my energy and momentum when it came to making decisions about “stuff”.
I bought the Kon Marie book and read a few pages and felt sick and angry and hopeless (in fact I cried!) and thought “this woman does not have a sentimental bone in her body. Clearly (in my opinion) she can’t have lost someone really special to her whose stuff is really hard to deal with or have kids and a husband who can’t understand that any old horizontal surface is NOT where you store stuff…and if you can’t beat ’em… so now I’m no better. And she clearly has nothing better to do in her life (well it is her career!!). Her book is still sitting beside my bed at the bottom of a dusty pile. I might make it my first “decision-on-the-go”. To chuck it out!!
I’ve been getting your regular emails for a really long time and loved them for your upbeat humour (yes that is how we spell it) and for making me feel like I’m not a failure but I haven’t read them for a while, during my “given up” stage. Now I’ve read this one again you’ve revived me. I’m not alone!! I’m going to get your book instead because I definitely think like you (not like Marie) which is such a relief. And I’ll take a look at our podcast. (Can I get it in Australia?)
Thank you.
I can relate to your style of decluttering pretty well. It’s such a great way to prevent paralysis. I need to remind my husband of this as he begins to tackle his basement and garage (not only does he have his OWN collection of things, he also has his brother-in-law’s hand-me-downs, and items he inherited from his father. He gets overwhelmed pretty easily when he sees the enormous task ahead. I need to remind him to just do a section at a time. Progress is indeed progress. We have been watching the Konmari Method. We liked it because it was something new. We liked the folding. I liked how it made you slow down a bit, and appreciate the item as you smoothed the wrinkles out. I also liked the ‘spark joy’ part of it, which I think YOU kinda do, as well.
I couldn’t agree more! When I go crazy and try to do a huge overhaul all at once I always end up frustrated and mad as well. Easy does it is the best way for me to go. And I love what you said about pick one thing up and putting it away or in the trash or in the donate box. Think if you just did this with 5 things a day in your house. You’d get it all decluttered without all the overwhelm/drama/mess.
I just watched an episode of Marie Kondo’s show last night. The person watching with me was very enthusiastic, saying that’s how that is how it Must Be Done. Meanwhile, I was trying to to tell her that the method doesn’t work for everyone, including myself.
Thank you, Dana, for coming up with a method that DOES work for me. Thank you, too, to other, like-minded Dana fans! Reading your comments is like being part of a support group. Not only do I get great ideas on how to make my home a little bit more manageable, but I also frequently get to have a laugh or two!
I have some significant, chronic health issues, and pulling everything out to go through it all- even one category of a thing at a time- is just not possible for me. While Marie Kondo’s method works like gangbusters for a lot of people out there, just watching the show made me want to kick my television screen in. LOL Sorry. I’m just telling it like it is. ; )
Ok, so I pulled everything out and I’m too tired to finish. Maybe the Kondo method works for young people but not for this 70 year old!
Thank you for this! Yeah, that method…well, it depends on the space. I can make it work with a very small space (half of a kitchen counter), but nothing like a room. I’ve HAD to do it in a walk in closet I could no longer walk in, because there was just not room enough to sort things in the closet…but yeah, there was a pile outside that closet for A WHILE. But procrastination is a battle with me. Which reminds me I need to actually TAKE OUT some of that full donate box.
I just found this site for the first time tonight. I agree with what your saying. But reading some of the comments, it seems people already have a place to put things. But for me I’m not even organized enough to know where or how to organize the area I want to put the things I want to keep. In other words the stuff I keep would still be in a cluttered mess.
Also my whole house is a desaster so when I get one spot cleaned, it gets cluttered again before I can get finished with the rest.
Do you have any helpful suggestions for me? I’m also on a limited income. I would love any helpful suggestions you could give me.
Check your local library for my book(s)! Most have it or will order it. There are also tons of posts and podcasts here on the site to deal with everything you talked about.
Tammy brings up a point that i can really relate to. Especially when I was first starting to apply Dana’s excellent strategies: What do i do when i can’t think of a place i would look for something?!? It’s like I was so unaware of my environment that i didn’t have a sufficient schema in my head about where my places could be. So i had to figure out, for me, that applying Dana’s Question # 1 in Step 4 sometimes required a Part Two: if i don’t know where i would look for it, then i need to make a conscious decision to designate and remember where i would look for it. This seemed impossible at first. Yet, once i started to do it, things got easier. Much easier. Not perfect, but really-worth-it easier. The bonus is that i can now FIND things more easily bc i know where to look for them. This bonus has become a reward that reinforces my brain to connect and remember my places. And I have even been able to change a place i put something. As my knowing-where-i-would-look-for-it schema has grown, sometimes i can now see new ways to consolidate or to identify a more logical place. That is, what seems more logical to me. Haha, as i read this metacognitive stream of consciousness, I realize that many people’s eyes might just glaze over. But, i’m convinced Dana has tapped into an audience of people that includes others like me who first need to learn to develop the schema where they might look for something.
“Where would I reach for this?” is a good question for the kitchen and bathroom. Since you are only working on a 12″ section, it is safe to remove everything from that 12×12″ space, and ask where you would reach for each thing. Put it there and see what you need to remove to make a proper space for it and ask the questions about what you took out. And if you WOULDN’T reach for that kitchen doo-hickey, why is it even in your kitchen? Straight to the donate box!! (Just another way of looking at Dana’s two questions: #1 Does this have a home? Then take it there right now! #2 If I really needed this, would it ever occur to me that I had one? If you didn’t know you had it OF COURSE you wouldn’t look for it, so go ahead and donate or trash it. This is the one I have the most trouble with…
My parents got married in the midst of the Great Depression and Daddy could fix just about everything when he had the time. All the bits and pieces of scrap wood, slightly used parts, fixtures, electrical wire, etc. had their place and he knew what he needed and where it was. I encounter repairs he made over 50 years ago that are still doing their job. His daughter? Not a chance. I’m a networker rather than a fixer, but I still find it painful to toss something that “might” be needed. I am finally learning the value of empty space for its own sake! And I so much appreciate not knocking something out of the cabinet when I am trying to get what I need off the shelf.
Hmmm. I bet I’ve saved more money by the things I haven’t broken since I decluttered the kitchen than by any item I haven’t had when I needed it!! I made bread this week for the first time in ages and found that all our food thermometers had dead batteries. I remembered that we have two fridge thermometers, rinsed one off, checked the water temperature for the yeast, and enjoyed homemade bread a little over an hour later! Uh-oh! I need to put that thermometer back in the fridge where it belongs (as soon as I make another loaf!!)
Yep, I still have a few habits to work on, but my house has been steadily improving for the last 18 months since I read Dana’s first two books. That is the first time in my almost 70 years that I could say that! Proof? We are having overnight company this weekend and I haven’t spent any time “shifting clutter” to get ready!!! I have time to browse and write because the house is in good shape pretty much all the time now!
Thank you Dana, from this senior slob who has learned new habits that work for my ADD brain!
The “haul out everything and go through it” decluttering system works for me….for small jobs. Closet – no problem. Pantry – no problem. Garage….um, no. Craft room? Definitely not. Still trying to figure those out. I just started reading your blog, and I already have some great takeaways from it! Thanks for the info, and I can’t wait to get going!
I, for one, am so GLAD you said it! I read her book way before the Netflix series and I couldn’t even finish it. Different styles for different people but I believe she was a young college student when she wrote the book or that was the time period she was writing about. That was as far as I could get into the book. It sounded like she must have lived alone in a small efficiency apartment with limited space and definitely no kids. Then I tried watching a couple of episodes of the new show on Netflix and just couldn’t do it. Seeing beds piled high with clothes from every member of the family.. that would make me crawl into a corner and curl up into a fetal position.
Thank you Dana for being the voice of reason that keeps my poor brain from exploding! You are such a blessing!
You are so right !!! On the Marie Kondo Netflix show, the people pile all their clothes on their bed, making a “clothing mountain”.
I want to ask, “Where do they sleep?” No way could a person sort the clothes in one afternoon!
But one shelf at a time, one drawer at a time, yes, it’s manageable.
Thank you.
Dana, I discovered your blog a few months ago and am very glad I did. Your methods are so practical–I love it. I do a pretty good job of purging and keeping my house tidy overall (I’m a bit of a neat freak actually–it helps my ADHD), but you’ve helped me take it to the next level to really dig into the areas and random items I’d avoided.
I also have found your suggestions to be perfect for helping my mom tackle her home. My father and brother both engage in differing levels of hoarding activity, and my mom herself has a hard time getting rid of things due to her frugal mentality, so she often feels overwhelmed by her house. Last month I spent a day using your methods to “deslobify” with her, passing your ideas along to her. We made so much progress! I know it is a constant battle in that house, but your blog helped give me hope to be able to help her make it better, little by little. Thank you! 🙂
First, let me say that I have been described by at least one person as “so organized it’s scary.” Don’t laugh. I’m here because we’re in the middle of a drastic downsizing, and I have needed lots of help.
I think KonMari works better (for me) with certain things, and at certain stages. We used it for books, of which I was a terrible hoarder. But not until the fifth or sixth pass. In the earlier passes, my methods were much like yours. It was only after I’d gotten rid of most of the books that I could do something drastic like KonMari to get through the last ones. And I could do KonMari on my clothes now, but all my clothes right now would only be a small mound on my bed. When I started, if I wanted to use her method, I would have needed to break it down into smaller categories to deal. (Instead of all clothes, do all dress slacks, then casual slacks, then shorts, etc.)
I do love her folding. It’s so easy to get dressed when I can see all my options at a glance (and there are fewer options.)
Right now, I’m overwhelmed, because we’re in the middle of packing for a move 1200 miles away. Which requires another big downsizing step. We’ll get through it, but it’s taking all of the different skills we’ve learned over the last several years.
I was sure you were going to say that the worst strategy ever was to box clutter up to clear it out of the room and then go through the boxes “later.” Maybe that’s the (evil) twin of the pull-it-all-out strategy (also evil). The boxing method is just sneakier because you don’t see the clutter, until the boxes start adding up.
I have, at last count, over ONE HUNDRED banker boxes total in two otherwise unusable spaces (my storage shed and an office) from this failed method. These twin “I’m Gonnas” clearly don’t work in my house, yet I find myself STILL tempted to box and stash as I look at my dining room table full of stuff.
It’s even easier to adjust to clutter hidden in (fairly) neat towers of boxes behind closed doors. But trust me, the clutter is still there, and somehow I never get around to going through the boxes later. So the boxes and towers of boxes grow and grow, encroaching on usable space in my home.
How can I be such a slow learner?!
So, today, rather than buying more boxes, I put on my audible version of “Decluttering at the Speed of Life” (for inspiration) and start through the steps. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. First, put visible trash in a trash bag. Second, duh clutter…
After reading this post and most of the comments, I realized that I often place duties or obligations on myself which, if anyone else placed them on me, I’d resent and resist.
Example: A “pull everything out” project is the exact sort of thing I’d schedule for myself, even though it would be the most exhausting way to accomplish the project. But if someone else were to tell me, “I require you to spend an entire three-day weekend on this one project,” I’d immediately object, and rightly so. I would look at it as a ruinous and unhealthy way to spend a block of time, and I’d know that I would be returning to my (outside) job completely exhausted.
But if I proposed that exact same “pull-everything-out” project to myself, I’d be completely on board; I’d do it and make myself sick with exhaustion by the end of it.
I need to think some more about why this is so, and what I can do about it. Thanks, everyone, for this epiphany.
p.s. To clarify on the “someone else suggesting it to me” part — it is more than just demand resistance — I’d see the need for the outcome, but I’d propose a better way in which I’d be doing a bit at a time, and dealing with each item as it comes up. But why can’t I seem to say that to myself, when I’m the one putting impossible tasks on myself??
I adjust to cluttered spaces way too easily-this is not just repeating your quote. I need to cross-stitch this in a very large size and hang it where I can see it every day. My only problem is I would have to find all my cross stitch supplies and probably buy more of what I already have somewhere. THANK YOU for helping me know I am Dana-style normal!
After reading your book about your way of de-cluttering, WOW, that has been the only way that has worked for me! I am getting rid of stuff by either donating it to charities or asking if any friends or family want specific items. and if no one wants what I offered then it gets donated too. I am even consigning some items and around Christmas I consigned a holiday item and it didn’t sell and they asked everyone to pick up the holiday items. that holiday item is now in the donate box, and it will not be coming back in the house even though it is a nice piece. but your way of working through areas as I have time just threw me for a loop, that doing that was even a possible way to declutter and boy has that helped me so much and also the container thought process. so I just wanted to say thank you, it is still a work in progress at my house but I feel good that even if it is slow, I am getting things out of the house, for good!!
This is one of my very favorite posts from you EVER!!! I have always heard this was the “only” way to sort through all the stuff I have– and every single time I failed, I felt like such a humongous failure. Some of my family would try to come over and help me, and try this method with me, and I would secretly feel so guilty about how exhausted and overwhelmed it made me feel, when they were just trying so hard to do a nice thing for me. Honestly, I just continued to blame it on myself for feeling that way, leading to my being paralyzed with guilt for not being able to just push myself through it like my incredibly thoughtful and well-meaning family members were encouraging me to do.
I found your blog a few years after I got married in 2006, and it was life-changing. I could not understand why I was the only person in the world (seemed like the only person in the world) who could not get her suddenly-married, never lived away from our parents before, newlywed life in order because our combined stuff was everywhere, every corner full, in our new small apartment. (I must also add that my husband and I BOTH have slob vision… hahaha!)
As a side-note, I have to smile because my sweet husband also helps me look for things this way hahahaa (pull everything out of a space in order to find the item in question)– he is so so sweet to help me, but it creates a situation where I am forced to deal with a sudden pile of clutter in a new spot… super overwhelming for me, and the new pile usually ends up sitting there way too long because I get too flustered looking at it– and the purpose was not to declutter in that moment to begin with, so my mind did not have time to switch to the “I am decluttering now” mode 🙂
Thank you so very very much for everything!!!! I wish you the utmost joy, success, and lots of love and smiles in 2020!!!
I can pull everything out of one cupboard (or a shelf of a cupboard), but I no longer have small children, so it can be doable occasionally. I enjoyed watching that Kon-Marie Netflix show, in a sort of “what an interesting train wreck occurring in these homes” way, and knowing that method would not work for me. Your methods are helping me work on my clutter, making things better a bit at a time without making a bigger mess; I’m so glad I found you!
I read both of your books from the library and have read many posts here on the website. However, I also made a special trip to the bookstore and bought both books new. I want to be able to dog-ear the pages and highlight the bits I need to look at over and over. But before I dog-ear and highlight, I loaned the books to my mom to read. I’ve made a plan to go to her house weekly to help her through the process, too.
I am just like you. The one difference is that I grew up this way. I remember many times when people were coming over and all of us kids were enlisted to help frantically “stash and trash.” As I grew up and acquired more and more things (and a similar clutter-producing and clutter-blind hubby), this is a lot of what our party prep has been, too.
I am working my way out of this mess. From one slob to another, thank you.
Honestly the “take everything out at once” method Does work for me. But not if it’s my exclusive method. A couple of days a year I can KonMari clothes or kitchen or some discreet category when no one else is around and it’s great. It’s the only way to tackle some things. But I have to chunk other things and do 5-minute strategies and other little mind games the other 342 days. If I do the big grand declutter once in a while, it encourages me in the smaller steps the rest of the time.
YES! YES! YES!.
I’ve written you an e-mail thanking you. I DID manage to sort out a lot of the monster that is my spare room. Using your method adapted to my circumstances.
I pulled and threw out obvious junk. Then the obvious op shop items. After this I have gone through all drawers and areas one at a time and put items to where they need to go.
Paperwork a little at a time.
The funny thing is on Thursday I ended up decluttering for several hours but never had that overwhelmed feeling. I was on a roll and chose not to go to my Art Studio but keep going. But the point is I COULD have gone to the Art studio and not left a bombsite to come back to.
Doing a little at a time made it possible to keep going.
My sister likes Marie Kondo. I do roll up my clothes as it works well for the drawers. But when I saw her pull everything out and put all the clothes in a pile I felt overwhelmed. And this was before finding your site. Heck clothes are not my number one problem (objects, art and paper is mine) and I knew that if I pulled my clothes out (which are reasonable) I would feel stressed. How would someone with a clothes mountain feel?
Plus I really do not want to spend a whole holiday going through my home.. In reality what would happen is I would start and then feel resentful and then go out and go back to work with a bigger mess.
Plus my garage has been a multi month project. It’s amazing what my husband has got done a little at a time.
Thanks Dana.
Today, the woman I usually babysit for, but can’t because of the shut-down, dropped off some groceries for us in two cardboard boxes. You should have heard my enthusiasm when I realized, after emptying the contents onto the kitchen table, that I now have TWO DONATABLE DONATE BOXES!!!!!! WOOHOO!
Amen, sister! Hallelujah!!
I think Marie Kondo would work for people with very mild to moderate clutter (maybe). But for someone with lots of clutter you’re standing there going “Girl. If I knew where all the damn books were, I wouldn’t HAVE to declutter!”
I don’t remember reading this post before, but it sure did hit me at the right time today. My Christmas tree is sitting next to a stack of boxes (not gifts, but unknown items) and has dirty laundry under it. This is the only place I would admit that. Talk about stuff going invisible! Everywhere I turn I see something I forgot was a mess. In addition to my usual blindness, who cares what it looks like when no one can come over, maybe until next summer? Thank you for being the voice in my ear. I think I am going to go into the kitchen, set the microwave timer for 15 minutes, and see what can happen. Love you!
I totally agree with you. I’m very easily distracted by something, anything, better to do than decluttering. I do not see clutter unless I look for it. I cannot do the dump everything in the middle of the room method. I might get a call and have to leave. Then who knows when I will get back to it.
However I do like clear open spaces in the house as it is visually freeing. I also like being able to find the tools I need for my jobs.
That said, I have cleaned out a lot of houses after the owners or renters have moved and it makes me not want to have or buy anything. Although sometimes I find things that we can use. Things need to be taken care of or they get yucky, dirty or infested with bugs, mice, etc.
We just fixed up and moved into a previously run down house a year ago and have a new rule. No storing stuff in the attic. Minimal storage in the basement. I still have to figure out a way to get the barrels of old clothes down through the ceiling access. I may just give up and drop them on a tarp on the floor but I don’t want to wreck the new floor we put in. We’re getting older. I don’t want to leave a bunch of stuff behind for my relatives to go through.
So I do the labeled and dated container method. I also only allow myself clothes that fit into my small bedroom closet and winter gear closet. (I’m outside a lot so need gear so I don’t get frostbite.) I am currently working my way through paperwork for my businesses and getting rid of the really old stuff.
I once pulled ALL of my clothes out of my closet. I had given myself several hours to finish my task while the house was empty. Even knowing this, I almost panicked when I realized how monstrous this task had suddenly become! I finished the task and my closet thanked me for it, but I swore never again would I take everything out of a space. Ridiculous method. Thank you so much for enlightening us to a better way! I use it all the time and try to spread your message any chance I get! You are the best!
I say amen! Your decluttering strategy works for me and has given me hope after years of not making permanent progress. And my situation is truly overwhelming. Pick up one thing at a time – it takes the pressure off and leads to success. Love your books! I listen to them on Audible while I’m cleaning up to keep me going. I’ve even come to enjoy keeping my dishes washed and put away daily. Creative slobs of the world unite! And happy New Year!
This post is why I love A SLOB COMES CLEAN. It awakens so many memories, and takes me from Despair to Delight. Thanks forever, Amy.
Amen! It’s the worst for me too! This bit me last year. The house and I were worse off afterwards. I had to deal with extra mess for months afterwards. I’m determined to do it differently this time. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Nony, for sharing your journey. A phrase I often used finally shed some light for me on the dusty and dark corners of my clutter problem – “. . .things I have to go through.” Maybe that’s what your husband brought home from the estate – memories and emotions he needed to experience and deal with (“go through”) while (before?) dealing with the sticky (it’s always sticky) clutter they were attached to. For me, it’s not always a relatable memory, maybe just a bad day or current crisis (“just”). But when I realized this, maybe made a note to myself to deal with that issue during my “worry time,” and went ahead as I was able and dealt with the stuff as just that, the clogs and clots finally could be gotten out of the way. And this helped me “go through” over 100 years’ worth (long story) of “stuff” from my parents’ estate and our lives, too. You’ve made it bearable, sometimes even fun. Even in the dampandemic, as I like to call it.
Thank you. Made me stop to think that it’s just a THING and it’s the MEMORY that keeps me from getting rid of it. Have to work really hard to figure out what it really is I’m holding on to. The item itself or the memories that are attached to it. What a breakthrough!!!
Well, reading my emails have not been high on any of my to-do lists for the last few years, so I just got to reading this post today (Oct. 2022!) and I laughed out loud when I read it! Not so unusual…I read quotations from your books to friends and family often because they’re so funny. But this time, it was because as someone diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, the thought of emptying a closet or dresser or anything else is a recipe for disaster! NEVER have I been able to focus uninterrupted on any project long enough finish it! I can immediately picture all my things laid out on the floor or the bed, getting interrupted, not remembering what I was doing, and having it all be there when I had to go to bed, so having to move stuff out of the way, and not being able to spend the time to even put it back into the closet–never mind finishing sorting through everything–for weeks or months!
Thank you for vocalizing/writing how the rest of us has to deal with some of the so-called simple things we all have to work out!
Thanks Thanks Thanks!
I’m so glad I read this post today.
I agree, I’ll pull out a whole stack of stuff…and then wonder why did I do it to myself and then get sidetracked and the stack will stay and morph or whatever happens to stacks…and yes, I’ll get used to it.
The method of doing an item or little space, even half a drawer, works for me. It is a real process, but nobody said it is easy. I also have stuff from my childhood house after my parents passed away, and I love stuff and books. I’m getting better. Books enter my house as ‘library’ books, even if I buy them, so after a time(read), they must be returned to the cycle. Works so much better, even though I still have many…