Ah, the resistance.
I don’t feel like cleaning and tidying today.
Who does?
It’s only when your home gets so cluttered, uncomfortable, and unlivable that cleaning, tidying, and decluttering become desirable activities.
Well, for me at least.
Wanting to start fresh for 2022, my partner and I decided to make a change.
Moving Out
I guess you could call this my default strategy.
It usually works — every time I move, I manage to get rid of a bunch of stuff. Over time though, if I stay long put enough, things start to accumulate again.
While I only buy what I really want or need, I don’t have much of a reduction strategy. Aside from moving, there aren’t regular events in my life that lead me to dispose of anything. This makes me an honorary hoarder until the next move.
Spring cleaning isn’t in my dictionary — at least not the part about decluttering. I regularly clean, tidy, and shuffle things around but there is always more coming in than going out.
I suspect I’m not alone here.
Over the years I tried to be more intentional with my purchases. I tried to give each item a home. But in doing so, I was reducing the amount of home I was giving myself.
My partner was facing the same problem. Instead of moving out this time, we did something radically different.
We stayed put and got rid of stuff anyway.
Genius, I know.
The 4 Types of Items
Deep into the process of decluttering, I’ve come to the realization there are four types of items you face:
- Useless — Normal and Irregular
- Useful — Unemotional Items
- Conditionally Useful
- Sentimental
Some items are easier to part with than others, both physically and emotionally. The first two types are easier, the latter two are somewhat harder.
