Boy, it seems like ages since I last reported in on my progress with the Creating Order 2009 Declutter Challenge!  But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been actively seeking opportunities to clear unnecessary stuff from my life.  The recent bushfires here in Victoria have served to highlight what’s important in my life – life, love, family, friends, home, safety, and many things I sometimes take for granted – and what isn’t.  Here’s a list of what isn’t, and therefore what I’ve been decluttering from my life.

152: a packet of glittery fish stickers.  How did this end up in my home?  Never mind, I know a girl turning 10 who will love them.  There you go, Freya.

153: a half-used hand cream sachet which was getting in the way sitting in my pen holder.  On checking, it had dried up.  I really should moisturise more often.

154-157: Inheriting my parents’ household appliances came in handy when my daughter moved out.  However, being quite old to begin with, they had a short lifespan and all returned to live in my garage when they died.  And there they waited for our council hard rubbish collection.  I love those semi-annual collections.  We got rid of broken pool hose, a washer, a dryer and a TV.  None of these things actually stayed long enough to make it into the garbage truck.  They were all scavenged before collection day.  I love that someone else can make use of these items.  I just hope they weren’t hoarders adding to their collections.

I spent over an hour today trying to buy concert tickets online.  What do you do when you’re stuck at your desk clicking a mouse every 5 seconds?  Declutter the desk drawer of course.  It wasn’t bursting at the seams, as you can see, but it could do with some improvement.  And I got the tickets!  I turfed…

Before

Before

158: an instruction booklet for something I don’t have any more.

159: a battery compartment cover, returned to its rightful place, covering the battery compartment.

160-161: 2 empty containers.  I just combined their contents with other like objects.

162: a broken magnet.  Let’s face it, I’m not going to fix it.

163: one stub of pencil.

164-173: 10 pens that don’t work.

174-183: 10 pen lids for different pens!?

184: an allen key.  If my husband wants it he can store it where it belongs, in the shed (that’s a no go zone for me. I respect his space).

185: 1 hole punch. I already have 2 – one in my office upstairs, one in the “communication station” downstairs.  Perhaps my son, who’s started uni would like it?

186: 1 stapler. ditto

187: 1 torch.  I already have one in the desk drawer.  It’s there for when I need to crawl under the desk and do computer repairs or adjustments.  This extra one can go back to its home under the stairs, where our emergency lighting lives.

188-189: 2 sharpeners.  Where did they all come from?

190: 1 tape measure.  Same.

After

After

191: 1 letter opener.  I’m happy using my thumb.

These are all small items.  Getting rid of them will make a small difference in my life.  I’ll be able to find what I need a little faster.  I’ve also decluttered some more things which will make a big difference in my life.  They are…

192-194: 3 e-newsletter subscriptions.  Losing these will give me more time and less distractions.

195: Book of the Month posts.  Tying myself down to a book review each month was disproportionately taking up my time.  From now on, I’ll do the occasional book review.  Of course, if anyone else would like to write one, they are very welcome to submit it for my approval.

196: And finally, decluttering one committee position from my life has lifted a weight off my shoulders and given me a good chunk of time.

This is all well and good but I’m running behind.  Mathematically speaking, I should be up to 347 by now if I’m to reach my goal.  It’s time for some real action.  Next time I report in I promise to have decluttered at least <big breath in> 300 items.  There, I’ve said it.  How’s your decluttering going?  Are you ahead of or behind your goal?

9 Comments
  1. Lindy 16 years ago

    Ok, I have been plodding along with my de cluttering and have been writing down as I go but had not added it up for a while and I am pleased (or ashamed) to say that I am OVER 1/4 of the WAY THERE!!!! 520 ITEMS!!! I won’t name them all but it consists of things such as- old bikes, car seats, craft items (donated to a kinder),broken toys shoes, magazines and probably the most horrifying of all- 78 ODD SOCKS!!!! Where do they all go????? Anyway, knowing that I am 1/4 of the way there has now given me more incentive again.

  2. Avatar photo Author
    creatingorderfromchaos 16 years ago

    Wow, Lindy, that’s great progress. Keep it up. Your story is a wonderful incentive for us all.

    I wonder where those other 78 socks went??

  3. Pam 16 years ago

    I’m home from hospital and rehab today after my hip replacement. I have 4 weeks at home before I can go back to work so I will slowly make my way back into decluttering. I have reached 580 items so far but will work hard in the next weeks to get the momentum going again. Now that I am almost pain-free I’m sure I will be able to do some digging in and make a big hole in the spare room that we are planning to renovate to be included in the family room. Life will get back to normal.

  4. Avatar photo Author
    creatingorderfromchaos 16 years ago

    Hello Pam, great to hear from you. I was wondering how the operation went. Pain-free sounds wonderful.

    Your resolve and determination is to be commended. I look forward to hearing more.

  5. RACHEL 16 years ago

    hi there i have just rediscovered the decluttering challenge email and as yet have not “officially” started counting but as we are now expecting child number 5! we are in the process of some very major declutteing in the form of having to condense and merge 2 garden sheds into 1 with the challenge being that the big one has to fit into the liitle one praise the hard rubbish coming this week as it gave the essential motivation required to get started i couldn’t actually say how many items were turfed but 11/2 garbage bags of wool went to the RCH aux ladies for their knitting bees i took a arge stripey bag to the op shop full of clothes not to mention what went in the bin and also what is hopefully going to sell at the trash and treasure mkt and what doesnt go from there is going straight to the op shop on the way home and that only leaves all the bike parts that my son got rid of to a scavenger from thr hard rubbish and what we put out including the bird cage and fish bowl left by the long since dead pets needless to say for this self confessed hoarding “messie” this is quite an achievment and i am feeling very proud of myself and i am also amazed at what can fit into a sml garden shed when it is properly sorted culled and reorganised i am a sewer so most of my stuff in the shed is quilt fabric the reject shop has the best 5l containers for only $2.50 great for sorting stuff into groups so at a rough guess with out counting i would say that i am close to the 500 mark now to attack inside the house……….

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  7. Pam 15 years ago

    Well I’ve had a couple of major decluttering weeks. This weekend has been a really big one. I have reached 870 items!!! I’m starting to notice a bit more space available. I got one of those hand held label makers for Mother’s Day and boy have I been making use of it! I have lots of stacking drawers that are now holding much of my remaining stuff and they are all labeled! Now I will be able to send hubby in to look for something and he won’t have any excuse not to find it.

    What doesn’t go in the bin, goes to the op shop. I have 4 bags in the boot of the car to leave at the op shop tomorrow (from this weekend alone!). And once again the bin is full and waiting for garbage collection day.

  8. Berube 15 years ago

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  9. Leachman 15 years ago

    Thank you *very* much for sharing your insight. I’ll bookmark this.

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