Your responses to Tuesday’s post

I know that many of you have been reading all the responses to the ten questions on Tuesday’s post but for those who don’t have that much time here are a selection of the responses that I really enjoyed or thought carried a good message to share with you all.

1. Q.  What do you think has been the main cause of clutter build up for you in the past? (This could be more than one thing)

A.  Jude ~ People died or moved away and left all their stuff here.

A. *pol ~ Time: the more time that goes by the more we have acquired. Kids, they are amazing at accumulating at an alarming rate especially with grandparents/uncles/aunts/etc. nearby.

2. Q.  Have you changed your purchasing habits since you have begun your latest decluttering mission?

A. Sharron ~ Yes, yes and yes, no more shopping for leisure!

A.  Katharine ~ Yes. While not previously a big spender, I have definitely started avoiding the shops – if there is nothing I know I need, why go to the shops because I’ll only find things I didn’t know I needed before. I learnt that idea here. I also think about what I need to get rid of when I bring something new into the house and where the new thing will live as it needs a home straight away.

A. Lesley ~ I’d stopped buying so much stuff before I started decluttering but now I really do think whether I want to have to move something to clean it/round it or whether I really love it enough to want to move it across a continent/ocean should that be relevant. Sometimes the answer is ‘yes’ for non-essentials but mostly it’s a ‘no’ these days.

3. Q.  Do you think you have learned enough about your clutter habits not to end up back at square one sometime in the future?

A.  Nurchamiel ~ Yes, I quite enjoy the minimalism in my life now, I don’t want to go back. I have found that I love empty spaces. And also, I can live in much smaller rooms now, because I have less stuff that needs to fit in.

A.  Liina ~ Yes, absolutely. I’m a much more thoughtful consumer, and I’m very aware when I don’t *need* something, and I don’t enjoy shopping any more. I’m also less reluctant to let go of sentimental stuff that’s really junk…unless my dad gave it to me, apparently (and he’s living and very present in my life! so it’s not that kind of thing). That’s something I’ve only become aware of recently, and am just beginning to explore.

4. Q.  What is something that you have realised recently that had never occurred to you before about your clutter?

A.  Cheryl ~ I have realised how much time clutter was stealing from me. I work about 50 hours a week and spent much of my weekend cleaning up. Now I can keep up with it during the week and can enjoy my weekends.

A. Andréia ~ It is time consuming. It always gives you the illusion that you are busy, when, in actual truth you are overwhelmed. It makes a five minute job turn into a five hour crusade, with no good results.

5. Q.  Is your clutter problem more about having too much or not being organised?

A.  Lisa ~ I never thought I had a clutter problem because I was ultra-organized. I even taught others how to organize. The great awakening occurred for me when I realized I DID have too much stuff and that it was suffocating me even if it was organized and neat.

A. Andréia ~ Having too much stuff. Once the stuff was gone, keeping the house in order has become a calm and fast job.

For Me

1. Q. Has my blog helped you with your clutter mission and if yes, in what way?

A.  Ruby ~ Yes, though I am very new to this blog. The daily ideas help me stay focused and break things down into do-able little steps, and the archives and links to other resources have helped too. And I’m counting things out of the house, 172 so far. This is a good thing for me, to count my positive progress, instead of counting endless undone tasks on a to-do list.

A. Cindy ~ Lord, yes, every step of the way. I got the idea to start a thing a day from you, and I’m almost at my year.

2. Q. My style of decluttering is “Slow & Steady” do you think that is a style that works for you and makes my blog unique?

A.  Katie ~ I definitely started out with a whirlwind, and that was great for me as I was itchy to make and see a difference. That has subsided but I still have a long way to go. From here on out it’s making lifestyle changes.

A.  Cindy ~ Yes, I think slow and steady for decluttering, like weight loss and love, is better than “fast and furious” which often doesn’t last. In terms of your blog being unique. It must be, because I’ve read every single post, and I don’t read any other blogs except for a very occasional peak.

3. Q.  Do you need more advice about organising the stuff you are keeping or getting rid of the stuff you aren’t?

A. Nurchamiel ~ Last. Less stuff organises itself (what also helps: empty spaces – love it!  ) and there are still a few items I should send to the thriftstore. That reminds me, I should take a bag and hang it up in my room. Every time I see something that needs to go to the thrift store, I can dump it in that bag. Works like magic to me!

A.  Cindy ~ I don’t fully agree with your premise that a decluttered house organizes itself. I think some organizing advice would not be out of line.

4. Q.  Do you think you need practical advice about decluttering or do you feel you benefit more by being awakened to what the problem might be in the first place?

A. Katie ~ I benefit more from the psychological aspect of clutter and why we feel the need to buy things which do not impact our ability to survive.

A. *pol ~ I think the best thing for me is being reminded WHY I’m doing this on a regular basis. Why do I purchase? Why do I keep stuff? Why do I want it all messy in front of me? How can I get over these causes and find peace with my space. There are tonnes of sites that cover closet cleaning, etc.

5. Q.  Is there something you would like included here at 365 less things that you feel is missing and would make my blog a better help to you?

A.  *pol ~ I know it sounds silly, but I find the typeface a little jarring to read. I like when it comes to my email better than coming to your site (talk about being picky, eh?!) I really think you are doing great keeping the content real, positive, inspiring and helpful!

A.  Judy ~ No. It’s a fine blog. I think I’ve read it for almost a year, so you must be doing something right.

Today’s Declutter Item

Will the baseball collection madness ever end? There will always be some in our home I should imagine but not anywhere near the number we started with. I challenge someone to go back and count how many days a baseball item has appeared as Today’s Declutter item.

My Gratitude List

• Something that made me laugh ~ Liam being invited to moustache themed party ~ he is stoked about it because he not only has a moustache but he has his dad’s moustache tattooed on his chest. Now that is dedication to the moustache. Neither my children nor myself have seen their father without his it has become “The Symbol of Dad”.
• Something Awesome ~ Having a good butcher shop near my house. The staff are friendly and the product is hand chosen so it is always good quality and if sometimes that costs a little more I don’t mind.
• Something to be grateful for ~ A quiet day at home. After all the hustle and bustle of the long weekend it was nice to sit in silence for most of the day.
• Something that made me happy ~ Reading through all the great responses to my ten questions. I have been at it all day in between housework that is.
• Something I found fascinating ~ The conversations with my friend Lizzy are always fascinating to me. She has been a good influence on me over the last four years and I am pleased to have her as a friend.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow