De cluttering - rule of six

Thought I would add my thoughts I'm.on a Dr clutter(meant Declutter)feeling good load of stuff not good enough for the charity shop got rid of yesterday like the idea of a memory box.I haven't yet got rid of counselling essays,but am dealing with my nvq remnants.My Plan is to have,a Zen room to retreat to.

Dear Grannyactivist - I would love to de clutter my loft but my daughter lives up there. Does anyone know a charity shop that will take her?

I de-cluttered my bedside drawer and threw my Ann Summers "item" away the other day. That's enough of that! When I bought it a few years ago now and pressed the buttons to see what it did, it sounded like a symphony going off! And very loud. So that got put back and left alone, it would scare the neighbours and leave me very red faced!

On the upside, I have bought new things for when my son leaves and so a huge de-cluttering will be happening here, room by room, a new start for me and my new life alone, well, with my pets. I have bought some lovely things and cannot wait now to have them around me, giving my home a whole new look and feel.

I recently de-cluttered most of our attic store-room. This is a very big area with lots of shelving and additional space under the eaves. It took me a week of doing several hours a day to sort through the eaves area and to make a start on the boxes and boxes of files that had accumulated. The last time I did this job I managed to get rid of most of the paperwork associated with my career in social work and the time before that I blitzed the paperwork that had accrued from my career in early years education and child development. This time I tackled all the paperwork I had from teaching English to juniors and even got rid of some of my counselling papers/books. I have found it takes me several years to 'let go' of bits of my working life and I'm facing the big one now - my academic papers are next for the chop. I really don't need Social Psychology essays I wrote nearly thirty years ago, do I?

I decluttered two drawers of underwear and socks yesterday and found things I had forgotten about. There were certainly more than 6 pairs of too tight socks and old tights and quite a lot of shabby underwear. Will continue the good work.

That sounds like a great idea.

Rule of Six I will keep repeating it to myself.

I recently threw out 12 pairs of shoes I can no longer wear (does that count as 6 x 2 or 12 x 2) but really silly to keep them if they are uncomfortable or have high heels.
When I have read a book I put it beside the bed on the floor instead of on the bookcase (which is overflowing anyway ) so that they look untidy and have to be thrown out. Nearly finished number 6.

That is a problem anniebach, when I go to throw things out I think 'so and so gave me that ' and back it goes.

No, because anything that goes to a charity shop is taken to a shop a long way away by the S.O. I dug out a few pairs of shoes the other day to take to a shop and, on realising they had removable insoles [with my mutant feet] decided I aught to keep them. Now proudly on display in the bedroom.

Good start Daphne, are you doing that every 6 days/weeks/months.
I have no problem with throwing things out but unfortunately my husband retrieves everything and hoards it in the barn. It is a constant source of friction, I did manage to get him to take three van loads to the tip last year. I pointed out that if he died suddenly I would have to deal with it all, AIBU.

Has anyone else taken something to a charity shop, and then bought it back a few days later? It was a hand painted glass vase I bought from a craft stall. (I haven't actually got it now, so I think it must have made another return journey to the shop. )

Feeling good ??
Finding 6 things to chuck is so easy and I even managed to sneak a seventh shirt into the bag.
The trouble with going at it too thoroughly is that I find myself sneaking things OUT of the charity bag again to wear, this way I am quite sure!
Now to get them over to the shop

That's the problem Jalima, my daughter bought it for me , if I got rid of it I would feel such guilt

I so need to take a leaf out of your book Daphne!

I would get it valued!!
Then decide what to do with it

Synonymous, what would you do with a 4ft X 5ft framed poster of Gone With The Wind

Moving house is a good kick start for a declutter ! But I like your rule of 6 Daphne .

I took have a memory box and everything that goes in has a little not on as to why I kept it and for things like my medals then to whom I would like to have them when I've popped off. They have no financial value but I gift them to someone I think might like them .

I have been brutal I the run up to putting the house up for sale and take comfort that I lots of cases they've gone to a good cause and not just the tip.

I've got so much clutter where would I start?

I understand about the guilt thing Annie and that is one of the reasons DD suggested a special 'memory box' for those things of no real use but too special to get rid of. My box is stored on a high shelf out of the way but I know my special things are there.
It is also taking a different view of 'things' in that I have had them for a while and now I have 'shared' them around so that other people can get the benefit of them.
One thing is for sure and that is that 'you cannot take them with you' and so I am saving my DC a horrible job when I have shuffled off this mortal coil! I can just hear them asking each other, "Why on earth did she keep that" or "What is it for?" At least with my 'memory box' they can know it was just because it meant something special to me.

If you send your unwanted, no longer required items to a charity shop or with children's toys/books etc to a local play group that should help with the guilt.

Should we form a self-help group? I wonder why we find it so difficult? I'd love to have a tidy house, so it's not lack of motivation. In my defence, everything that has a place is often sometimes in it, but I just don't have enough places for everything.

I am impressed at your starting 'haul' Daphne and it is certainly not feeble!
I don't think I could manage to concentrate on just 6 of a particular category as I am more of a 'nibbler' than that so ultimately that might make things too difficult. I use my kitchen timer and give myself quite a short time to see how many things I can gather together because I find it easier and it makes it a bit of fun too. Trouble is that I am now running out of things to get rid of and if I am ferreting around DH can get twitchy and very protective.
I use the same approach when I go out for a walk around the garden and see how many weeds I can pull out in 10 minutes. It helps to feel productive.

I recently bought a book about decluttering and her approach was to go for the grand de clutter all in one hit. I just did not have the time to do it all in that way but have followed her approach of clothes first, books, DVDs & CDs, finally sentimental things. By the time I got to the latter I was a bit desensitised and found it easier to part with the more sentimental things from my life that really were no longer needed. She also explained how to fold everything to make more room in drawers and wardrobes. It has been a revelation I can tell you! Life is simpler now!

I so want to declutter but cannot cope with the guilt

Spurred on by another thread on GN, I recently had a good clear out of drawers and wardrobes and found I had to be quite ruthless or very little would have been cleared.

Anyway, I think you've made a good start. Not feeble at all.

That sounds like a very good idea DB, I'm hopeless, too How often are you going to attempt it? Daily/weekly/monthly/decadely?! I think I may have to take a softly, softly approach and perhaps do six items in total rather than from one source . . .

Typo: 'what I'm going to do with them'.