Another 40 Hours of Decluttering Using Flylady's Timer Method: Jan. 29-Feb. 29, 2020

[Chicken lady]

Hi ejchase,

I am always impressed with the way you persevere.

i wanted to join again, but I was having trouble framing my goal. I think I am going to call it 40 steps out of chaos. So, I might clear out a folder, or prepare some lesson plans more than a week ahead, or work in the studio or the basement or the barn, or do a task I’ve been avoiding, or NOT do something...

anything that adds more order to my life or reduces unnecessary demands - that makes life simpler and less chaotic.

[Gardnr]

EJ, curious minds want to know.

Do you have any rooms in your home that are finished? All declutter complete and you love the peaceful space when you enter it?

I ask because I can't imagine the accumulation of stuff that causes the spending hundreds of hours over time on this task.

[Teacher Terry]

If you live in the same house for a long time and have kids it’s easy to accumulate. I had a week to pack, sell, give away the contents of a 3 story plus basement house. We could only take what fit in a uhaul. It helped me to be brutal. My husband was working out of state.

[ejchase]

Hi ejchase,

I am always impressed with the way you persevere.

i wanted to join again, but I was having trouble framing my goal. I think I am going to call it 40 steps out of chaos. So, I might clear out a folder, or prepare some lesson plans more than a week ahead, or work in the studio or the basement or the barn, or do a task I’ve been avoiding, or NOT do something...

anything that adds more order to my life or reduces unnecessary demands - that makes life simpler and less chaotic.

Chicken Lady, I've missed you! Glad you're thinking of joining in!

[Gardnr]

If you live in the same house for a long time and have kids it’s easy to accumulate. I had a week to pack, sell, give away the contents of a 3 story plus basement house. We could only take what fit in a uhaul. It helped me to be brutal. My husband was working out of state.

We have lived here since 1991. I think that qualifies as a long time. We didn't overbuy though. Our home is 1650 sf. It's our forever home.

[ejchase]

EJ, curious minds want to know.

Do you have any rooms in your home that are finished? All declutter complete and you love the peaceful space when you enter it?

I ask because I can't imagine the accumulation of stuff that causes the spending hundreds of hours over time on this task.

I would say the guestroom is pretty decluttered - though my clothes are in the closet there, and I'm planning to make another "pass" through them in this 40 hours. But everything in that room is in its "home." There are no boxes of unsorted clutter or anything like that. That's pretty true of my daughter's room too, and the bathrooms. And in the spaces where there is still clutter, there are small pockets - a couple boxes in a corner, that kind of thing.

The most cluttered space has been our upstairs hallway, which is unusually wide and spacious. There are several boxes there - maybe 8 or more - stacked in a couple corners, stuff I need to go through and have had trouble making decisions about. When I started this process, though, there were easily 30 or more boxes up there. Seriously. I had a baby a month after we moved into this house, and I just didn't unpack those boxes . I felt too overwhelmed. And there were lots of boxes of clutter in the guestroom and my bedroom back then too. Those boxes are completely gone from the guestroom, and the clutter in my bedroom has been reduced by about 80%.

I know it's hard for "normies" to imagine why it would take so long for me to do this, but I've just always been a packrat, always had a tendency to accumulate too much and had a hard time getting rid of what I don't need. Also, I realize as I do this, that a lot of times I've just never thought through how to organize certain kinds of stuff ("Where should I keep the resusable shopping bags? The small paper bags sometimes good for lunches? The plastic bags I need for laundry when I'm traveling?"), so I am slowly developing that skill finally. This whole process has helped. And it has done wonders for my mental health. I've had such shame about my clutter for literally decades, so finally dealing with it has felt very empowering.

When I was watching the Marie Kondo show on Netflix last year, it was clear to me that it took some of those families hundreds of hours to Kondo their places. In general, I don't have that kind of time. But committing to 40 hours twice a year really works for me, and the support I get here makes a huge difference. And, as I slowly go through the house and develop systems for where things go and find homes for things, it's easier to maintain the progress I've made.

[ejchase]

We have lived here since 1991. I think that qualifies as a long time. We didn't overbuy though. Our home is 1650 sf. It's our forever home.

Gardnr, it sounds like you have a pretty healthy relationship with stuff - good at not accumulating, good at getting rid of the unnecessary. I aspire to one day be like you.

[rosarugosa]

EJ: It is wonderful that you've made so much progress! Developing systems for storing and organizing will almost guarantee your success in the future. The one other critical skill is to be very conscious of what you bring into your home in the first place.
Go EJ!!!

[Teacher Terry]

Gard, our 3 story house was old so only 1800 sq ft for 5 people. It only had 1 bathroom. When you have 3 boys you save clothes and toys to hand down. You also have sports equipment, bikes, sleds, etc. Living in a cold snowy climate means clothes for different seasons. I did get rid of things after the last outgrew it. It’s totally different having a family. Now with the kids gone we don’t have any of that stuff.

[Gardnr]

I would say the guestroom is pretty decluttered - though my clothes are in the closet there, and I'm planning to make another "pass" through them in this 40 hours. But everything in that room is in its "home." There are no boxes of unsorted clutter or anything like that. That's pretty true of my daughter's room too, and the bathrooms. And in the spaces where there is still clutter, there are small pockets - a couple boxes in a corner, that kind of thing.

The most cluttered space has been our upstairs hallway, which is unusually wide and spacious. There are several boxes there - maybe 8 or more - stacked in a couple corners, stuff I need to go through and have had trouble making decisions about. When I started this process, though, there were easily 30 or more boxes up there. Seriously. I had a baby a month after we moved into this house, and I just didn't unpack those boxes . I felt too overwhelmed. And there were lots of boxes of clutter in the guestroom and my bedroom back then too. Those boxes are completely gone from the guestroom, and the clutter in my bedroom has been reduced by about 80%.

I know it's hard for "normies" to imagine why it would take so long for me to do this, but I've just always been a packrat, always had a tendency to accumulate too much and had a hard time getting rid of what I don't need. Also, I realize as I do this, that a lot of times I've just never thought through how to organize certain kinds of stuff ("Where should I keep the resusable shopping bags? The small paper bags sometimes good for lunches? The plastic bags I need for laundry when I'm traveling?"), so I am slowly developing that skill finally. This whole process has helped. And it has done wonders for my mental health. I've had such shame about my clutter for literally decades, so finally dealing with it has felt very empowering.

When I was watching the Marie Kondo show on Netflix last year, it was clear to me that it took some of those families hundreds of hours to Kondo their places. In general, I don't have that kind of time. But committing to 40 hours twice a year really works for me, and the support I get here makes a huge difference. And, as I slowly go through the house and develop systems for where things go and find homes for things, it's easier to maintain the progress I've made.

You've made AMAZING changes and progress. Yea you! It's great that those locations in your home you have finished, you have maintained! That is the most challenging part of this for so many people. Case in point:

My oldest sister has asked me 3X over 20 years to help her declutter. The last time I said "I really think you can't live without it. When you finish using stuff, you leave it right there instead of putting it away." She will complain about her kitchen counters but leaves crap everywhere. She no longer asks me to help declutter. She knows. She chooses to live in it.

Congratulations on creating a system that you can work with, accomplish the goal and move forward!