50 ways to leave your clutter

I could have names this post 'Please don't freak out mom...I'm am not throwing away everything in my house and my children will still have a toy to play with and a book to read (maybe ever TWO if they are good!).

But really, I struggle with clutter all the time.  Just sitting here at the computer desk I think of closets that I'd like to clean out and organize and shelves that need decluttering.  Every time I do, I ask myself, how in the hell do I clean all the time and there is still more stuff.  I don't get it.  I like clean, neat, tidy and clear.  Clear is very important to me.  And yet, every surface has stuff.  I've gone through varing stages in my life of working to cut down on clutter.

First I moved all bills electronically so that I did not have to sort through mail.  Then we paid off all of our credit cards so that we don't have to even see those bills ANYWHERE.  Then I put out a Goodwill box right by the door so that I could drop things in there everyday that we no longer needed.  Then I started throwing away 20 things a day (this is the part where my mom freaked).  Then I did the closet thing where you get ride of everything you haven't worn in a year...except here's the thing...I can't.  I have jeans from 10 years ago.  HUH?!  and a dress that I wore once to a wedding (paid $14 at Ross for it so it's not like I paid a fortune for it) and can't bear to let go.  I've also done yard sales, consignment sales, donated clothes, passed along my children's clothes, and still..there is clutter.  

What is it about the rational mind vs the emotional one?  I haven't a clue.  Here's what I do know though....Clutter will overtake a kid occupied home in the blink of an eye and us moms have to work the night shift just to keep up with it all.  

So in my quest for infinite wisdom on the topic of decluttering, I found this article this morning and fell in love.  I printed it out and taped it to my kitchen cabinet (does that count as more clutter?) so that I could read it in my spare seconds...cause who's kidding there are no spare minutes anymore!

Here's the list....

50 Ways to Leave Your Clutter

1. Empty one box from your storage space.
2. Donate one box from your storage space without looking inside.
3. Hide something.
4. Put a box near a door that you can easily place things to donate.
5. Read Joshua and Ryan’s new book for extra inspiration.
6. Designate one surface as completely clutter free.
7. Open your mail before you come in the house.
8. Don’t leave anything on your counter tops that you don’t use frequently.
9. List your books on Paperback Swap
10. Sell your gold.
11. Give meaningless jewelry away.
12. Choose one winter hat. Donate the rest of them to a homeless shelter.
13. If there is exercise equipment you haven’t used in 90 days, use it or list it on Freecycle
14. Give pots and pans away that you never use, even if they are part of a set.
15. Check out Project 333 and dress with less.
16. Stop comparing. You don’t need everything they have.
17. Let go of sentimental items.
18. Stop shopping sales.
19. Opt out of junk mail.
20. Don’t buy something you don’t want to get something free that you don’t need. (aka stay away from the make-up counters)
21. Figure out where to donate your stuff.
22. Give away holiday decorations that you don’t use this year. Next year, you won’t remember what you gave away.
23. Conquer your junk drawer.
24. Have one last yard sale.
25. Hire a truck to pick up whatever doesn’t sell at the yard sell.
26. If you don’t have a CD player, get rid of your CDs.
27. If you get rid of your CDs, you can dump your cassette tapes too.
28. Don’t worry about keeping things just in case.
29. Copy your favorite recipes from cookbooks and get rid of the books.
30. Don’t buy stuff to store your stuff.
31. Hang with like minded people.
32. Stop getting organized.
33. Set gift giving expectations with friends and family.
34. Decide what you will take with you when you leave.
35. Stop attaching stuff to the people that gave it to you.
36. Get ready to move to a much smaller space.
37. Live on a boat.
38. Clean off the outside of your refrigerator.
39. Just use one.
40. Leave your kitchen cabinet doors open for 48 hours.
41. Spend time with people who don’t have enough.
42. Don’t send lengthy email messages.
43. Pick up an object and ask these questions. “Do I use this?” “Do I love this?” If the answer is no, let it go.
44. Start a volunteer project with your gift giving friends and agree that your gift to each other and the world this holiday season will be love and time.
45. Enjoy your newfound time and space.
46. Clear your work space of anything you aren’t using that day.
47. Instead of adding a task to your to do list, just do it.
48. If it’s broken, fix it.
49. Remember, if you aren’t happy being clutter free, you can buy everything back.
50. Put people before stuff. Every time.