Decluttering, Step by Step…

I have way too much stuff

How did this happen? I mean, I’d like to think I’m a minimalist rather than a hoarder. After all, I can live out of a suitcase for months if necessary, wearing the same clothes over and over again. Quite happily, even.

Then how is it possible that every nook and cranny in my (smallish) flat is full of stuff? Stuff that I don’t need, or use, or in most cases even want.

Clearly I must do something about it.

No, I’m not going to go all Marie Kondo about it. Too complicated. And too time-consuming. Any ‘method‘ that comes with a book makes me feel as if I need to take an exam first.

It’s decluttering, for heaven’s sake, not rocket science! How difficult can it be to get rid of some stuff?!?

All right then, let’s get to work…

The wardrobe seems like the most obvious (= easy) place to start. It’s just a matter of deciding what to toss, what to keep, and what to donate or take to a consignment store, right? Besides, the mess in my wardrobe has been driving me crazy for a long time as I can’t find anything there. Especially in the morning.

Well, if I’m totally honest, I couldn’t find my own head in the morning. I just pull something out of the wardrobe, put it on and get out. I’m not a morning person.

But I’m digressing here… Anyway, this is the starting point:

Obviously, some drastic measures are needed here. No, getting a bigger wardrobe is not an option. There’s plenty of storage space in the flat, provided I get rid of all the stuff I don’t need…

I can’t think with this mess staring at me. I need to take some decisive, efficient action and sort this out, fast.

Right, to pull this off, all I need is an hour or two, lots of coffee and chocolate, and some motivation. Then it’s just taking it one step at a time…

Step 1: Pull everything out of the wardrobe and toss it on the floor.

Step 2: Clean the wardrobe with a damp cloth. Now, admire the results of your hard work, and decide to reward yourself with a chocolate bar…

Step 3: Trip over the mess clothes on the floor on your way to the kitchen to get the chocolate bar.

Step 4: Despair over the mess for a few minutes, vow to never go shopping again (it’s obvious you must be a shopaholic; nobody in their right mind has so much stuff they don’t need), briefly entertain the idea of simply getting rid of everything, then talk yourself out of that idea because it’s crazy, and you probably still like at least some of the clothes that are now cluttering the floor. Decide to look at this in a calm, rational manner instead and stop procrastinating.

Step 5: Take a break, make some coffee and think this through. You need a plan to sort out this mess. Besides, you need coffee (and motivation).

Step 6: Trip over the mess on the floor on your way to the kitchen to make coffee.

Step 7: OK, time to get this thing over with. Just grab everything you sort of still like and put it back in the wardrobe, in a more or less orderly fashion.

Step 8: Admire you handiwork: all your favourite clothes neatly arranged.

Step 9:  Despair looking at the mess on the floor: sure, the pile is a lot smaller, but there’s still a lot of stuff that needs to go somewhere.

Step 10: Pull yourself together and go make some more coffee. Obviously, you need a break so you can decide what to do next.

Step 11: Clean 3 kitchen cupboards while having coffee. You know, to avoid seeing the mess on the floor that by now is turning into a scary, living entity in your mind…

Step 12: Decide to face the mess. Decide to conquer the mess, once and for all. Besides, you’ve had too much coffee, and there’s no chocolate left.

Step 13: Resist the urge to get rid of 3 pairs of trousers you still fit in but haven’t worn for ages and don’t particularly like. Remind yourself that finding a pair of trousers that fits you is like finding the Holy Grail, and there will be a day when you regret getting rid of them.

Step 14: Stuff the remaining clothes, a.k.a the mess, into plastic bags. Since there is a donation box a mere 5 minutes’ walk away, conveniently on your way to the gym, decide to take the plastic bags there at the earliest opportunity (= when you’ve tripped over them for about 48 times). Also, decide to finally take the nicer stuff (including the stuff from last year’s cull) to a consignment store (sometime this century, hopefully).

Step 15: Close the wardrobe door, and promise yourself you don’t have to do this ever again. Or at least not until next year…

When was the last time you decluttered your wardrobe?

Tiina

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