For a couple of years I have been working on painting one room at a time as I have time. Yes I do the painting because my husband cannot color in the lines. As I paint each room I clean out ever drawer and closet. And I have been looking at each item deciding to keep it, give it to someone, donate it, yard sell it, or throw it out. I have made decent progress and I am realizing that holding onto so many things can feel heavy and slow down progress on the things I do wish to spend my time doing. Writing being one of those. Ya know not one author or writer here will want to hear what I am about to say. I had collected so many books over the years...so many. Any time I moved it was a darn chore due to books and picture albums and my huge Alabama collection. So books. I decided to part with numbers of my books. Honestly once I read a book it is rare I will ever read it again. My theory so many books so little time rings true. So I went through and continue to go through my book collection asking myself will I read this again. If the answer is no then it goes in the donate pile. I just take a picture of the signed page. I print that and put it in my fun like journal. More on that on another chat. But if I say yes I would read the story again then I first look on Audible and see if there is a narrated version. If so and I love the book enough I make the purchase so I have the book and I donate the print book. It is feeing!!! I did keep my Longmire series which is all signed by the author. But I do have all those stories on Audible so it might be one day I let it all go. My huge Alabama Collection. Some of it my prize possessions in the 80s. I have stuff you cannot even get anymore but in truth...what are my girls ever gonna do with that stuff when I kick the bucket? A few years ago I gave a bunch of it to my BFF who still has her collection. I feel confident in that one. We are close enough it is still mine in a way. But I do wonder what will happen to it all when we are both gone one day. So of my Alabama Collection I have kept a few sentimental things...all my signed pictures and my photographs with band members. Ticket stubbs and guitar picks. That's about it. Actually I am lying. I have more but I do plan to hand off another batch to my friend soon. My crafting stuff. I have slowly been going through my crafting items and have decided a lot is going. Actually already in the yard sell pile for spring. I have narrowed down the hobbies I may do and parted with ones that are not so much fun any longer. I have a huge collection of rubber stamps. I still want them but I did go through them and culled down the like ones and gave a bucket full to my neice who is a teacher. Clothes. My weight varies so I have always held onto clothing to big or small thinking I will end up wearing it again. This last year I decided if I have not worn it in a year it's gone. And I have unloaded bags full to friends and donated more. Same thing with shoes. If you aren't wearing it and haven't in a while...let it go. And that paper clutter and notebooks I have held onto for years. I recently gave my preacher cousin my notes I have taken over the years in church and at events. I take a lot of notes inside my Bible. And that notebook full of good God learning was just collecting dust. So I let it go. I would probably not look at it ever again. Same thing when I have taken so many notes over the years at Writer Conferences. I have never once looked back at any of it. So I one day tossed those. I have been pubbed for years now and it's not that I don't have anything to learn but if I take notes I am not gonna use them. So I just pay attention in classes and jot down a few things on my phone. Easier and not cluttering. I went through my movies and dvds...tossed a lot into the yard sale pile. I did keep my Dr. Quinn series.on DVD and Hell on Wheels and Outlander and Longmire. But most everything else I tossed. I had a ton of softball trophies from 14 years of girls ball. I don't really need a shrine of that. So I took pictures of them and then donated them to special Olympics. That felt really nice. I spent over a month a while back going through my 4 drawer file cabinent and shredding and shredding and shredding some more. I kept one file bin of 7 years worth of tax returns and shredded the rest. I then went through the rest and kept important documents and now have a 2 drawer file cabinent that is more measurable. I am nowhere done on decluttering things but it is easier to breathe without things piled up. And without things in piles cluttering my brain I can find time to Write. Cleaning can be easier if you don't have things piled everywhere. I am learning not to have 13 things on the mantel. It take too long to clean. I have learned not to have stuff sitting around as much. A lampand a picture frame on an end table is plenty. And having a paper system helps. A place for bills and other papers. Not shoved in various drawers and clutter a place in the kitchen and the study. One place where things go is an amazing way not to hunt things and lose valuable writing time. So here are some hints: Ask when you last used something. Toss it if it has been a while. If something isn't in good condition why hold onto it? Holding onto thing in case you need them isn't good either because the minute I need something I won't be able to find it. Maybe ask why you want to keep an item. If you don't have a good answer let it go. As you declutter be careful not to bring more into the home. This is a habit you need to work on...or at least I do. Maybe put things in a box and store the box with a date. Then when you discover the box some time later...have you needed anything out of it? If not don't even open it but toss or donate it. And small chunks in organizing is easier than thinking that you have to work through your entire house all at once. Maybe first clear your writing room of clutter. Hope some of this helps. I don't have it all done yet...but I continue to work at it. And as things get cleaner so does my writing. I feel better writing if things are clean. And seriously do we need all this stuff in our lives? I am learning a bit of minimalism from my youngest daughter. I don't plan on minimalism but it is nice to clear the clutter.
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