The Clutter Fairy Weekly Survey #206 Results
The Canary and the Wrecking Ball
Below are the results of our survey about audience experiences related to the topic for episode #206 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly. If you haven’t already done so, please take the survey.
Responses
To view the detailed survey response from any respondent, click on their name in the table below. (You may also find it easier to read long responses in the detailed view.)
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | What is the “canary in the coal mine” that alerts you that your decluttering and organizing habits are starting to slip? | What external factors or internal conditions tend to disrupt your productive habits or your motivation to declutter and organize? | What was the last item that you decided to keep “just in case”? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve | The mail piles up | I get behind on something. I don’t take care of the mail, the monthly Amazon delivery isn’t put away or the boxes are sitting around, the dog makes a mess. | Oxygen tubing for an oxygen concentrator. |
| Cee | Things start to pile up on my dresser as well as the table as entering the door. | I get a good start and make great headway then needs (wants) of others planning get me sidetracked. I feel anxious to get back to it but things pile up again and began to get out of control. | Clothes and paperwork not looked at or needed in years |
| Kathianne | Incoming mail and other items that need action end up in a bin and the bin starts to overflow. (It is about 4" deep and items disappear from it when they are handled.) New items are not put in existing "homes" or taken out of boxes. | Sometimes I just want a reprieve from mental and physical exertion and give myself permission not to handle them. I find myself falling asleep in my chair instead of handling them when I had intention to do so. | When I replace an item, for example, lotion, I tend to keep the old bottle in case there is a bit on the bottom that I can persuade to come out. Sometimes I use it completely, and other times it just dries up and I end up disposing of the lotion and recycling the bottle. |
| Marsh | As I leave my Vehicle I notice I have a bag or box or pile of mail...".I'll get to it next time" I be thinking as exit to go inside our home. | External issues that I have no control over yet I am distracted as I feel helpless and tell myself "So what if I put this pile away right now?" It is seemingly so insignificant for that poor Kitty lost it's life to the car.." I am seeking to find a way to embrace my feelings and emotions as clearing my clutter supports me to be more aware and alive for the World around me. This Stuff is just stupid stuff. | Fading or miss-matched socks. Can re-use them to clean dishes, surface or wear over ones feet as needed. |
| Anonymous user | I keep putting things in the spare room until I ‘get 2 it’. I just close the door if someone comes over. But, I do plan to sort through things there when I get some projects done. | I was doing fairly well until I injured my foot. It’s getting better but after about 6 weeks. Also, I’ve been spending more time with my aunt who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I did donate some items to a thrift store recently. | Frames. I love to buy frames at a sale for a plan to use it. But, I don’t get it done or put up. But, just can’t make myself to get rid of them. |
| Maureen | When the dining room table looks like a shipping facility. All the mail and Amazon deliveries end up there -- waiting to be opened or returned. We seriously used to have people over for dinner. | Go to work, come home, make and eat dinner (not at the dining room table), throw in a load of laundry, watch a little TV and fall asleep. | Our late dog's toys, food and water bowls, steps to our bed -- thinking maybe our daughter will have a dog one day and somehow it's like our dog is still around. |
| Kathy | Stuff piles on kitchen table and office desk. Also, my sewing room is the repository for everything I don't know what to do with or defer making decisions on. | When work becomes super busy, I let everything but the general cleaning routines slide. | Electronics cord that I have no idea what it goes to. |
| A.G. | Living room table, side tables, &/or kitchen counters getting covered in stuff, spare &/or craft room getting stuff tossed in "temporarily", not getting meal planning or week planning done | Getting sick with colds flus and migraines (often this last year), depression, chronic pain flares, injuries and tendonitis, sleep schedule getting thrown off, schedule too busy | Bank account info papers probably? |
| Maria | I started a notebook for paper receipts then I lost the notebook so I start to see paper receipts and unopened mail in piles ... | My "List of Things to Do" is overwhelming. I do prioritize but some items never get done. The external factors are two part time jobs and now its gardening season... | Another winter coat....One for gardening work, one for routine errands outside, one pretty one for work,a light one when its not freezing outside, two for inside the house when I work in the cold basement ......and dont get me started on sweaters ..... |
| Lisa | I have two major hotspots for clutter. One is on my dining room table, which is located right inside my front door. The other is the kitchen countertop(s). Both places are dumping grounds for purses, backpacks, papers, mail, and other miscellaneous things. | My daughter and grandson came to stay with us while her husband was doing an internship. It ended up being a 3 month visit. I have now accumulated a bedroom full of baby items. I'm also physically disabled and soccer with chronic pain and have a hard time doing any standing for more than 10 minutes at a time. | Silly of me, but I had surgery last week and they gave me two little sample size packs of petroleum jelly. Think ketchup pack size. Anyway I had to use it daily until my stitches come out (tomorrow) and tonight I toldy husband we should keep the extra pack just in case. In case of what? I don't know. |
| Peggy | Mainly empty Amazon boxes pile up in the garage while I wait for daughter to agree to a decluttering session. What I order from Amazon isn't the real issue, a lot of it is food related or light bulbs, etc. Also, if I have a busy week, the paperwork can get a little out of hand. | Busy weeks can prevent me from addressing mail adequately. Once my schedule clears, I nag myself (mostly successfully) to get on it. | bar of soap meant to scrub stains out of clothing, not super impressed with it but I can't figure out the best way to dispose of it. |
| Margy | Always on the kitchen table first. | Usually low level depression. I have just realized this lately and think it has been a large part of the problem. I was always able to put energy into work but had very little energy left at home. I had a stressful, demanding job dealing with others’ problems all day. | Old pairs of jeans in case I can continue to lose weight. I have lost 24 pounds over the last year. I think it is true that weight accumulates with clutter because you are just not on top of anything. I need to lose 24 more pounds over the coming year and feel optimistic. |
| Pat - Michigan | Yes, kitchen! Dishes and trash/recycle. (Need an attitude adjustment) | Depressed/bored, live alone. Little ambition. Need to remember to take care of ME | Box of Metamucil, used a couple powder Mix envelopes about a year ago. Just threw out half of them and took out of box so they would fit better in cabinet. |
| Crina | High traffic areas (kitchen counter, coffee table, bathroom counter) for tiding up and not being able to move around or even walk in the junk room for actual decluttering | I fall of the wagon when I’m tired from work or I don’t have enough time left after work, and when I get too frustated because I am the only one in the house doing all the work | A make up item |
| Dawn | It pops up in two places predominantly: There's not much visible desk space in my home office and my two "stations" in the living room (particular chair, and my side of the couch) start to look unruly. | 1. Just the fact that "life happens" and what I hoped to get done during a day doesn't always occur. 2.. At times when I'm decluttering when it has been prompted by DH's anxiety level, it's frustrating to have to listen to him lecture me about it because that stresses me out and I can't wait for him to leave the area. He doesn't understand the process, that things need to look worse momentarily before they look better. 3. Personal procrastination. 4. There's just so much to do in a day. | A cute (of course) knitting pattern for a crocheted cowl. I'd like someone to make it for me, but currently I don't know anyone who knows how to crochet. One of my attractions to it is a flower pin they have attached to it, which would be a challenge to find. I've had the pattern for a few years now... |
| Anonymous user | build-up of slips of paper with notes by computer, dirty dishes on counter | higher priority projects take precedence - taxes, home remodel, medical insurance paperwork, etc - I am stressed and overwhelmed | a pair of pants that are too loose at the waist |
| Celina | my desk, my chairdrobe. I just can't! And small stuff like papers/notebooks/books/small boxes. | I'm a workaholic and I really see that during the week, things just pile up. I have this problem about the clothes that are not to be put into the wardrobe, but can be worn once again or more (e.g. trousers). so they end up on the chair. it's driving me crazy! | college papers and articles I discuss with my students even after I give them the grades |
| Anita | The bar cabinet in the dining room. which receives overflow from the table if I haven't managed to clear the table of "stuff" before dinner, the magazine basket which receives overflow from the bar cabinet if I can't decide how soon to discard catalogs and magazines and, of course, my desk, which gets every piece of paper that didn't land in the first two places. | Despite my "focus and finish" resolution for 2024, I still wind up with deferred decisions cluttering up my world. Also, my brother lives with me and does not take his mail and paper clutter down to his floor frequently enough. | A bag of seed packets in the garage that I never planted and need to check the germination rate on or just dump them on the ground somewhere. |
| Sue | Piles in all the rooms "to be dealt with"!! Although a pile in any room is a warning sign! I do have a place for everything and have a tidy house in my to-do list twice a week. | Not washing up is a sure sign I am feeling down. At the very least I make sure I do the kitchen before bed ... | At the moment I have 3 foot pumps for exercise balls plus an electric air pump one....it's a problem!! Also I can't seem to let go of my very large EMPTY storage container...that I decluttered the stuff inside...it's now in the car... empty still. Also now I think about it.. garden furniture...I will have seating for 8 but I live alone and don't often have visitors...even then it would be 3 at the most...my garden is 40feet x 35 feet 🤔😕😔 so it's all a bit full |
| Evelin | usually it's my desk and the floor in the entry way | Since I've been going back to school (while still working half time) everything is going down the drain. Depression doesn't help either. | old underwear that is at least one size too small - just in case I manage to loose weight (we all know it will never happen) |
| Diane | I take care of my mother and all her paperwork and mail plus my own paperwork/mail. My canary is when our mail/paperwork gets jumbled up together. My solution is to have several plastic baskets that are about 12"wide by 12" long by 4" deep (bought at dollar store)with different categories ~ bills, financial statements, insurance statements, misc. to do etc. having just 2 baskets for my mom - bills to pay and file. I sort through the my canary pile quickly by category ruthlessly throwing away anything that can be discarded. It reminds me of Gayle's method to keep or toss process except that I categorize the keep right away so that I can deal with what needs to be taken care of right away and If I need to stop the baskets can be piled up within each other neatly until I can get back to the job. This method helped me tremendously when I had my desk was in a public area in my house. I'd be working on a project then have to scoop everything up when company came over. It was very frustrating because all my paperwork would get shuffled and I wouldn't know where I left off- I felt like i was starting over and over again to figure out the piles. By having the baskets I could spread them out on desk and floor and "deal" the paper out by each category and take care of the pile by subject i.e. pay the bills, file the financial statement , methodically because the subject matter was separated. Then stack the baskets when my time was up. I use Gayle big bucket method of filing. I have a broad category for taxes(i.e. when I pay a tax related item it goes in that file- I don't have to go searching at the end of year), bills paid, events, insurance etc. | We're doing renovations on my house so things are all over the place. my office/ closet is jumbled up because we had to put wiring in where my desk is. I also have to travel about 45- 60 minutes plus to shop for groceries, take of care my mother, bring her to appointments etc. and other errands so a day when she is not feeling well I have to scramble to make sure I have everything on my launch pad to grab so that I can get quickly out the door. I have to be disciplined when I just want to go home and say to myself I need to stop for 5 minutes at this store to get what we need otherwise it will take a long time to get this thing that we need (2 hours due to traveling time) because i don't know when I'll be in the area again. When I leave the house I could be gone all day doing stuff because where we live is not conveniently located. | a junky storage tub so I could get rid of old paint |
| Linda | The piles on my dining room table | When I get tired and feel over whelmed so I take a break for a few days to get my energy back. | An over the door hanger that that you can have up when you want to hang clothes on hangers on it or down for storage. |
| C | 1) lots of "UFO"s all over the place (UnFinishedObjects) creeping onto previously clean surfaces 2) increasing number of bags/boxes of things that have to be given to others/ taken elsewhere=recycling 3) guest bed (twin size) behind my desk gets crowded: IOW all over the bedspread with "will deal with it later" papers | External: a.Family needs me to help out. b.We decide to go on a short trip. Internal: a. Spending time reading is more fun, have to catch up for decades I hardly did. and/OR b. medical / pain OR both: c.ADHD | A frying pan ( bought a new one but am still holding on to old one ) |
| Vera | I just put stuff where ever in my sewing room instead of taking time to put stuff up. | I think I will put everything up when I finish a project. I “forget”. | Fabric I had miscut. |
| Laura | I’m putting stuff on the floor of the sewing room because there are no clear surfaces. | I have unexpected demands on my time. Houseguests, long car trips, babysitting grandkids… | None |
| Debra | I start shoving things in cupboards to get them off surfaces | When I am stressed I feel like I can’t make decisions easily—I get brain freeze. | A spiroliser someone gave me which I have never used |
| Erin G | Stuff that doesn’t have a home gets shoved into the extra bedroom in such a way as to make it hard to enter | I’m finding I have less energy to do all the things I used to keep on top of . Most of the house is in good shape thanks to your encouraging podcasts! But now I am tackling decluttering 17 years of accumulated stuff in storage spaces (extra bedroom, laundry room and shop)and my stamina is not what it used to be. Visible progress is sooooooo slow to see, it’s hard to keep working | Mason jars I have a problem |
| Anonymous user | Coffee table | Busy | Jewelry |
| Johanna | All horizontal surfaces, especially the counter tops and kitchen table and my desk/craftingtable. | I still have a lot of items that don't have a home yet. I moved 1 year ago and due to my eclectic mix of cPTSD, Depression and Perfectionism I have a really hard time making decisions on what to keep and where to put it. If I know where it goes, I have a much easier time with tidying up. My clothing and bathroom are always fairly uncluttered. | If I ever were to use all my canning jars I could feed an army and would still have leftovers. I have not made any preserves or canned anything in the last five years. And that is just the tip of a very large iceberg made out of plastic bags, samples, worn out clothes, craft supplies, empty boxes... |
| Noelle | Stuff accumulates on the kitchen table, my t.v. trays by our chairs, and beside our beds. | Being tired after a long day at work. Not having my spouse on the same page. | I'm currently debating letting go of my CDL license. I haven't driven school bus in almost 10 years. The cost of having a yearly medical exam $100 starts to add up with other bills. Just in case I decide to drive large vehicles again. |
| Ginger | ▪️Hot Spots. I have a few hot spots I police almost daily as part of my daily routine. I do a “walk-thru, pick-up, put-away” in the evening. ✔️Kitchen table (& chairs) where I do desk work & crafts. ✔️Kitchen counter behind TV where I stash delayed decisions like bottles & jars which get tossed when I remind myself there’s plenty more where those came from. ✔️Coffee Table where Hubby drops everything. ▪️Decluttered Spaces. I’m good about doing maintenance decluttering in areas I’ve already decluttered: Bathrooms, Bedroom, Living Room, Laundry Closet, Utility Closet. They get a declutter every month or two. ▪️Cluttered Spaces. This is where I’m lagging. i need to dive into 4 areas. Kitchen. Craft Supply Closet. Mom’s Bedroom & Sewing Room. | Dreading & imagining the WHOLE big job instead of chipping away a little at a time. I know better. I always have a plan that breaks it down into smaller manageable jobs. I’m probably dealing with some life-overwhelm and depression from health-related issues. I’m working on those. Find myself procrastinating. Lately - I’ve been telling myself “Just Do It!” That helps. | Probably a jar. I don’t need more jars. It’s hard for me to let go of a good jar. I store lots of things in jars. |
| Noreen | Dining Room table gets overwhelmed with To Do projects. | When I start several projects without finishing them | Charging cord for a mystery electronic item |
| Jacque | when we are out of dishes r countertop! | Being sick r going away. | |
| Elizabeth | I start stacking things in the laundry room and in the closet. Paper basket on the kitchen counter is filled to overflowing, so I start stacking papers on a kitchen chair. | Illness or even a “bad day” derails my motivation and it takes days to get energized again. | A set of three vintage Tupperware canisters. Found a good use for one of them today! It is now in the refrigerator holding all those random and unused condiment packets brought home with carry out food. Question is, will we be more likely to use the condiments now that they’re corralled in one place? 😆 |
| Kara | The office closet counter starts to disappear (under unsorted mail and paperwork). | When I have too many things scheduled in a day that take me out of the house or I am running late for things. | A fake leather pen holder that came with replacement nibs for my fountain pen. |
| Kelly | My canaries...front foyer and all the reusable bags on the floor, table with junk mail and receipts pile, my coffee table with things that need putting away, vanity is full, clothes not put away. | Busy going out, laziness, frustrated at other family members not pitching in. | Blankets |
| Anonymous user | The laundry room counter. | Family obligations, depression, exhaustion. | I don’t remember but there are a lot of them. LOL |
| Becky | I am outgrowing my bookcase again. Over the past year, i have sold and donated many items, including 2 boats, patio furniture, exercise equipment, 3 old computer chairs, and many more other smaller household and personal items. But, i am outgrowing my book case once more. | I love watching my grandchildren. We also have an older son who has been fighting cancer for the past year that we help care for. All of this takes energy. At the end of the day, I am running on empty and just dont have anymore to give to my house. We are almost there tho, and just need to push through it. | It has gotten easier with time of just letting things go. Believe it or not, letting excess spices go has been difficult. We love to cook and use different spices.. |
| Lela | An overflowing laundry basket and an overflowing paperwork basket. | When I am busy with family & friends & am away from the house a lot, my decluttering and organizing takes a backseat until I catch up on everyday chores like washing dishes and laundry. Also, my husband is recently getting an extra day off work each week to make up for the long hours he works on days he goes to the office, & I never accomplish much when he's home -- our lazy bones seem to interact and overpower us when we are together. ha | A vase -- I've been experimenting with growing houseplants in vases of water with no soil. (I did declutter a few vases, though.) |
| Intignia | My dining/kitchen table becomes cluttered as it is only four feet away from the entrance to our apartment. Then the kitchen counters become cluttered, and then stuff starts to pile up on the floor. It is a small one-bedroom apartment which I share with my DH. The battle against clutter is an ongoing concern. | I have serious health problems which greatly limit my strength and endurance. By the time a load of laundry is started, the dishwasher emptied and my husband's work lunch made, I have nearly used up my strength for the day. I need to rest and recuperate so that I might shower and work on a project such as paying bills, working on taxes, dust and sweep, or declutter. | Social Security Statements saying what DH's wages are. |
| Anonymous user | Paper starts to pile up. | Sudden changes to my routines. Getting deeply involved in my art projects. Moods, too, feeling overwhelmed, grief, Seasonal Affect Disorder. | Scraps of paper for collage. |
| Janice | When I enter a room and feel yukky. I know right away something has gotten away from me. I now take a picture and look at it and I find it right away. I do however, get angry, so angry with myself for slipping. Then I forgive myself, because I can't treat myself like that. 'Pleasant oasis' is my mantra. | It is always some health scare or broken appliance or something that takes me out of rhythm. | A cake plate on a pedestal |
| millie | Papers mysterious stack up on a side table in my dining room. | When I get busy or overwhelmed and fail to handle the daily stuff, things stack up. | A advertising flyer I got from a painting company. I've been thinking about hiring a painter. |
| Lynn | Papers piles on the kitchen table, making eating a meal at the kitchen table difficult! Boxes and suitcase collect at the foot of my bed. | Being depressed or overwhelmed increases the tendency to let things get out of hand. | A collectible depression era green glass pitcher. I did donate the other green depression glassware pieces to the resale shop at the church. |
| Lenette | Kitchen bar just inside the door as well as one end of the dining room table. I live alone and Never use the dining room table for dining. | Working 50 hrs a week, I don't have time to do a house reset until the weekend | A razor |
| Anonymous user | Mail left on the kitchen counter | Depression | An empty glass Japanese cola bottle that has a loose glass ball that plugs it when turned upside down. Surely this can be reused for something practical? |
| Cathie | 1) Pile of mixed papers on corner of kitchen counter. 2) Mending, sewing, and quilting all strewn together in sewing area. 3) Building & garden project pieces scattered throughout garage. | External factors: 1) Husband's health--appointments, emergencies, multiple trips to pharmacy. 2) Construction throughout main floor. 3) Flooded basement. | All the @#!! papers from insurance claim on that flooded basement. |
| Anonymous user | Hiking/biking/ outdoor gear, plus coats, gloves, hats, boots and food containers/drink holders from the day’s outdoor activity start appearing in the hallway by the front door … that is IF everything even makes it out of the car (probably because I was too tired/ had too much fun after being outside) | I definitely prefer having fun biking 🚴 or hiking 🥾 or being outside rather than cleaning and putting things away inside; however my “future self” is always eternally grateful when I put things away so I can easily find them again when I want to go outside for a fun activity | My car, backpack, purse etc always have “just in case” items; living in New England- I always have hand warmers, extra coats/hats/gloves, and definitely food/drink along with extra glasses, sunscreen, etc. |
| CHRISTINE | traffic jam on kitchen counter I do not empty out my purse clean clothes piled up on chairs | physical injuries , fatigue ....postpone regular declutter depression postpones my paper declutter. ps I get depressed just looking at paper clutter | boxes from Amazon glass food jars |
| Jane from Saskatchewan | sweaters on chair in bedroom. | I fall out of decluttering when spouse "reclaims" my items that I am donating. | Wool winter coat. |
| Jess | Stuff starts to pile up on my dresser. | Chronic fatigue zaps me. I try to push through it and that works sometimes. | I've kept dog crates, dog bowls and other dog stuff just in case I get another dog. |
| Anonymous user | Stuff starts appearing on the breakfast bar. | When I'm tired I sometimes become blind to the accumulating clutter. | Some little thing appeared in a cup holder in my car. It may be part of the car cell phone holder. I'm not sure so I've left it there. (I just realized that action does not follow what you taught in the last Clutter Fairy lesson. Lol) |
| MS | The space beside my refridgerator has a basket with outgoing items for the next trip to town, the store, and so on- things like returns, grocery list, etc. When that space/basket gets overrun and the counter starts to get piled up, I know something is wrong. | When I'm not well, everything goes to pieces quickly because I'm not doing that 10 minutes daily clearing spaces. | 1. Myself - House Insurance papers - I don't know what coverage we actually have,because it's almost impossible to read the "legalese" to tell. I have 50+ pages, but which are the latest updated riders, original policy that hasn't changed, original policy that has been changed,.... and so I kept pages that may or may not be pertinent. 2. Hubby is keeping the helmet he needs if riding his unused 4-year-old ATV. He has never worn the helmet, is selling the ATV because he hasn't used it either , doesn't plan on getting another ATV, and doesn't know why I'm baffled about it all. |
| Danetta | Master closet, craft room, office piles, kitchen counter | Get too busy taking care of my 97.5 year old mom, get too busy with social obligations: ie not enough time at home to put stuff away and discard. | Leftover yarn from a knitting project, some undershirts I could wear if I travel to someplace very cold. |
| Elizabeth | I look around my home and feel that things are looking sloppy. | Recently, my focus has been on spring cleaning projects so my decluttering consistency has fallen off. | A couple of Christmas cards from new neighbors in case I forget their names! |
| Jeanne | empty packaging in th garage until recycling day. Sometimes I am too Tired to put away he day’s washing. | It is hard for me since my spouse died. Sometimes my son’s gf will come over and see how I am doing. I perk up and tidy before she comes over for tea. | An old nightgown, since it was warm and still cold. Now iweather has warmed up a bit, so has been tossed. I am hanging onto some entertaining items I no longer use. MY SIL are planning her annual summer yard sale together |
| Michele | on hall table ,on kitchen counter, piles of paper! | I bring work things home to sort and file etc . I am trying to sort out my parents house so have piles of things to go to charity shop for Them. i am trying to care for eldery parents so am not at home in my own home as much so usual jobs are not getting finished in a timely fashion !! | Clothes that I cant fit into at the moment !! Work items that need to be gone through ! |
| Melody | Kitchen and bedroom | Depression and knee pain | Dishes |
| rowan | recycling pilinh up near the front door | I forget that it is not ok for me to leave recycling cluttering shared space. I often put something down and don't make a point of taking it out for several days or more. I forget that it is not ok for me to leave empty boxes, etc out even though they are not clogging up traffic paths, the fact that they are "just" unaesthetic does not make it ok. And I forget that, yes I am tired, but it literally only takes three minutes for me to knock down a box and get it out to the cardboard recycling bin. | extra towels (more than the two bath sheets I alternate to use as a sarong in the bathroom. |
| Laurie | The pile of paper that needs to be filed! I'm good about throwing away junk mail as soon as I receive it and good about opening envelopes and getting them to the recycle container, but things that need to be kept don't make it to their final destination in the same day it was received. | I tend to put off decluttering when I find something else that I would rather be doing. I think it's mostly internal conditions that affect my good decluttering habits. There are times I'm more in a decluttering mood than other times and I get more done if I have the right frame of mind going into it. Although sometimes I can fool myself into getting started when I tell myself that I only have to do it for five minutes! | A pearl necklace that belonged to my mom or grandmother, not sure. It's not even a very nice set, probably not even real pearls. I had some costume jewelry that I no longer wanted to keep and at the last minute, before going to the thrift shop to donate items, I pulled the pearl necklace out. I think I've worn pearls once in my life and I'm 61 years old! |
| Em | I am first aware of clutter when I am in a hurry to find something or to go somewhere. Otherwise, it is just landscape. | If I am depressed, the house goes to pot and clutter churns up every surface. | The box that 100 tea bags came in. At least I flattened it. |
| Sandra | Things that normally have a designated spot (e.g. seasonal clothes) no longer fit in where they belong. That's why I finally stopped buying new mittens every winter thinking they would be "the ones" to keep me warm. That's never going to happen. | Sometimes my efforts are not appreciated and then I tend to lose my motivation. That's actually why I keep watching your videos on YouTube! | Cute shopping bags. |
| Kathy | Kitchen counter or bedroom drawer / closet disorder | Don't follow thru sorting kitchen To much stuff bedroom | Bag of swesters sending to girlfriend I'm tall they are too short ....but so cute and comfortable... they need to go hanging on closer door. |
| Lynn | The end table next to my recliner only holds so much stuff. When things start to fall off or there is no place to set a beverage down, that is my warning signal that it is time to do a decluttering in the livingroom. The rest of the house pretty much takes care of itself. That end table is my nemesis. And that's OK if it remains to be the only spot in the house that explodes on occasion. | My body only allows me to do so much before it reaches the limit and needs to rest. I don't try to do everything in one day. I focus on one room of the house each day of the month so at least once a month each area is getting a thorough clean and tidying while I am generally successful in keeping the other parts of the house maintained to my acceptable standard. | I kept a 30 year old Volvo I inherited from my mother in case my own old car broke down. It was in great condition but started to need expensive repairs, was collecting dust and was vulnerable to vandalism in the driveway. Last year, I finally donated it to PBS and got the tax write off and good feeling of accomplishment with less worry about the car. |
| Hila | In my email inbox | It's hard to me to maintain my decluttering habit when I'm busy life or when I'm depressed | |
| Diane | My desk is next to my bed. When I get up in the morning and have to move paper from the desk to the bed, then I'm in overload. I'm i already am in overload because I lack other clear surfaces in my room. So there's that. | Periodically I have to work long hours. I try to work on clutter every day, but sometimes I fall behind. I have completed a couple of rooms (hooray) but the remaining ones are depressing. Clearing half the clutter out of a junk room is huge work, but doesn't feel like an accomplishment when the room is still not usable | |
| Anonymous user | Mail, stuff brought in from the car, sunglasses, pocketbook etc start to gather on dining room table | Running too many errands, driving friends to medical appt, having too much on my plate outside the home contributes to clutter winning the war | Plant pot |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | What is the “canary in the coal mine” that alerts you that your decluttering and organizing habits are starting to slip? | What external factors or internal conditions tend to disrupt your productive habits or your motivation to declutter and organize? | What was the last item that you decided to keep “just in case”? |
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