The Clutter Fairy Weekly Survey #242 Results
Decluttering and Organizing Mindset Pre-test
Below are the results of our survey released in preparation for episode #242 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly. If you haven’t already done so, please take the survey.
Responses
To view the complete, detailed survey response from any respondent, click on their name (or “Anonymous user”) 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) | Nature versus Nurture | Confronting the Elephant | Sentimental Values | Paging Justin Case | Sunken Treasure | Write a statement that summarizes your current mindset with respect to the decluttering and organizing journey. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kate | B | A | A | B | A | I want to be unburdened by stuff |
| Melissa | None of the above- I believe I have some good skills for decluttering but I struggle in certain areas like photos due to past negative experiences and my perfectionism. I learn more toward B in that regard | Both of these are sometimes true. Currently, I am statement C: In the middle of my decluttering project, I start a craft project that has made a huge mess on my only table! Yikes! | Closer to A | A: I do keep potentially useful items for a time and only declutter them when I have too many or realize that I’ll never use them. I like to repurpose things and find uses for empty containers and stuff and I actually do find uses for some things sometimes. It’s not out of control but could become so if I left these things unchecked. I try to declutter regularly especially when a cupboard gets full. | Definitely A- I have a hard time letting go of expensive items that I don’t or can’t use- old ballet slippers, Spanx that are the wrong size, etc. Fortunately, I usually shop at the dollar store now or get used items from my neighbours so I don’t have to worry about the cost. Statement B is a good attitude I need to adopt when donating. | Decluttering and organizing is a lifetime ongoing process. I used to really enjoy it when I was younger as I found it to be both cathartic and freeing as it gave me a chance to reflect as well as a sense of control. Then there was my divorce and two minor but emotionally horrible bed bug episodes which freaked me out and froze me in my tracks. I’ve gotten back on track recently as I’ve come to terms with not being in control of certain things. Letting go of stuff sometimes helps but it’s really the emotions of fear, resentment, disappointment, anger, regret, trauma that were and still are harder for me to let go of. I feel I’ve turned a corner though and I have to thank you for your podcast- it’s so positive, realistic, and helpful. Sometimes I just listen while I declutter. |
| Suzanne | I am equidistant from A and B. I am chronically disorganized but where I have systems and where I apply what I know or learn I do great. I guess I am nature + nurture.😀 | On a map I have moved away from A and am maybe halfway to B. | Something in between. Fortunately I don’t have much from loved ones that have passed away. | Haha, Justin Case 😄. This question has me nearest to Statememt A. The way prices have escalated for EVERYTHING since COVID I cannot declutter with the idea that I’ll have the means to replace any items. What I release is good and gone. My non-indexed pension shrinks every time prices go up. It is what it is. | Statement B all the way Baby! | I’m in the dequiring third part of my life. |
| Dolce | Statement B. I have been working on decluttering and stopping to aquire stuff for years now. I have developed my skills very slowly but have made huge strides over time. Now I just have a closet and garage to contend with. | Both statements are true. When I first started I had so much grief to contend with. I was overwhelmed. Focus and decision making was unbearable. I started with clothes then books before I ever even heard of Marie Kondo. Her method really helped me focus on what was important as well as forgiveness to myself and gratitude for what I have accomplished. | Statement B. There is energy in our belongings. I believe we need to respect the belongings of those who have passed; maybe even pray for them and the life they led or mistakes they made. But, we also need to respect ourselves. Clearing out can also be a direct link to our emotions and can help us heal our grief or anger. Or just to simply move on with our own life without holding onto old hurts. | I keep things just in case. I don't like to waste. But as I age there are so many things I can do without. It is easier to let go. | I used to feel guilty that I spent money on something so would keep thinking I could earn some money back by selling. That led to clutter and stuffed closets. Now I am able to itemize on my tax return so can donate a lot of stuff, help those in need, declutter and save on tax liability. | I was young so had the proverbial "hope chest". Then life happens and has other plans. I've come to realize that dream is over and I don't need the same things. I can keep what makes me happy and part with those items from the life I had originally envisioned that is no longer possible or even wished for. |
| Anonymous user | Statement B is closer. I am naturally organized, but also very inventive and creative. This leads not only to creative messes; but also, to overly inventive or creative solutions to clutter management and organization. These innovations do not always work out well, and frequently backfire. | My decluttering and organizing project is big and overwhelming, and I believe I can get it done bit by bit. However, the job is so slow that I get discouraged and unhappy with living in the mess, which makes me want to run from the job rather than work on it. | When I handle inherited items, gifts, and mementoes, I feel happy. They are a link to happier times. I want to hold onto that happiness, so want to keep these treasures and let them be a part of a happy future. It makes me feel unhappy when people tell me that I should give away these items because I don't actually need them. | Statement A. I spent many very hard years forced to do without because of extreme circumstances. Later, my husband's death brought back the feelings associated with those years. along with fear and panic of having to manage alone. Then, I had to go several months with no way to get food or supplies, so resorted to the "make do" lifestyle. That was what caused the clutter to get out of hand. | I can't think I have anything that cost me a lot of money that I need to declutter. A large portion of what I have and use is stuff that most people would throw away, but which I find ways to use. | If I have a goal in mind for a space, it is easier to decide what should be kept in it. |
| Anonymous user | B | B | B/A | A | A/B | My clutter level has risen to one of my three top priorities. I hope to have made several significant dents in it by mid-year 2025. |
| Lise | Statement B is closer - I can de-clutter, organize and enjoy it. However, I need to develop skills to control emotional attachments to certain objects. After finding writings from a deceased family member I was able to release things freely. I did want to release the items prior but could not bring myself to until the discovery of her thoughts/beliefs. | It depends on the day I feel I am closer to statement B with "bit by bit" and there are times with statement A "where to start". Then there is the disruptions of life when things come to a screeching halt and getting back is an uphill battle mentally and physically. | I feel grateful for the people who have been in my life that have influenced me on who I have become. I know their physical items are not them but a reminder they existed. I then feel sad that the individuals are not here physically and "sometimes" have trouble letting go. I have feelings of obligation to keep inherited items and then guilt if I let them go. Why?... - I don't know. My grandmother had joked that if I did not do (x,y,z... ) I would only inherit the buggy pancake mix. At least that is a no-brainer to throw out. | I am in-between. Currently, unemployed and financially insecure I do not want to donate/dispose of some items to avoid having to repurchase again. | In-between. I keep and donate items that I paid a lot for... it just comes down to buyers remorse either way. I now really overthink purchases. | I want peace and ease in my living environment since it is one thing I have "some" control over. 🙂 |
| Anja | Statement B represents my current mindset. I like elaborate systems to organize my things so I can find everything quickly when I want to use it. | Statement B is my mindset. It can be very hard to accomplish something but I always keep at it and I always like to ask for help when needed. Which is often because I have significant low energy. | Statement A mostly. I have decluttered a lot but those family members as such made me feel bad or/and sad. And letting go of stuff from former friends that I had liked to keep in my life makes me even sadder. | Statement A and B. Some things are irreplaceable. Some fine quality stuff just doesn't get made anymore. That makes me sad. I also see how much stuff I really won't need anymore and then I trust in that gut feeling. | Statement C - I feel bad for the money I lost but I can also try to sell stuff or just send it on to somebody else (curb market is fine by me). | I like to let things go that I do not like or that I don't want to use anymore. That is a great relief. And I love finding new ways to arrange my things to improve. I found a possibility to declutter a little to put up a sewing station that serves me. No need to lift heavy machinery from a closet but instead easy access. I did that last week and I am happy about it. |
| Ginger | 🔳 Nature vs Nurture: Statement B and possibly a step beyond. ▪️ I believe I’m a naturally organized person. Always have been. I remember sorting the neighbor’s button box when I was 5. And, cleaning and organizing my parents’ medicine cabinet before school one morning. I was in the 2nd grade. I always liked my things tidy. I’m frequently called upon by family to help them organize their homes. ▪️ I believe I have the knowledge and skills to declutter and organize. I know the steps, the questions to ask myself, the reasons why I want to declutter. I understand the pitfalls of certain practices like pulling more out than I can deal with in one session, shuffling clutter to other spaces, etc. ▪️ I’ve read all the books and explored the various methods with their various different perspectives. ▪️ I’ve questioned - and answered - “how much is enough” for most categories of our possessions. | 🔳Confronting the Elephant: Somewhere between A & B. ▪️When I approach a decluttering project it CAN feel overwhelming. But not so much I won’t work on it. I DO know where to start & how to work my way thru it. I’m good at breaking jobs into smaller chunks. And, I do well with assessing the clutter and making decisions before ever taking actions, then quickly taking the actions. Arms-length decisions seem to work best for me. ▪️I think my biggest obstacle is staying with the declutter project thru to the end. ▪️I lose focus. ▪️Or, perfectionism rears its ugly head. I must do A before I can do B. This is why the shower rod & curtain hasn’t been rehung. I intended to scrub the tile walls. ▪️Or, I feel indecisive about what to do with the stuff. Clean it up & donate it? Or, throw it out? Or, I start another project. I have 2 going now! | 🔳 Sentimental Values: I have a different approach. ▪️I keep a list of sentimental items. I describe the item and who it’s from. I’ve taken photos and written stories about them. Sometimes - the story doesn’t quite live up to my initial feelings about it. I begin seeing it in a different light. Some of these items are on a “goodbye tour” in my mind. ▪️I revisit the list periodically and consider my feelings about the items. I’ve donated a few items. I’ve taken a few items to our annual family reunion and auctioned them off for other family members to enjoy. | 🔳 Justin Case. Statement B. ▪️I’ve graduated from any version of a scarcity mindset. I’m not worried about needing it and not having it. ▪️I struggle more with feelings of it being wasteful to get rid of perfectly good things. I have countered these feelings with a story about how I need to set it free to live out its useful life with someone who WILL use it. Otherwise, it sits on my shelf gradually becoming useless. How sad. ▪️No more of the annual exercise of testing all the pens to throw out the dried up ones - then returning the remaining pens to “death row”. We know which pens we like. We buy what we need - when we need them. | 🔳Sunken Treasure: Statement B ▪️When I’ve donated expensive or new, unused items (juicer, shoes, new clothes with tags, etc.) I think “someone is going to be happy with this find”. | 🔳 My Current Unique Mindset re: Decluttering & Organizing ▪️We wrote a vision about how we wanted our home to feel and function. We continue to work toward this vision while maintaining the parts of the vision we’ve achieved. We’ve achieved most of our vision. ▪️The section of our vision related to Decluttering and Organizing reads: “We regularly make decluttering rounds through our home to maintain the order and root out clutter. We question everything. Every item in our home has its own designated space. There is nothing stored under our beds or on the floors of closets. We KNOW what we have and WHERE it is stored. We USE everything we own. We have everything we NEED. We're HAPPY with our possessions. They SERVE us well and bring us JOY. We have ENOUGH. Not too many. Just Enough. Just enough bath towels. Just enough bed linens. Just enough dishes and clothes. Just enough food. Just enough pens and pencils. Just enough. Each year we assess our needs and make repairs/updates and replace worn items.” ▪️Each year - we assess the status of our home. I identify the areas in maintenance mode, the areas needing tweaking and areas needing a serious declutter. We also look for other maintenance and repair jobs and areas needing refreshed. This year we’re doing a lot of refreshing. Paint, new flooring, new furniture. I plan to have fewer tables, fewer drawers in furniture. So, we’ll be getting the clutter out. ▪️This year - I’ve set a monthly goal to COMPLETE one declutter project each month. (Complete = items totally removed from our property.) I’ll also continue my usual monthly maintenance decluttering of the spaces in maintenance mode. They are staying that way with monthly clutter checks. I’ll gamify these projects as much as possible. |
| Gabriella | B I have learned some important things about myself on my decluttering journey, have gained some insights that changed my mindset, as well as several very useful tips and hacks. This keeps me optimistic that I can gain even more knowledge and refine my skills in the future. | B more or less I still have quite a few areas to declutter and there are some already decluttered areas in which I would like to peel the onion further. Since I'm keeping my stuff basically structured and organized however, at this point it is not difficult for me to systematically go through one category after another. | Neither A nor B. I generally find it hard to let go of such items. What I've learned about myself though, is that I seem to gradually get emotionally desensitized to some of these items. It then becomes surprisingly "painless" to let them go. | Something in between A and B. I'm not afraid of lacking something in the future. Nevertheless, if I've already got a substantial number of items of a particular category that I use regularly, I keep them and try to use them up. For example, I'm keeping a lot of post-it notes that I gradually use up. (I've got the space to contain them, they don't deteriorate with time, and I've reduced the stash substantially already.) When they're finished, I'll buy only a sparse quantity of new ones each time I'm about to run out. | B | Decluttering can be a very gratifying process. Every unwanted item that is decluttered counts, because it constitutes another minute step toward an enjoyable home. Keeping my things well organized is essential, because it makes my everyday life run smoothly and efficiently. Not having to search for things, effortlessly putting things where they belong or cleaning up an area within a few minutes and then enjoying the calm and harmonious surroundings is definitely rewarding. |
| Granny | Interesting - my father was very much "a place for everything and everything in its place". He wasn't my favourite parent, though, and I've spent probably too many years going against him. My mother was quite tidy, but not like my father. I was always helped to tidy my bedroom, which would repeatedly descend into relative chaos. I think Statement B is the correct one. | Statement B - I don't have a big problem with clutter and can look at a problem area and go and sort it out quite easily | That's my biggest task at the moment! I don't have a problem with objects (I only have a few in any case). My problem is with family papers - letters, birth certificates, emigration/immigration papers, items from when my family had to flee during WWII. I think it's important to have these items available for my family and one of my projects is sorting and scanning them. I have archival boxes for storing the scanned items, but I don't think I'm going to keep them all - there are too many letters and once they're scanned (and saved securely) I'll be able to let them go. | More like Statement B - I often go through things and offer extras to my kids/their friends and then if nobody wants them, am quite happy to leave them on the kerb for people to pick up. | Somewhere in between. I have donated some things to homeless shelters, but still have things that "look at me" when I take notice of them 🙂 | As I said in the last survey, I have a plan for the year to handle photos and documents - I just haven't been able to get myself to start...HELP |
| Barbara | Statement B. Growing up I was always told by my family that I was a disorganized slob - but now I understand that what works for them absolutely does not work for me, and when life gets busy it is ok to put off the things that are less important like making sure clothes make it from the laundry basket into the dresser or closet. | Statement B. The overwhelmed feeling still comes but now I have learned to focus on one small area instead of the big picture and to celebrate the small wins no matter how small. | Statement A - still struggling with this one. | Statement A - I struggle with this, I think in part because I remember a period of 2 years of extreme scarcity when I was young - I worry about the cost if I might need to replace an item, and worry about the value of the item if I can think of other uses for it. | A but working toward B - I have been able to let a couple of things go despite their monetary value, when I have been able to sell the items. | It's a journey with a lot of switchbacks, but I'm still making my way along the path. I may never reach my destination, but I'm doing my best given everything I have going on. Celebrating every win, no matter how small it may seem to be. Donated a shopping bag full of yarn - it was really hard to let go, but I managed to do it for a good cause! |
| Ellen in W Michigan | Statement B. I always felt hopeless and overwhelmed, but that has changed. Listening to Gayle for nearly 5 years has helped me rethink a lot of things. I'm not sure I would have made it though without Dana K White. (Sorry, Gayle.) Since Gayle does this as a business, each job is a project. Dana's system taught me NOT to think of it as a big overwhelming project, but to break it down into tiny bits that were manageable. She says she doesn't cover organizing, ONLY decluttering, but to me, her last two steps (consolidate and make it fit) are the basics of organizing. If you go farther, that is up to you, but your space should be usable if you follow through on those steps. Gayle was/is invaluable for the change in thinking, but Dana helped with the doing, if that makes any sense. | Statement B. I used to be completely A, but now, except for the occasional paperwork (and when I moved), I know that it will be manageable and done in time. I was so stressed about my move, but 11 days after my move I had things in hand enough to invite my sister and mom for lunch. It wasn't "done", but it was good enough and I was proud of my new place and all of my work. | Mostly Statement B, although for me, there is also a certain amount of relief in letting go of some of those memories. Some of them weren't good and I can enjoy the thoughts of the ones that were good without all of the clutter. I've incorporated a few things into my home and probably still have too many photos, but it works and fits in my home and is part of my story. | I'm a bit between here. I've let go of lots of "Justin Case" stuff, but still have my video collection (no TV!), one bookcase of books, and some favorite casseroles that would be hard to replace but seldom get used. The casseroles live at the top of my cabinets so they aren't in my way. I also kept my crochet hooks and a few knitting needles, though I haven't used either in a few years. | I'd say mostly Statement B. I've found a thrift store/ministry that helps displaced persons get into a new home. My daughter also has a friend who works for the Red Cross helping displaced persons after fires and natural disasters, so i often hear how valuable this stuff can be. If I buy something and find it doesn't work for me, it makes me happy to know that it may be a blessing to someone else. | I feel like I mostly have things under control (the paperwork is a bit of a monster), and I know that it won't ever end, but as long as I am aware, it shouldn't ever get so bad again. One item, one area at a time, I just need to be mindful of when things need to change. Now, if only I was keeping up on the cleaning as well. . . |
| Ellen in W Michigan | Statement B. I always felt hopeless and overwhelmed, but that has changed. Listening to Gayle for nearly 5 years has helped me rethink a lot of things. I'm not sure I would have made it though without Dana K White. (Sorry, Gayle.) Since Gayle does this as a business, each job is a project. Dana's system taught me NOT to think of it as a big overwhelming project, but to break it down into tiny bits that were manageable. She says she doesn't cover organizing, ONLY decluttering, but to me, her last two steps (consolidate and make it fit) are the basics of organizing. If you go farther, that is up to you, but your space should be usable if you follow through on those steps. Gayle was/is invaluable for the change in thinking, but Dana helped with the doing, if that makes any sense. | Statement B. I used to be completely A, but now, except for the occasional paperwork (and when I moved), I know that it will be manageable and done in time. I was so stressed about my move, but 11 days after my move I had things in hand enough to invite my sister and mom for lunch. It wasn't "done", but it was good enough and I was proud of my new place and all of my work. | Mostly Statement B, although for me, there is also a certain amount of relief in letting go of some of those memories. Some of them weren't good and I can enjoy the thoughts of the ones that were good without all of the clutter. I've incorporated a few things into my home and probably still have too many photos, but it works and fits in my home and is part of my story. | I'm a bit between here. I've let go of lots of "Justin Case" stuff, but still have my video collection (no TV!), one bookcase of books, and some favorite casseroles that would be hard to replace but seldom get used. The casseroles live at the top of my cabinets so they aren't in my way. I also kept my crochet hooks and a few knitting needles, though I haven't used either in a few years. | I'd say mostly Statement B. I've found a thrift store/ministry that helps displaced persons get into a new home. My daughter also has a friend who works for the Red Cross helping displaced persons after fires and natural disasters, so i often hear how valuable this stuff can be. If I buy something and find it doesn't work for me, it makes me happy to know that it may be a blessing to someone else. | I feel like I mostly have things under control (the paperwork is a bit of a monster), and I know that it won't ever end, but as long as I am aware, it shouldn't ever get so bad again. One item, one area at a time, I just need to be mindful of when things need to change. Now, if only I was keeping up on the cleaning as well. . . |
| Carrie | Statement B, thanks to Gayle and Ed | Statement B — The same mindset I had to get through college — Big and overwhelming, but tackled it bit by bit. | I’ve learned that Statement B feels SO much better. | I’m somewhere between A and B. Both my parents were totally Statement A-ers, and now I’m having to go through TONS of things they “may have needed in the future.” (But one of the things they accumulated a lot of was money, which I don’t mind.) | Thankfully, Statement B | I’m currently helping my mom move from a large, packed-with-stuff house into a one-bedroom senior living place, and my current mindset alternates between desperation and satisfaction. It helped my mental health just to write this to you! |
| PJ in Wiltshire | Statement B - but only because I've been listening & learning from Gayle, Ed, and other wonderful declutter sources to gain these skills! Learning about as many different skills as possible makes it so much easier to apply one for any given scenario that needs sorting at home - it's never one size fits all. Also, my mood, energy levels, and discipline waver from day to day - so again, having a diverse library of skills to draw from is a super asset. | Statement B - every little helps. Even if it's just a paper, or a bag, in a day - that's something. The piles are huge, yes, but they are finite. I've learned to stop them growing. So they will disappear one day. I will get this done. | Statement A. I'm not ready to give away these sentimental things yet but I know some day I will be. The motivation to have the clear space needs to be stronger than the comfort they bring, and I'm not there right now, but I know my goals will change and at some point I will be ready. Luckily in the meantime I have a lot of other decluttering jobs, so I'm building my decluttering muscles! 🙂 | Statement B. But only because I've just moved into a town, from living out in the back of nowhere. I know I can find pretty much anything within a short walk now, so I can let a lot of things go. It's definitely made things a lot easier - I used to get snowed in for two weeks a year, without electricity, so had to have all sorts of things stored to get us through that, but there's no way we'd be snowed in now! | Statement B. For me it's not about the money - that's gone, I've spent it. If I haven't used the thing, no matter what it is - a winter coat, or a pack of pens - if I haven't used it then I don't need it. But someone else does, and they should have it. I feel grateful, blessed, and a little overwhelmed by everything I have - compared to some people in the world who have nothing, or very little, what does it hurt me to donate a couple of boxes of books or office supplies, or good clothes? It might mean a lot to someone else, to help keep them warm or boost their business or their education, and I really feel that one of the ways I can do good in the world is by letting go of these things that someone else will really value or find useful. | My mindset is all about realism: Get rid of the recycling and trash (to reduce the volume), I already have enough (to stop buying more), I need to use what I have (to sort what I don't use), I need space for a wheelchair in the future (arthritis), and someone else will value what I don't use (to make it easier to let go). |
| A.G. | B is closest. I'm a naturally organized person with mental and physical impediments that I've had to develop skills to work around. Sometimes I have to accept my limitations and let things go or ask for or pay for help. It's very frustrating and overwhelming not being able to do the things I'm inclined for and being unable to have the home I want and that is healthiest for me. | Statement B although I'm more of a sporadic person... Sometimes it's a little at a time and then I'll spend a day and a half just working hard on the one thing... And then do some more little bits... Getting things done feels good, sometimes exciting or invigorating. I'm a planner (sometimes I do too much planning but what can you do) so projects tend to be broken down and plotted out if they're big. Not to say they're not overwhelming still sometimes but it helps. | Statement A. It's hard for me to let go of these kind of things especially and my life has been complicated and often painful but the good things and bad things are often intertwined so the objects (which I also need to help my problematic memory) often bring joy and sadness together. It's all kind of a jumble. | Very statement A. Quite a few times I tried to let some things go that I did end up needing later. While I know there are many things that I have let go and been fine without, I've learned to be cautious with things that may be harder to replace because those ones keep come back to bite me. | Both? I hold onto the things because they were expensive until I get sick of them making me feel awful and eventually get rid of them and... Mostly at least... Feel much better | Have at least a general idea of what you'd like the outcome to be. Do a little planning then take paced and sustainable action. Listen to your body and emotions - take breaks when they tell you that you need them. It's ok if things aren't perfect - they will evolve as you keep working on them. Better is still better and all progress should be celebrated and shared. I want my home to be a space that helps me be happy, healthy, calm, and support my fun and my work. Sorry that was a bit more than one statement. |
| Anonymous user | B Frustration Overwhelm Struggling “get my act together” If I can be organized with me job, why can’t I be organized at home ? | A I know where to start, I just don’t start. | A Mother had a depression era mindset. Quality things were bought to last forever. Don’t get rid of that, it’s still good. You may need it someday. That doesn’t mean I can’t declutter items. It’s what I hear in my head. | B | B This has gotten easier with practice. | Never ending. |
| Sandra | Statement B, with a before and after moment, i.e. the day I realized I could let go of a lof of stuff instead of keeping everything and buying more containers. | Statement B, which I call peeling the onion. It's like fitting in regular exercise: if I only have 10 or 20 minutes, something is better than nothing. | Statement A - I know I'm not alone in finding this process difficult, but I remind myself that "keeping a representative sample" is a good start. I like how Statement B is worded. | Statement B after many years of living according to Statement A. What helped was admitting extra clutter took a lot of space and now thanks to the Internet, you can find everything again (not that I ever regretted letting go of anything...). | I used to be big on Statement A until I learned to forgive myself for past mistakes. I know I meant well with some purchasing decisions so now I keep that good feeling and let my ill-advised purchases live their best life elsewhere. | I want to love and enjoy everything I have. |
| Hawthorne | Statement B | I flip flop between statement A and B | None of the above. Most of the things I inherited came from relatives who openly despised my siblings and I. Keeping them was expected since I was "lucky to get anything at all". I threw most of the objects straight into the trash or handed them right off to Good Will. When the people in my life ask me what I want for a gift, with gratitude I ask for specific items that I want, need, or will use up thus keeping the decluttering to a minimum. | Statement A | Statement B | I try not to bring new things into my space and find ways to use the things I already have. If after multiple failed attempts to find a way to reuse an item in my life, I pass it on to the river of stuff. Things that I intuitively hate, I just get rid of ASAP |
| Stellaria | B. I have self diagnosed Adhd (either that or CPTSD or both) so I find it difficult to stay focused on tasks. But I do believe that I can learn to declutter and organize better than I have previously. Previously I was very close to being a level 5 hoarder, but through watching shows like yours I've got that down to about a 2. | I would like to say B, but in reality it is usually A. I usually feel overwhelmed when faced with a pile of clutter. I know the steps more or less but find it hard to implement them. | Often A, but that is mainly if I don't like the item all that much. If I do like the item, then I feel more positive about it. | Mostly A. I feel conflicted about this. I would like to go with B, but I feel economic times are changing and there isn't as much certainty about being able to replace items as there was a decade or two ago. | B. I am much better at letting go of the sunk cost fallacy than I used to be. | Time management is my biggest obstacle. I have a family of 5. My problem is setting aside and committing blocks of regular time to decluttering. In reality I find it hard to schedule any task - even the repetitive reoccurring ones like cooking and laundry. Most of my life is spent reactively in state of stress rather than proactively in a state of calm. |
| Jill | I prefer to speak affirmations in the present so "I gain valuable knowledge every day that helps me declutter and organize," | B | B | A | About 50-50 A and B | I have used so little of what I have saved for "someday" that I realize someday may never come. I am working to enjoy what I need today or in the near future and the extra space I gain from letting "someday" items go. |
| Kathy | B. CHALLENGE MYSELF TO DO BETTER. | B. I get stalled but motivated by clutter fairy ... applying container principals and revisiting spaces. | B. Have a cousin who doesn't move on... I can learn embrace and move on. | B. I can move on but do have some becoming older ruminate clutter. | In between... A&B support to let go often with family because I'm organized don't see accumulating stuff " it's okay don't worry about it". | Need to do more but need to also have pauses. Layer reflecting some grief and some relief. |
| Lela | B … I have always been overly-organized, but the older I get, the more maintaining physical stuff gets on my nerves. | Statement C: I have decluttered all my belongings, but desire even more simplicity. | Both, but I usually push through the nostalgia and declutter down to my most favorite items. | Mostly B. It seems to me that there has never been a time in history when it was so easy to find and access specific physical items. | B. If I donate an expensive item, it reminds me to think carefully before making future purchases. | “Get that junk out of here! It’s a burden I do not wish to bear!” (I’ve always had a tight budget & have had to repair things myself. Less stuff equals less work & risk to me — I no longer wish to climb on the roof, crawl under a car, search the internet to learn how to repair my HVAC, etc.) |
| Anonymous user | A | A | A - I hate decluttering inherited items as it feels like I’m erasing that person | B | B | I’m sometimes unsure which room to start on. |
| Katherine | No option for “naturally organized already”? I’d describe myself as “great organizer, terrible declutterer due to natural aversion over letting things go—and over hanging things up/dusting things off (because that feels less like true organizing and more like cleaning up the SAME mess over and over).” | A (I want to organize the perfect plan before I dare do anything at all.) | I don’t think this situation has ever happened to me. (More likely would be an A.) | A | I hold onto things, regardless of cost, because I’m just plain lazy about the work involved in decluttering. | I only want to do tasks that start with a clear to-do list and a clear beginning-and-end schedule. |
| Danetta | Statement B | Statement B | I happily declutter momentos and gifts from unimportant people in my life. If getting rid of a momento is going to make me sad, then I don’t. | Statement B | When I release expensive items, I think about the use they did get, try to donate it to someone in need, and don’t think about the money that is long gone. I resolve to try and be wiser in the future. | I still need a lot of this stuff, but I wish I didn’t and could declutter it. |
| Kristina BC | B although if you had asked me a month ago I would’ve said A. I have learned what my inability to know how to do these things was the tendency to focus on perfection and give up before I began because I had never been given the steps most people are taught as children. I know now that it is impossible to progress if you only focus on perfection. Starting from the smallest step in what I know I can accomplish and once I prove that I can do something to move the needle forward and then keep going because I have already proven I can do something and perfect is the enemy of progress. | Wow. I must have had a lightbulb go off in my brain. I would have sworn I would have said A but I am definitely more B now. I believe that by learning about processes that work for people with ADHD like myself like the put it away now rule or by putting the item where you would naturally look for it by Dana K White or with decluttering the items that no longer serve me (without guilt) it allows me to progress through the overwhelming feelings. I am basically turning down the noise so I can focus on what I truly need to focus on. | A but that is getting better. I always had a tendency to be sentimental towards items that I got from family or friends and I learned from one of the clutter fairy episodes that the people we love are not the items. I had held on to wedding cards and gifts and even though these items made me sad because they were given to me by relatives I knew that they were not the item and I could let them go. My marriage had been over for more than 10 years now and I was able to declutter them because I dont need to hold onto things to remember my relatives. The guilt is gone and I can breathe easier knowing that I never have to feel the pain of thinking sad thoughts again about the marriage or the relatives who are gone. | B but I am not holding on to things just in case if they are easily replaced for less than 20 dollars. I will however hold on to a few things that I probably will need in a year or two and will be expensive to replace and I have the place to store it. I’m not however holding onto things that I don’t really like and won’t ever use. | B - goodbye guilt. I am so grateful to the clutter fairy episodes because I am learning how to let go of the things that used to make me feel guilty. I really have changed my mindset in the sense that I know that my emotions get in the way of my life being easier when I let go of items. Most items are easily replaced and I refuse to put the items ahead of my well being. | I am only keeping the items in my home that I truly love. The Guilt I used to carry is gone. I can’t expect to have the life I want with items I don’t want or need holding me back. Learning the skills of decluttering and refusing to bring into my home anything that does not make me happy is life changing. Stopping the guilt before it comes in is also key. If I don’t 100% know if I love it, it doesn’t get past the door. |
| Phyl | I resonate more with Statement B, but both can be true because I feel I naturally disorganized. The difference is I want to learn and change. | Statement A: When I try to declutter and organize, I feel completely overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. I am experiencing this now. I have removed everything from my small closet but the contents are now in my bedroom and I don’t know where to start. | Hard to choose an answer here. | Statement A and the question speaks that answer in itsellf. In my head I feel I will need it or I remember the last time I wore it or it seems logical not to repurchase if there is the slightest chance I will ever need it. Seems irrational… | If I release it, it is gone. I don’t really dwell on it once it’s gone. Every once in a while I will think I have something and look for it. But if I can’t find it I don’t really fret much. | I want to declutter and organize right now and get it done so I can feel happy, free and know where things are . It feels bad to keep going on this way when I know where things are I feel better and I’m more positive and happy and at ease about things. Confident. |
| C | Most definitely something in between. As an older child through to young adult, managed belongings quite well. Then, after a few crisis and tending to various demands, it got to be overwhelming. I've learned many skills to compensate for ADHD distractibility and impulses, yet the creative side takes over...for example: so many things can be used for crafts. | Statement A applies to my "Room of Doom" Former daughter's room where delayed decisions end up.. and 2 (Tetris) closets. Statement B to the rest of our home. | Statement A used to be the case. I now take a photo and am OK., for the most part. Far too often I want to pass it on to someone who I know will really appreciate it. At 70+, don't have time for that anymore. Anonymous donating is just as good now. | Statement A for sure! I think I inherited that stance, or was engrained in me. Difficult to shake off. Easier for inexpensive things. Must constantly remind self of the sunk cost fallacy. | Both actually. Tending to Statement B nowadays. | I MUST declutter NOW. I know it will be more difficult as I get older. Already now I "run out of steam" and have incomplete tasks everywhere. |
| Sheila | Statement B. My decluttering journey started 7 years ago. Some sessions are big & others are small. You & Ed are a great team encouraging me to keep going. Sentimental is the hardest. Thank you, thank you! | Statement B | Something in between. | Something in between. Learning to part with extra screws from items that have been assembled, for example. Right now have 2 kitchen utensils on probation in bottom of towel drawer, but will check with hubby before letting go since he does all the cooking-yeah! If I think an item might be needed, it goes in a “holding” bin for a bit. Rarely do I keep what has gone into the bin. | Seven years ago would have been Statement A, but now, it’s Statement B. It’s better to let someone else use/enjoy then to store. | |
| Anonymous user | Previously used to be very organised. Could find anything quickly etc. Then came two lots of inheritance of "chattels" . Circumstances surrounding one of these was traumatic. I have struggled with the clearing ever since. Also not being tech savvy does not help. Physically, I'm not meant to lift heavy things or climb ladders. Unable to find a "Gayle" in London, UK. | Something in between. I start and then get overwhelmed. and have to stop and go out eg for a walk in the park. There is little space in the apartment to separate sorted/unsorted. | Both. | Something in between. | Somewhere in the middle. If for example I knew a specific person or family in need of the items I'd enjoy releasing them. Done that with items donated to a particular school etc which has been gratifying. | A sense of shame and loss of confidence at still having not resolved my decluttering, nor found suitable physical help and support. |
| Jennifer | None of the above. I know what I need to do, but I have ADHD and suffer a LOT from executive dysfunction. | B | B | B | Both A and B, depending on the item | I want to be able to have my belongings organized in such a way that they are easy to find, and easy to travel with. My whole life is currently in a storage locker due to moving states and housing falling through, so the state of my belongings is, "I have the things I need and the things I like- I just need to organize my storage unit so I can find them when I want/need to use them." |
| Cindy | I think I have some of both. As soon as I clear off the surfaces, as I did for my son coming home for xmas, great! a week later, all surfaces coved again, varying depths. But I have learned a lot from you, and before you from FlyLady - retuning my "routines " morning routine, bedtime routine, afterwork routine. I think the most valuable, is the motivation, which has grown with all the inspiration from you and your community, telling myself to trust the river of stuff in life, to take it to someone who can use it. | I definitely have a lot of A, overwhelm leading to paralysis, but also with your help, telling myself - talking back to those voices of negativity, telling myself it doesn't matter, ANYTHING I do will be an improvement. and as to where to start, it's good to start small, whatever I feel I can accomplish, bit by bit it will get done. And picking the thing that is bugging me to most. | Totally A , it is so hard to let go of sentimental stuff .... but I do have a lot of it, so my goal is to ... get the items from each beloved person - mostly relatives, mom, dad, grandparents on both sides - (wow no wonder my house is stuffed!) - goal to Thin the Herd. I have poster in my kitchen "Keep the best Five". and a story I think I heard from you .... Grandma is not in the teacup /teapot, grandma is the love, you can keep the love and the stories, and let the teapot go. Well, I can't actually, grandma's teapots (just one from each grandma) are some of the items I will keep and treasure. but hoping to let go of other stuff! | I am having good progress in switching over from A to B. Asking myself, Can I get this somewhere else/or again if I need it? where? (i.e., for example on the internet, for old manuals) - yes, can easily replace, makes it easier to release. | somewhere in between some of A and some of B, if not too emotionally attached to item | after 30 years in my cottage, 900 sq.ft., plus basement, it is so stuffed. I am tired of feeling so cluttery. My goal is to have every shelf, every cupboard, every drawer, be half empty, to have more space around me. I am making progress, car is loaded to drop off tomorrow. I noticed kitchen spice cupboards are 1/2 empty, yay! used to be stuffed. I am semi-retired, would like to move to a retirement ranch, but due to economy where a crappy, $50K ranch 2 bd house is now $250K or $300K, I will have to age in place. So I want to make it as pleasant and spacious as possible, the cozy cottage I know it can be. and also be totally downsized, in case the perfect affordable different home appears. |
| Lala | I believe that I can gain knowledge and develop skills that will make it easier to declutter and organize, I just haven't found the right combination yet. | A. But I have hope. | A. I also try to release what I can. It seems to help a lot to sell stuff. Then that means they really want it. | A. That also means I can do a lot of shopping inside my house and not have to leave and spend more money. | A. I feel bad that all that money went to waste but I feel better if I can sell it for something at least. | I am finally getting really fed up with the way things are here in my house. I really need to make some changes so I can have things more the way I want them and be more comfortable. It seems like when I have the ambition I don't have the energy and vice versa. Once in awhile about once a week I have both but I don't seem to get very far, and in a day or two it looks like I did nothing . |
| Peggy | Statement B and beyond for me... I haven't fully decluttered my home but I'm getting better at working on it | Statement B - I definitely go bit by bit | Statement B, although I have decided that it's okay to just keep 1 favorite thing from each person rather than everything they ever gave me. | Statement A - I struggle with Justin Case 🙂 | Statement B... I sometimes pass things to a friend to "try on", knowing that she will probably just donate them... but I feel better about it anyway | I have done a lot of decluttering over the years and have maintained it pretty well. Lately I have been fine-tuning things more. |
| Katharine | B - I may still be naturally messy, yet I believe by learning and placing new ways of handling items I can make vast improvements. I prefer an organized home. There are times when piles build up around me & it’s depressing feeling like I’m starting all over. Now I know the feelings will pass and I can do something & eventually will get back on track. Some days I tell myself it’s not fair to my son, if I died & he had to deal with it. So I get up with one step at a time.🙂 | B - it’s frustrating that one room keeps getting items placed in it even when I have moments of things in order- so I try again even though there’s been plenty of times I just shut the door. I can’t handle it & my brain shuts down 🙃 | B usually- I still tell myself stories of how they would want me to be happy & it’s ok to move on | I’m working on B - world’s gotten crazy these past few years. I’m learning how to determine what to pass on & keep. I’ve decided if I can use it during Hurricane season, then it’s a keeper😉 | Definitely B - it’s so much easier for me to pass costly items on than to sell. Sentimental items are my issue | I’ve made a lot of progress with slowing down the intake of items. I ask myself multiple questions before most purchases. I want my home to be easier to manage & I keep learning to become better at taking care of it and myself. |
| Noreen | I am in between A and B, leaning toward B | Statement B as I have already decluttered most of my home | Mostly B, as I get older, it.gets easier to let things go. | I am currently statement B, but my Mom was statement A and I have dealt with letting go of these items when she passed. | In the middle, but lean more towards A | It is an ongoing process, that.gets easier as time goes on |
| Anonymous user | A. I have a long history of struggling to get organized and to declutter and never managing to achieve my goal. B would be a more helpful mindset but it is not what I currently feel. | A - represents my mindset. Challenging it with B feels better but when I do, it is only brief before the overwhelm resurfaces. | My current mindset is somewhere between A and B. I need to do some decluttering and clear some space so that I can feel the benefits of it. Intellectually I know that if/when I make progress it will help me tackle more and if I keep going, progress will grow. | A is a big one for me and has more impact on my clutter than sentimental value. I am the youngest of 10 plus we had 3 foster sisters (also older than me). I didn't have much of my own and it was always hand-me-down, nothing that I got to choose. Justin Case was survival for us and hard to shake even now that I'm on my own and in my 60's. | A is my mindset even though I donate money to charities, stuff is personal and harder to let go of. I sometimes think of selling it but don't need another project so it sits taking up space and doesn't get used. As I write this realize that donating the item is a way of letting them use it or sell it and I am using that realization to pack up some new never-used items still in the box that I I've been holding (for too long!) to maybe try and sell. They need to be in the hands of someone who will use and hopefully enjoy them. | The accumulated stuff in my house is overwhelming and gets in the way of me enjoying the life I want. There is always something more urgent or important to do and when that is done I need to play more than working on all of my clutter. And the only way it will get done is if I make it a priority and get at it. I'm so grateful to you for your podcasts. They are singularly the most helpful thing I have found in this long and challenging situation. Thank you Gayle and Ed!!! |
| CHRISTINE | B. so thankful for your golden advice, which has helped me so much, which I Never thought of before you said it. floors first, bigger buckets, turn off the water hose, ...etc. and my favorite one word mantra of the year, which Ed said about that one back huge room of the antique store he visited., with all that old china........"what a lot of CRAP !!! " so I just keep saying "CRAP" , during a challenging decluttering. | B.. with all you have taught me, I know I can get it done, bit by bit. I get overwhelmed thinking of the big picture. so I do not do that. but I know all I have to do is start at the bottom, by literally clearing the flooring, that is what works for me. it prevents me from tripping over stuff. and it helps my brain, by not having to make any choices or decisions at all. all I have to do is keep clearing off the floor, until I can walk through it. and somehow, when the floor is cleared, I naturally move on the counter tops, desk and table tops. | I now accept a. gift graciously at the time, but a few months later return the gift to the giver, with much kindness, This last xmas, my son gifted me two enormous framed expensive wall photos of my grandchildren. And he knows I have been decluttering everything,,,for a few years now. His spaces are clear of all wall photos, but now he wants to make my newly cleared home a museum, for his own family photos. I am "standing my ground" (that is a great pun,) and just told him I do not have room for his own wall photos. and I will be bringing them back to him. He finally agreed to take them back. I told him if he wanted to give me a small framed wall photo of his children , that would be great. My other son gifted me two of those electronic photo machines. I struggle with tech, I do not have room for any more tech, taking up table top space, and I do not have time to look at hundreds of photos of my grandchildren. a few photos of them in my email is all I can handle. So I paid a lot for shipping to mail those machines back to that son. And I told him instead, to give me one small framed wall photo of his family. That is what I asked for originally, but he did not listen to me. I dread xmas now, as I am tired of returning all that stuff to the giver. | A. I am afraid I will not be able to afford some necessary things, as my everyday necessities just keep getting more expensive, and I am on a very strict budget. | B. for some reason, donating to habitat for humanity makes me feel great. odd, but the choice of the donation place makes place, makes a difference to me. but at least I have found a charity, that resonates me , concerning donating expensive items. | I am in shock at myself. I just had a horrible visit with an invisible hoarder daughter in law. I got a serious bacterial infection from sleeping on the soiled guest bed linens. While I am trying to recover, medically, from this, at my own home....I have had a chance to look around at my own "hidden hoarding". What areas of my home, could be a lot cleaner, clearer, safer. I have made huge advances in decluttering.. but to my great shock, there is a lot in my own home I could be doing a much better job... like ; cleaning the kitchen sink every night. cleaning the toilet more often getting shipping boxes out the house immediately donating more excess decor... keeping floors clear I guess this is what Gayle says is "peeling back onion". I just did not realize , there were more onion layers right in front of my own eyes. I think I got used to seeing my own messes. But seeing someone else's messes, really made me rethink my own. |
| Anonymous user | Statement B. | Statement A: which applies to clothing. | Something in between. | Statement A: 100% wool coats and wool blankets. They are very expensive to replace. | Both A and B. | My current mind set varies depending on categories of item. Hard to declutter my clothing as the prices of increased by several 100% in recent years. The Clothing is primarily natrual fiber European brands. Too expensive to replace. I know I should give away a 3rd as I'm now in two closets and it would be a gift to others. There is a great deal of guilt for not donating. |
| Margaret | Statement B. I am a 60 YO female who has had a chaotic life and am just now able to breathe a little. I love your podcasts because I am learning what it means to be organized and how to bring more calmness and peace into my life. | Statement B represents my current mindset. Although I used to feel completely overwhelmed, I have stopped bringing unnecessary things into my life and am able to gradually tackle the overflow. The bulk of the overflow is photos and special belongings of my loved ones who passed, as I am the only one left. So it's very painful, but with your videos I am learning to move onward. | Unfortunately, I have been much closer to Statement A, but just reading Statement B provides me with a new perspective. Thank you for offering this wonderful way to look at things. | I'm much closer to Statement B, as I share a small apartment with 1-2 other people and simply don't have room or the bandwidth to store things that aren't essential. | Statement B. The older I get, the less "things" mean and the more I want to pass them on to someone who can enjoy and value them. | Even though I've got a long way to go, I've also come a long way. Looking at my progress builds my enthusiasm and empowers me to keep going. Also I am gaining skills to enable me to further simplify. It's become a fun project especially having the comeradery of Gail and Ed and your community. |
| DM | Statement B. I'm a naturally organized person, but I can always learn new ways of doing things. Having things tidy and able to be found easily pleases me. It's nice when others feel welcome in my home. | #B I like these mantras.: Eat the elephant a bite at a time. Thin the herd. Start by starting. I feel competent when I can check off the next completed step in a project. (I guess competent is the right word.) | Between A and B, but closer to #B. It's really hard to go through sentimental and family things and realize that they may not be as important to someone else as they are to me. But, I can't take them with me when I die. I feel lucky that I have so many family things but I wish I had someone to tell the stories about them to. | #B I follow the 20/20 rule which goes sort of like this... "Can I get a replacement for less than $20 or within 20 minutes time?" Or the 80/20 rule which says that we use or wear 20% of our things about 80% of the time. So why keep all the rest? It's annoying that spouse can't get on board with this. Sigh. | #B I am really grateful for the people who let go of the things that I've found at thrift shops, so I try to pay it forward. My mother wouldn't have been caught dead in a thrift store, but she donated 3 carloads of clothing when she was terminally ill because she wanted someone else to get use out of them. | It's a process and it's not completely done in your lifetime. You can have a lot more time to enjoy people and events and hobbies when you're not tied down to cleaning unnecessary stuff. |
| Lisa Beth | B | B After years of listening to you, I'm proud to report I'm a solid B! | I was an A. I'm now fighting old habits to pick select items. I have a date to have family here and offer some of the collection to other relatives and part with what they have no sentimental attachment to. | Somewhere between A &B. I used to save more than I currently do. I have to love something a lot to want to dust and care for it the rest of my life. For several years I've been going through an area each month and each time I always thin the herd a little more. I also practice one in one out. | I was never one to spend a lot on myself. My guilty pleasure is overgifting especially to children who grew up and 2/3 left more than they took with them. My minimalist is still here. | I've done a good job parting with most things that no longer suit my purposes. I'm still going through grown children 's things that appear and reappear with each transition in their lives. |
| Celina | Statement B - I've discovered I'm ADHD, but I also remember myself from 7 years ago (pre-abusive relationship) where my brain was 'normal'. So, I believe that I can retrain it and detraumatise it (it's already been happening for the last 4 years, but it's a process) back to where it was. I now care to have calm people around me, sleep well, eat well, and work on my resources (e.g. focus on making money and not chasing some new abusers who'll drain my energy). ANYWAY, I see some progress with, e.g., motivating myself to getting down to doing things. I've become very self-aware when it comes ot my procrastination and disorganization. I'm good at remembering that some things just need to have their lil home, such as house and car keys, for instance, so that I don't need to look for them. I've gottne rid of things I don't use (from clothing to spices & kitchen appliances). I avoid being excessive and irrational with collections (so curating instead of hoarding). I try to find proper containers and storage solutions within my means. The big test is yet to come, because I'm about to become a home owner within a couple weeks and while thus far I could easily say: "why clean thoroughly if I'll move within a couple months anyway/my flatmate doesn't give a crap anyway/etc.", now I'll be all accountable and have no one to blame... I'm curious to see if I'll really become more organised and tidy! 😀 | B again - it's important to even literally write down the minor steps. Then crossing them out - the chunks of work rather than huge loads - feels like an achievement and gives the sense of accomplishment which further motivates you 🙂 | B again - I have some inheritances that will stay, but it's a small box. When it comes to gifts - I'm thankful and I love gifts, but Ihave no problem with understanding that they are mine and I egt to choose what happens to them. So, e.g., I recently got a cheap duck-shaped soap tray and a very delicious, HQ tea. I've nearly finished the tea (I got it less than a month ago for Christmas), but the duck-shaped tray went to my private tutoring student who has younger siblings who'll be much happier playing with the tacky plastic duck. I wouldn't dare to say to my cousin that the duck was tacky (I think she got it for laughs, not because it was precious), but I already thanked her over FB for the delicious tea. In sum, I have nothing but great memories: in the end, the gift made more than just one person happy 🙂 | Statement A - I've learnt the hard way that as a Central European, I cannot just 'go out and buy' like, e.g., the Minimalists always recommend (and then preach sustainability LOL). There are some things that I may need only once a year, but they're keepers. I don't care if they're inexpensive and easily replecable... I am NOT spending this money again. E.g. a thermos - I may need it only one a year when I go on holiday... sure... Now I'm super tight with money throughout the next couple months, so instead of buying bottled water (no, filers and dispensers are NOT cheaper in my case), I just prepare herbal tea for the fraction and take it to the gym instead of having to buy water. This is why it's worth keepin the thermos, even if it goes back to abyss for many months some time soon. | Statement B, but with a nuance! Anytime I have things I spent some money on, I make sure I get at least a part of that money back. I've been successful. I always say that the little loss is the cost of having the experience and trial period of using the given thing or seeing it in real life. Also, I sell or even flip colelctible dolls. I've sold over 200 dolly related things (incl. clothes, for instance), so I can honestly tell you - it's always worth trying to resell, sometimes it just takes time and reality checks as to the price 🙂 | I can't wait to organize my very own space soon, but for now I'm trying to sell away things I don't want to drag along. Over the past 8 years (I then began my 'minimalist journey' and fell in love with Gayle's videos xoxo), I have gathered even more stuff, but I've replaced 90% of my belongings. I honestly don't have the majority of clothes, books, art supplies, etc. I had then. Things I still have are my printer, sewing machine, some small containers, jewellery... But I'm so much happier! I have much less junk and clutter that annoys me. I wear the majority of my clothes. I got rid of uncomfortable shoes (at some point me and my club foot decided that life it too short for uncomfortable shoes!). I've become more ruthless with little papers and paper memorabilla like entrance tickets, etc. |
| Tanya | B | B | C: combination of both! | C: I used to be “A” when kids were younger, but now I’m over it! | B | I’m turning 64 soon, and have been a widow for 5 years. We had a lot of combined items! I’ve gone through all the emotions that hindered me starting the decluttering process, but as time passed, I grew my decluttering muscles. I’m now in “Swedish Death Cleaning” mode. Soon, I hope to be in the “maintenance mode”. Thank you both for being an integral part of my decluttering journey!😊 |
| Lynn | Statement B is more relatable to me as I age. As a child and young adult, Statement A was more relatable. This proves to me that it is a learned skill derived from experience in a messy environment that becomes so annoying it inspires experimental organizing trials until you hit upon one that works for you. When it does, you can feel your environment become much more enjoyable. | Allow me to vent: After moving in to take care of my mom as her dementia worsened, and then inheriting her house, the prospect of sorting and decluttering our combined whole house home goods and clothing was very emotional and overwhelming until I broke it down to each room and each furniture item in each room. My mom was a depression-era pack rat that saved everything in case... she loved books, music, art, and clothing and anything from years of QVC shopping, Her philosophy was to buy more furniture to store her things rather than declutter what was no longer in current use. There was not an inch of floor space near a wall that was not covered by furniture to house things. Outwardly, it was generally neat, but inside the furniture and containers was a jungle of stuff crammed into it. It took 3 years of steady effort and progress to complete, but I got it all done and finally made the house MY home with new paint, new furniture and kitchen appliances with just the things I want in it and nothing more. I'm still reducing things in preparation for new flooring this year, but I am happy with it now. I decluttered (donated or sold) 37 trash bags of clothing, 45 boxes of books, 18 boxes of record albums, VCR tapes, and cassette tapes, 2 sofa beds, 8 tall bookcases, 4 dressers, a dining table and chairs, 3 recliners, 3 sets of dinnerware, 2 desks, 2 beds, 30 years of tax records and receipts, several generations of photos, photo albums and correspondence, and a lot of other content. It required having to search meticulously through everything as I found passports, photos, checks, etc tucked in books as bookmarks, and important permanent documents filed away in her yearly tax records. Nah, there were no feelings in emotions in those statements! Lol! Her house would be a good advertisement for the Swedish Death Cleaning theory. | As the last one standing in my mother's family tree, I was stuck with Statement A with a mixture of guilt, sadness and anger over what to do with all the boxes of historical photos, correspondence and documents from several generations of her family. I don't know why, but last year, my mindset finally flipped and in a fit of anger, I decided it was not my responsibility to continue to keep all the stuff or try to find homes for any of it. I threw most of it out and kept only a handful of representative pieces. Have had very few regrets and felt liberated from the past as I transitioned to Statement B | While caring for my mom, Statement A was my MO because the future was uncertain with her so sick and me with no source of income while caregiving. Once I aged into Social Security with a mortgage-free house, Statement B became easier. Statement B is my lifestyle now for most things. I learned a hard lesson in Just In Case clutter while clearing out mom's stuff. I refuse to leave to others my clutter to clean up. | Statement A was my insurance during uncertain times. Most of it I would inherit and hoped I could sell the things I didn't want. I realized not many people wanted to buy any of it and it was much easier to just donate. I eventually donated or sold most of it at a deep discount just to get it out of the house. It was worth it to clear my environment of so much unwanted stuff to manage. | Life is good. It feels great to be liberated from the past and things not currently in use. |
| Lynn | Statement B is more relatable to me as I age. As a child and young adult, Statement A was more relatable. This proves to me that it is a learned skill derived from experience in a messy environment that becomes so annoying it inspires experimental organizing trials until you hit upon one that works for you. When it does, you can feel your environment become much more enjoyable. | Allow me to vent: After moving in to take care of my mom as her dementia worsened, and then inheriting her house, the prospect of sorting and decluttering our combined whole house home goods and clothing was very emotional and overwhelming until I broke it down to each room and each furniture item in each room. My mom was a depression-era pack rat that saved everything in case... she loved books, music, art, and clothing and anything from years of QVC shopping, Her philosophy was to buy more furniture to store her things rather than declutter what was no longer in current use. There was not an inch of floor space near a wall that was not covered by furniture to house things. Outwardly, it was generally neat, but inside the furniture and containers was a jungle of stuff crammed into it. It took 3 years of steady effort and progress to complete, but I got it all done and finally made the house MY home with new paint, new furniture and kitchen appliances with just the things I want in it and nothing more. I'm still reducing things in preparation for new flooring this year, but I am happy with it now. I decluttered (donated or sold) 37 trash bags of clothing, 45 boxes of books, 18 boxes of record albums, VCR tapes, and cassette tapes, 2 sofa beds, 8 tall bookcases, 4 dressers, a dining table and chairs, 3 recliners, 3 sets of dinnerware, 2 desks, 2 beds, 30 years of tax records and receipts, several generations of photos, photo albums and correspondence, and a lot of other content. It required having to search meticulously through everything as I found passports, photos, checks, etc tucked in books as bookmarks, and important permanent documents filed away in her yearly tax records. Nah, there were no feelings in emotions in those statements! Lol! Her house would be a good advertisement for the Swedish Death Cleaning theory. | As the last one standing in my mother's family tree, I was stuck with Statement A with a mixture of guilt, sadness and anger over what to do with all the boxes of historical photos, correspondence and documents from several generations of her family. I don't know why, but last year, my mindset finally flipped and in a fit of anger, I decided it was not my responsibility to continue to keep all the stuff or try to find homes for any of it. I threw most of it out and kept only a handful of representative pieces. Have had very few regrets and felt liberated from the past as I transitioned to Statement B | While caring for my mom, Statement A was my MO because the future was uncertain with her so sick and me with no source of income while caregiving. Once I aged into Social Security with a mortgage-free house, Statement B became easier. Statement B is my lifestyle now for most things. I learned a hard lesson in Just In Case clutter while clearing out mom's stuff. I refuse to leave to others my clutter to clean up. | Statement A was my insurance during uncertain times. Most of it I would inherit and hoped I could sell the things I didn't want. I realized not many people wanted to buy any of it and it was much easier to just donate. I eventually donated or sold most of it at a deep discount just to get it out of the house. It was worth it to clear my environment of so much unwanted stuff to manage. | Life is good. It feels great to be liberated from the past and things not currently in use. |
| Rose | B | A or B, depending on my mood that day, or the specific area I'm tackling. | A | A, especially if it's something I have storage space for and don't want to be wasteful and spend money layer to buy it again. | A | I've got too many items to comfortably manage, and want to get rid of the things I'm not using anyway. |
| Evelin | B - I learned that we can train our "decluttering muscles", it gets easier over time | B - how do you eat an Elephant? in small bites. it can feel overwhelming though. | in between - it depends on the item. some items trigger bad memories and some good memories | A - scarcity mindset is a huge problem, especially for people who grew up poor | I'm probably somewhere in between A and B | During the last 10 years I've learned a lot about decluttering but there's still so much that can be improved. Decluttering is a neverending process. Circumstances can change and then you suddenly need different stuff than you did before. As long as there is new stuff coming in, something has to go. |
| Anonymous user | I want to believe I can do B! I’m not there yet. But I want to put in every effort this year | I am A to the MAX! It’s hard for me to get started and not get interrupted | B for sure. I have a few pieces I inherited and love them. I feel so connected to them, especially if I never knew them | I am more A, but leaning towards B | I’m closer to B. I don’t have items that are so costly. We just donated furniture, which was great (once they came)! ( they were delayed picking up for two weeks) | I have a LOT to declutter. I do plan to make a special effort this year. I am embarrassed if we have anyone come downstairs (such as the furnace guy). |
| rowan | I'm statement B (which is why I watch decluttering and organizing videos). I look for new ways to think about things, and lately four things have been helping me - working on noticing my assumptions about items (obviously a sewing machine is a necessity - I did get rid of that finally, ditto art table.) - letting go of "being prepared" (which was causing me to stockpile pantry) which has led to me prioritize working my way through my stash of frozen and dry goods (it will take a couple months) - accepting that I don't want to cook at this time, so I am letting go of ingredients that will require experimentation at this time - the question "does someone need this item much more than I do?" | - neither because I have just recently achieved minimalism regarding stuff. There are a few things to review, but I am down to a nice volume. Everything could fit in the back of an SUV. | Somewhere in between - I own certain things that I know will be very difficult to replace (100% cotton french terry sweat pants). I'm keeping the ten I jsut recently found online! | somewhere in between - I regret the money I spent on instant pot, air fryer, OXO's best mandoline - but that money is not coming back. | I am at a pause point. | |
| Allison | Neither statement really describes me. I have always been naturally organized. I just have too much stuff. For instance, all my Christmas decor, wrapping, etc. is neatly packaged together. I used to have four bins, now I have two after decluttering. My closet has always been neat and tidy. Now I simply have fewer clothes. | Definitely statement B. I *will* get through everything. It will just take time. | Statement B. I've decluttered items with bad memories (looking at you, photo of horrible ex-boyfriend) so what remains is good memories of people. | Statement B definitely. I trust that the universe AKA Gayle's River of Stuff will provide what is needed when. | Statement B. The money has already been spent whether I keep items or not. They were in my life at the time I acquired them for the purpose needed then. I am a different person now and those items may not fit my current needs. | I am getting there. Don't know when but someday I'll look around and say "this is just right." |
| Anonymous user | I feel like statement A resonates with me more. Although Statement B is what I feels I should believe, it sometimes feel like it’s impossible to escape my behavior. | Statement A again resonates with me. I sometimes struggle to feel like things will ever get done. This feeling is stronger when it’s been a while since I’ve made any progress. | Statement A. I feel like I am letting go part of them when I declutter their things. | I can definitely lean towards Statement A with this one but I am moving more towards Statement B as I’ve noticed a lot of those “holding on” things go unused. | Statement A | |
| Monica | Statement B: I've learned that if I'm calm and my life is not under a lot of stress i can be more relaxed about attacking organizing projects. Also, I believe in learning new skills to overcome obstacles. | Statement A: This happens when i'm under a lot of stress and my anxiety is very high, otherwise, I can manage it better. | Statement A: I feel guilt getting rid of them, but I also know that they paralyze me from living in the present. | Statement A: Yes, that's exactly right; also, i feel guilty if things were expensive to acquire. | Statement A: Usually this is the case, but i also agree with Statement B, i've learned to donate some of them. | I'm more ready than ever before to simplify my life, I've misplaced important items or memories for being focused on minor items that occupy space. |
| Jessie | B | B | A | A | B | i still feel overwhelming sadness letting go of my kids toys and I"m 75! I have let go of a lot but still have a few that my grandchildren play with. |
| Kim | B | B | B | B | B My new attitude after listening to CF podcasts | No one wants my old crap! Purge it, already! |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Nature versus Nurture | Confronting the Elephant | Sentimental Values | Paging Justin Case | Sunken Treasure | Write a statement that summarizes your current mindset with respect to the decluttering and organizing journey. |
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!