My #1 New Year’s Resolution
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had to seriously examine one of my worst personality flaws. Y’all know that I’m a naturally messy and disorganized person. I know this about myself. I make jokes about it, and laugh at myself about it. I’ve been a messy and disorganized person all my life, and I’ve just come to accept that that’s who I am.
I’ve tried to implement some organizational tools into my life, like my pull-out storage in my kitchen..
And my spice drawer has made things so much easier. No more rummaging around in a cabinet trying to find the spices I need.
But y’all, this current remodel has really forced me to come face-to-face with the fact that I need to get things under control.
They started the remodel in the front middle bedroom. The only things in that room that were usable to us were the treadmill and Matt’s Theracycle. The rest of the room was piled with boxes and forgotten projects.
Since Matt and I had moved our bed out of the bedroom and into the breakfast room (where we’ll be staying for the duration of the current remodel phase and until I can get the guest bedroom finished), I was able to move all of that stuff out of that bedroom. Most of it went into the master bedroom that we’re not longer using, and some of it went into the already-full sunroom.
The sunroom is actually, at least in part, being used for important stuff. That’s where I’m currently storing all of my paints and tools. It’s where I have my big, awesome tool chest, and it’s also where our washer and dryer currently reside.
But that’s a HUGE room, and a washer, dryer, paints, and tools don’t take up 400 square feet. And yet, I was having trouble finding room to put the stuff from the first bedroom that I cleared out.
Why? Because I can’t seem to get rid of stuff!! I’m not a hoarder. I swear I’m not. Hoarders are people for whom getting rid of stuff causes mental and emotional distress. That doesn’t describe me at all. I have zero problem with the idea of getting rid of stuff.
My problem stems from my tendency towards procrastination. When I’m no longer using something, like this credenza that I refinished a while back…
…instead of taking the time to list it on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace immediately, I drag it into the sunroom (or one of the bedrooms) and think, “I don’t have time to deal with this right now, so I’ll do it later.” But the problem is that I get so busy with other things that “later” never comes. And so things start piling up, and then I run out of room.
But again, I have zero emotional attachment to any of this stuff. If someone pulled a truck up to my house today and volunteered to clear out all of the stuff I’m no longer using, I’d be the exact opposite of those people you see on the hoarding shows. I’d be jumping up and down for joy at the thought of this stuff going away and not having to deal with it myself.
But that’s probably not going to happen. So instead, I find myself with rooms full of furniture, projects, etc., that’s not actually being used, but is just being stored.
Remember the yellow piano?
It’s in the sunroom.
The cerused oak dining table?
It’s in there, too.
And that just scratches the surface. There’s a pile of lumber in there from past projects that I haven’t found time to go through and sort into “keep” and “throw out” piles. There are a few smaller projects that I’m no longer using and have been stored away in there. There’s my drywall lift that I’ll probably never use again since I’ve decided to hire out drywall from now on. I could go on and on.
In the front middle bedroom (the first room they worked on) was the green credenza that used to be in the entryway…
I’ve got lamps, and boxes of books. I’ve got boxes and bags filled with fabric. I still have this upholstered ottoman…
Heck, I even still have this pet station that we used in the condo!
Why do I still have that? For the same reason I have all of the other stuff. Because I didn’t want to deal with getting rid of it, so I put it in the front corner bedroom and said, “I’ll deal with this later.” And six years later, it’s still sitting there because I can ALWAYS find more interesting things to do with my time than get organized.
I’ve been perfectly content going on like this. After all, I’ve been messy and disorganized for 46 years now. It’s all I know. But yesterday, it really got to me.
Yesterday morning, I needed to get up early and clear out the second bedroom just in case they had time to start working in there. I got almost everything cleared out, but not all of it. And what I did clear out filled up the rest of the sunroom and the rest of the current master bedroom (i.e., the room that will eventually the master bathroom). Those rooms are now completely filled up.
I also have stuff in the music room, like my treadmill that wouldn’t fit anywhere else. And a lot of that furniture that I mentioned before (the dining table, etc.) as well as a few other things are currently in the living room because I’ve taken pictures and want to get them listed somewhere so I can hopefully get rid of them. I didn’t want them buried in the sunroom, so now my living room is filled with excess stuff.
The bottom line is that I’ve finally reached a point where I can’t continue on ignoring this issue. It’s time for me to grow up in this area of my life, take some responsibility for getting organized, and clear out the stuff I’m no longer using.
I listen to the Young House Love podcast, and Sherry often talks about living with minimal possessions (i.e., only having that which is useful and beneficial to them) and not having so much stuff cluttering up their house. Every time she talks about that, and talks about how freeing it is to not have so much stuff everywhere, I long for that myself. And yet getting there feels impossible to me.
But after the frustration of yesterday morning, and not having enough room in my house to get that second bedroom completely cleared out, I know that this area of my life needs some serious attention. So my main personal goal for 2020 is going to be getting organized, clearing out the junk, finding my version of living minimally, and making sure that everything that’s left in my house is something that is useful and beneficial to us. Everything else needs to go.
Anyone know of a support/accountability group for people who need to clear out, unclutter, and get organized? 😀 If not, maybe I should start one. I feel certain that I’m not the only person who needs this.
By the end of next year, I want to be one of those people who has a place for everything and everything in its place. Not only will that mean getting rid of stuff that’s cluttering up my house, but I’ll also need to build lots of cabinets (in my studio, guest bedroom, and maybe other places) and implement some other storage and organizational ideas.
Do you think a 46-year-old messy and disorganized person is capable of transforming into an organized person? I’m not sure yet, but I definitely hope so!
By the way, my only other New Year’s resolution is going to be to go an entire year without eating sugar. As in, no sugar at all. As in, no cheat days where I can have ice cream or cookies. For a full year. I’ll definitely need a support group for that one! 😀
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
You have awesome stuff that someone would love to buy! Just take a picture and post it on Facebook buy sell trade or something. Commit an hour to take pictures and list measurements for posting. You will get people lining up to take it! So easy!
I’m hoping you are able to do this. Is there a company that would come in and simply take the large items away? Perhaps the Salvation Army or Rescue Mission? You could write them off on your taxes as a charitable donation.
Now that the federal standard deduction is $25K, it’s practically not worth collecting a receipt for charitable donations, unless by doing so, you get a break on state taxes.
Try the DAV they are Vet’s helping Vet’s
Now when you say “no sugar” do you mean fresh fruit as well or just foods with processed or added sugar? Love the progress!
I specifically mean processed sugar, but I generally don’t eat fruit either.
I understand completely, that’s why most of my old stuff goes to Goodwill. It’s too much trouble taking pics and posting and meeting people. Why not try a yard sale?
I am with you and definitely need the support group for No Sugar. I listen to YHL as well, and I’m always inspired by the uncluttered and organized spaces they show and talk about. Someday, I hope to be uncluttered and organized and THIN! LOL!!!
I need a group to help me not eat sugar for 24 hours!
First…to borrow from another group of mine…You cannot organize clutter, you must get rid of it.
I’d hold off on “cabinets, and “organizing helps” at first. Just start getting stuff out of the house. Quickly.
You can list it. Give it Away. Sell it if it can be done quickly. Pull everything out to the curb and it a “Free!” sign on it!
Set a goal of getting X number of items out of the house every day/week/month.
I can’t wait to follow your progress!
Kristi, someone will pull a truck up, Habitat Restore! They raise money selling used or unwanted items and use it to fund their house building. How great is that? In my community I can request a pickup from Habitat online.
Kristi, my preference has always been to sell furniture to make a few bucks and your furniture that you want to get rid of would certainly bring you a fair amount. But if you want it gone in a hurry, Restore is the answer. They are coming to my house on December 18 to pick up all my unwanted furniture. All of it will be gone and out of here so I can see what I truly want to save before I move to a smaller house next year. I buy stuff from them, too. I renovated a kitchen in the house I will be moving into with cabinets and even a quartz top for the island; all those items came from Restore.
Yep, I agree I am a donator and a buyer with Restore. We’re going to build an apartment in a barn and I intend to haunt Restore for finishes and fixtures for the apartment, in fact, I look forward to it!
Think about your pieces in a monetary way, if you sell a credenza or tufted ottoman, you have a few extra hundred dollars in your pocket to spend on a new fabric, in addition to the space. Snap pictures of your items, and have a furniture sale all on one morning, first come first served, then you don’t have to deal with multiple people showing up and no annoying no shows.
This is a great idea! The worst part of selling is making appointments when people can meet you, and then half of them flake out. So holding a sale during a specific time, first-come-first-served is brilliant!
Yes! I see some moola from FB marketplace in your future! That stuff is cute, someone will want it and you have the blog. Crosslist it on Etsy and EBay too? Restore for the tools, and hardware. For inspiration, I suggest Joshua Becker or The Minimalists. I like Joshua Becker’ s approach in that minimalism frees you up to be more intentional and generous. You could use the $$ from the sold stuff for something good, like funding the remodel or toward a good cause, or a gift!
PS Sometimes I need a fire under my bum too to do stuff!
I understand this. Instead of furniture, I have purses. I should sell them. I have an ebay app and boxes even. I am like you, my work and other projects just get in front of them. White House Black shutters (I think) blog does a 40 day cleanup/throw out during lent. Where each day you bag up something and get rid of it. You could follow along and list a piece of furniture each day? You know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Maybe you can assign a time and specific day of the week to work on this project? Like Tuesday mornings from 9-11? Take the pix, measurements, post on FB or wherever or bring to consignment or goodwill. After the time is up, move on to soMething else.
Oh I love this idea! I’m going to use it here in my little house on the frozen prairie!
I hear you! I hate to “deal” with stuff. When I am physically done with it, I guess I am also mentally done with it, and struggle to actually *do* something with it to make it go away.
Can you sell these items in a consignment shop nearby? Or take a couple days to post them on FB marketplace / craigslist. That is a lot of potential money sitting there that you could use for your new builds. I love your plan and I need to go on a “stop shopping/spending money on stuff I don’t need DIET”. LOL!
Big YHL fan but they have an attic full of throw pillows and past projects so please don’t think they’re better at the organization game than you are!
I need a group to help me not eat sugar for 24 hours!
First…to borrow from another group of mine…You cannot organize clutter, you must get rid of it.
I’d hold off on “cabinets, and “organizing helps” at first. Just start getting stuff out of the house. Quickly.
You can list it. Give it Away. Sell it if it can be done quickly. Pull everything out to the curb and it a “Free!” sign on it!
Set a goal of getting X number of items out of the house every day/week/month.
I can’t wait to follow your progress!
It’s hard enough just to haul that extra stuff out, let alone list it. Just call Habitat for Humanity and let them pick it up. Good cause. No hassle. That’s what I would do.
🙋🏼♀️I’m in. I need a group. I have a problem.
Me too! Hi, I’m Marilyn and I have TOO.. MUCH. STUFF.
Most of my house is clean and pretty organized, but could stand to be pared down some. However, my office and spare bedroom have become clutter repositories. I’ve done pretty much what you have: just stashed stuff somewhere to deal with later. And later. And later.
I could go on and on, but I’ll save it for that support group, wherever it is. Kristi, if you start it, I’m in.
Hi, Marilyn!
Please, please take on the no sugar challenge! I love following you, and I think it would help me to stay away from sugar if you’re doing it, too!
Please, let’s do it together!
I’m totally going to do it. I’ve been mulling it over for a couple of weeks, and at first I was afraid to even say it out loud. Now I’m getting excited about it. Heck, if I could give up Dr. Pepper for a full year (I actually went 18 months) back in 2016, then I can give up sugar for a year. Let’s do it! Maybe I’ll find some sort of count down (count up?) accountability thing to put in the side bar of my blog to say how long I’ve gone without sugar.
Is there someone in your area that actually comes and takes the pictures, measurements etc, posts the items for sale, does the follow up, meets the people and completes the sale transaction for a percentage of the final sale price? Sometimes the person will even take the item to their house and sell it from there. Wish I lived close to you because I’d do it in a heartbeat 🙂
Call the Disabled American Veterans or Salvation Army to do a pick up. They’ll give you a date. That will give you a deadline to get things ready to be picked up and go to a new home and/or be sold by the nonprofit to support the work they do. (And although some may balk at the Salvation Army, they do work for everyone. When my kids were little, the Salvation Army offered an overnight-camp. Since we were dirt poor, that was the highlight of my kid’s summer–one they still talk about to this day as adults. When I have items to donate, they go to the Salvation Army and I even shop at their thrift store.)
Yep – I think the Salvation Army money goes to programs and not salaries, so please consider them.
I love in a 1500 SF house that has a two car garage that I must utilize for both cars (per HOA) and no outdoor storage. For me I start with our buy nothing group to give the items away and if if I need them to go away sooner they go to charity. The emotional drain is so much more than the small amount of money I might make.
Kristi I am so like you in all of this.
I’d so love you to check out these 2 sources and hear your thoughts. I won t say anymore about them, in case i raise your expectations too much…
Free 3-part video series I think the guy is called Brian Moran
https://12weekyear.com/
Podcast Lisa Woodruff
https://organize365.com/category/365-podcast/
How about letting your loyal (local-ish) readers have a shot and taking some of your stuff away? 😀 I, for one, would love that cerused dining table! And I’m only 1.5 hours away!
You have college kids all around you! Post in the student halls. You can also sell that gorgeous furniture you made!
Right Missy! I’m close too and would love to buy your ottoman!
OMG! You’re my sister from another mother! Same problem with the “deal with it later” issue. O course, my junk is not nearly as nice as yours! Designate 1 day to take pictures, set prices and post on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. Think of it as helping to pay for the new bathroom!
Hey Kristi, I feel your frustration. I noticed as you wrote this blog that you posted pictures of many of the items you no longer need.
Why not use those photos and post for sale to help fund your renovations? The photos you have already taken are so much better than most of the photos on Craigslist and other sites. Don’t make it a bigger project than it needs to be. Post your items on multiple sites (many already mentioned in the comments).
The pieces do NOT need to be moved prior to sale, that’s what the purchaser will do. Keep it simple and easy. Post pictures, write short description, price your items, post measurements, then copy all the info from one site to another. And, you do not need to post everything at once. How about posting one item everyday until everything has been posted for sale. It is so satisfying to watch things move out the door.
You CAN do this, one small step at a time, just get started.
One per day ‘til all is sold.
I like this one per day idea!
And you’ve got a jump start, with two items already spoken for by Missy and Katie (above)!
Really, that ottoman was how I found you. I would love it if you want to ship it to NJ!!! So much good stuff you would have no problem selling and putting the $ towards the new builds. I’m in process of cleaning out my stuff – I hate clutter but am a procrastinator too. I’m getting rid of toddler toys today and my DD is in 10 grade now. Ugh.
Kristi, I am like you. I keep trying to get more organized, but still have TOO MUCH around. I recently cleaned out my kitchen cabinets, and tried to be brutal about things I DO NOT USE OR NEED, and duplicates. Wow – lots of bins later, I have room in every cabinet and drawer.
It indeed feels liberating! My plan is to go into a neighborhood yard sale in February, and what doesn’t go, goes straight to the Salvation Army for them to raise money for their many projects. Bigger items I have placed on line in several areas, and they are GONE, or donated a week later. NO wavering. Your items are so beautiful, and would sell very fast. Those funds could be put to good use elsewhere, and you would free up your beautiful house. It is a process, but you are so ready – and not attached which is half the battle! Good luck, and next year is going to be an awesome one for you! My best to you and Matt.
You have some valuable stuff in furniture. You could use the money for future projects. As far as junk-junk call 1-800-junk. I think they do charge $200 but you just tag it and they pick up and carry it away. My neighbor did that because it was too much work to carry it out. They give it to charity.
There is a HUGE difference between junk (old computer cords, old and worn out clothes, old and unusable dishware, pots and pans, etc.) and the finished furniture projects that you posted here. The stuff pictured here definitely belongs on craigslist, offerup, facebook, etc. and will sell if you just take the time to post. Or, you might be able to work with an interior decorator or 2 to move some of the items. You could probably make a decent amount of money.
Now, as for organizing some of your other items (all the various drapery fabrics you have purchased, incomplete lamps, various bibs and bobs), I’m not sure. You might be able to sell some of the fabric in your etsy store. I know a lot of quilters and designers look there. Or maybe you can work with an interior decorator to get rid of some of that stuff, too.
I know getting rid of this stuff will distract you from your house projects right now, but in the long run, my thought is that you should have a plan for getting rid of some of your projects. All of your projects are good for your blog and are good blog material, but not all of your projects need to stay in your house. So maybe in the future you can have “house projects” and “sale projects”, where you do a project on your blog for the express purpose of getting rid of it.
I don’t know if Flylady is still around, but she has a support group with Baby Steps.
Ha! I can SO relate to this! We share the same goal. As for the sugar, are you counting carbs such as pasta as sugar, or do you mean literally sugar? What about honey, agave, and sweeteners like Stevia or Swerve?
For the purpose of my New Year’s resolution, I’m talking strictly sugar. But as a general rule, I don’t eat high carb foods anyway. My problem is that I’ll be doing really great on my eating, and then I’ll have a “cheat day.” But if that cheat day is filled with sugary treats, it’s like a drug because I start craving sugar more and more, and the one cheat day turns into four.
If I can just stay away from the sugar completely, it will be a huge help for me. l can have a cheat day and eat a Subway sandwich and a bag of chips, and get right back on the keto horse the next day with no problem. But if I eat any sugary treats, I struggle so much to get back on track.
I can’t see myself giving up stevia because I like to use it in water along with some lemon. That doesn’t seem to be a problem for me. But if I start making sweet treats using Swerve or xylitol or erythritol or monk fruit, it’s just like eating sugar for me because I start to crave sweets more and more. So while my New Year’s resolution will specifically be “no sugar for a year,” I’m also going to try to stay away from any and all keto or low carb sweet treats as well. Those are “gateway sweets” for me. 😀
I’ll be in a support group with you! As a designer and artist, I can’t throw stuff out because I see the potential in it. Afterall, it’s important to have all the materials I need if I want to start a project at 10pm! Plus, after losing almost 50lbs ( Yay! Keto) I have tons of clothes that dont fit that I’m trying to sell ! I’ll join you in your new years resolution. Stuff has to go! Iv’e lived in my house for over 40 yrs, and the kids want me to move before I die so they won’t have to clear everything out! I need a plan! Set up a facebook page and I’ll be your first member!
Spend a day just listing everything that you no longer want. I get amazing response using Facebook! Heck, I listed 2 piles of Christmas ornaments for $12 each 2 nights ago, and had buyers picking up the following morning! I was pleasantly surprised. I highly recommend Facebook Marketplace. Yes, think of all the people who would be so happy to have those customized pieces of furniture!!! Happy de-cluttering!!!
Kristi, I have that exact same problem myself! I have stuff from when my mom first moved in with me in my basement not to mention every other thing that goes down there. Out of sight, out of mind. I follow “Minimal Mom” on Youtube and paid for a program called Learn, Do, Become (also on Youtube). Both are excellent and I love watching their videos. Following through is so hard for me because I need to have a garage sale. But as a Realtor, I’m busy in the spring, summer, fall season and now in winter, it’s too cold in Colorado! But maybe a support group would be good. I love the FB Keto group. It keeps it front of mind. As a visual person, again, out of sight, out of mind.
This hits home with me! I am improving, although I spend too much time reading about de-cluttering instead of actually doing it. I was just contemplating the car taking up valuable real estate in my garage, that hasn’t been registered since 2016. I know it will be such a relief when its gone. Is it worth money? Sure, to somebody – but the hassle in finding and connecting to that person! I just want it gone. I look forward to the group meetings! Aloha.
Kristi, I love becomingminimalist, Joshua Becker. He offers a course called Uncluttered and there is a Facebook support group attached to it. You declutter over a 12 week period. I really like his philosophy about how getting rid of stuff opens up your heart for spirituality. There is another FB group I like called #31Days2GetOrganizezd 2020. Hilda makes decluttering fun and manageable. Both groups do a great job of supporting people on their journey to create a livable space for themselves.
Kristi – i am almost 64 and I’m this way. have a lot of furniture in my basement. call someone who will come in appraise/tag your stuff, set it up in your workroom and hold the sale for you. they will take a commission. it will be worth it not to have to deal with it yourself. it will be gone, you will make some money. it is done. doesn’t drag out. you don’t deal with people who dont show up etc.
Kristi I am so like you in all of this.
I’d so love you to check out these 2 sources and hear your thoughts. I won t say anymore about them, in case i raise your expectations too much…
Free 3-part video series I think the guy is called Brian Moran
https://12weekyear.com/
Podcast Lisa Woodruff
https://organize365.com/category/365-podcast/
OMG you have described me to a tee . I am trying to move slowly so I can deal with all of those what I consider nice things but no longer want. In my defense I hate dealing with the crazies that are on most selling sights. This week I posted a beautiful small mahogany occasional table for 10 dollars just to get rid of it . I had a person ask me if I would deliver it for the 10 dollars. Really so I end up piling things in my shop until frustrated then donate when I really could use the money towards my new home. I used to actually sell painted and refinished furniture on Craigslist and Facebook and I have had all the crazies.
I’m surprised that someone can create such wonderful items, and then be totally unattached to them emotionally. I mean, you put so much time and heart into them..it’s not like you bought them at Walmart!! Maybe, it’s harder subconsciously to part with them than you think? But hey, I applaud anyone who wants to go minimalist!!
Please please please consider donating it to either a woman’s shelter or Salvation Army or even a public or private school for a shop class. Many times they will pick up for you. Habitat for Humanity is another possibility.
I have “trained” my husband over the coarse of our marriage to “donate donate donate.” We don’t need the money and have zero time to take pictures or post anywhere. The amount of gratitude we have received from any non-profit can’t be duplicated. Of course you are free to do as you wish, but remembering the less fortunate among us, especially this time of year, is a viable option:)
If you want some motivation, the Marie Kondo series on Netflix is a great watch.
Some of the best money I ever spent in my life was for a professional organizer. It’s not like the TV shows – you’re fully in charge. And you’ll be amazed at what can get done in a short while. We did an entire house in one short week — plus she hauled all our extras away. http://www.napo.net And there’s lots of books — which can help, but nothing like a pro to jump-start the process, teach you and get you motivated.
Flylady.net will help you establish routines and get rid of clutter!
Kristi, you are 100% me to a T. I have too much stuff. Furniture that I “plan” to refinish, craft supplies that I’ll eventually use for a project, kitchen gadgets galore, etc. etc. etc. that I say I’ll eventually get to, and never do.
Since you say that you never make time to list the items on CL or FB, but yet would love it if someone came over and just got rid of it for you, could you drag it out to your curb, and let the drive by people just come take it? I see people in my area doing that sometimes. It’ll be out of your hair and it’ll collect dust in someone else’s home!! 😉
There is a fb group I’m a part of that starts every year on 1/1 deep cleaning and de-cluttering their homes with each other as accountability. It goes to a different room each week. It’s called “home organization challenge with a bowl full of lemons”. I love to watch everyone as they clear out their homes…and every year I “say” I’m going to participate…
This is exactly what I do. In 2011, I cleaned out my mom’s house where she’d lived for over 40 years. She was an extremely neat hoarder…fabric scraps, clothes that she’d originally bought at thrift shops, endless tchotchkes (mostly from yard sales), furniture she’d had since I was a little girl (I’m in my 60s, she passed at age 89 in 2017). Everything was clean and neatly organized. But there was so much of it!
Anything large enough to be noticeable was set out by the curb. Nothing lasted more than 24 hours; someone else needed or wanted every single item. The small stuff and clothing went to a lost Christian non-profit thrift shop. But I confess, some of it went straight into the trash can and is now residing in a landfill somewhere. 🙁 Almost the only thing that was hers that I haven’t been able to bring myself to get rid of is THOUSANDS of family pics from about 5 generations (all neatly labeled with name, date, and how they were related to us), and a few sentimental personal items that had been handed down to her from multiple generations. I honestly don’t know what to do with that stuff. I doubt my kids will care; those people are just names to them. But I’m keeping them, and if they get rid of them, the guilt will rest with them, lol.
Of course, I’ve had 9 years to accumulate my own pile of junk that needs to go. I don’t want to leave my kids with the mess I dealt with. Will be watching Marie Kondo on Netflix tonight.
I’m not sure if she travels that far, but if you need a professional, motivational buddy, check out Gayle at The Clutter Fairy in Houston. I unfortunately don’t live close enough for that to even be an option, but I love her YouTube videos! So practical and sassy; she reminds me of that classic aunt that helps you get your life together. She is a crafter as well, so she fully understands and appreciates all of the accumulation of tools, supplies, and finished products that tend to surround creative people (that other organizers might not understand). It might be worth the time and money to have her come over for a day and help list all of your stuff and get the ball rolling.
You should have a giant yard sale or at least sell on Facebook marketplace. We had two 3 day yard sales last year and made $4000. A lot of work and the time of year makes a difference, but I was able to go through every drawer, closet, room over last winter and was able to set up tables in our shop so rain and time wasn’t an issue. Post some big items on facebook and they will sell. Money in your pocket!!
Last month my new daughter-in-law was coming to our house for the first time and I am just like you with a garage full of things I wanted to sell and half-finished projects. I put all of the furniture I had wanted to sell out in the yard early one Saturday morning, put up huge signs, took 1 pic and posted to LetGo and Craigslist, and got rid of everything that day while I worked on half-finished projects in the garage. People would be driving by and stop and I was right there to make a deal. I probably could have made more money another way, but my goal was to get everything out of here that I had been holding on for a ridiculous amount of time. Plan some kind of event at your house where people will be there and force yourself to get rid of stuff and finish projects by that deadline. Or maybe see if there is a consignment store that will come get it all and just give you money up front and then you are done with it. I bet they’d jump at it. No, you won’t make very much, but you will have that “someone pulling up their car to my house and hauling it all away” thing, which is worth it.
Hire two young guys for say, 2-3 Saturday mornings in a row and commit to paying them no matter how many hours they work. I struggle with the same thing, and I find what makes me work is when I hire a babysitter to watch my kids- someone is sitting here watching me for my “organizing day”, I can’t put it off then!! Plus they can help move everything and list it on Craigslist, etc.
Hearing you describe yourself makes me wonder if this is the way my husband thinks. I’ve thought of him as a hoarder, but now I’m wondering if it is just his procrastination. Hmmm. There are lots of thrift stores that would come and take it away if you don’t want to sell it on FB. And some thrift stores would give you a percentage. Might be worth a bit of time to check out those options – maybe in January. I’m not sure December is a great time for dealing with all that. Enjoy your holidays, but put it on the calendar for mid January. 🙂
I am going through this issue as I’m downsizing and clearing out right now. I have used FB marketplace, and various local FB yard sale type pages. I found that middle age ladies were quick to respond with “I want it- SOLD!”, or to make an appointment to come see it. (This ended up wasting two weekends of my time.) However, they all flaked out when it came to picking up the items, because they hadn’t talked with their help-mate. I had the most luck offering items for next to nothing, or selling it at my garage sale- also priced next to nothing. Your stuff is so pretty, and you’ve got great photos which will help sell, but they have to actually be able to get the items home. 👍🏼
Can I just say how much better I feel seeing that I’m not alone? My kids do call me a hoarder (no, I’m really not, I’m a full time mom/wife/wage earner) who has great intentions on projects and I do get some fun projects done (totally inspired by Kristi sometimes!) but my “project-eyes” are bigger than my “project-stomach” and many times things that don’t work out as planned get set aside so I can deal with them later. Sometimes I do, sometimes I change my mind, and sometimes I just move on to something new. But it looks like I’m in good company with everyone else, lol. Lots of good ideas here too!
The salvation army will come to your house and load up whatever you tell them to take.
Listen to Five minute Feng Shui podcast by Katie Weber about clearing clutter, then go to “Clutterbug ME” and take her test about what KIND of clutter personality you naturally gravitate towards. As a minimalist, I don’t have an issue with too much stuff.
My husband, on the other hand, would keep everything he ever made/bought “just in case.” It’s taken his YEARS to get his mind into a space where letting go of things is OK. Once you can ID what makes you tick, you can work with it much better. Just FYI I am a Cricket-I need everything organized AND behind closed doors. Piles out in the open drive me mad. My entire house is organized, and I have NO junk drawer. If we bring in new things, something older has to go closet wise. Once you Marie Kondo everything, it’s all really easy to keep in place. Good luck! Personal growth comes with identifying an issue and working on it. Happy 2020!
I used to have a job for a local junk hauler. He’d pay me 50% of whatever I sold for him on ebay or craigslist. I’d do all the picture taking, posting and meeting with people for pick up and pay. It was a great gig and I really enjoyed it. Maybe you could find someone local to do the same for you?
“finding my version of living minimally” Yep, that your goal. Kristi, you said it well. You have valuable stuff that people will want. If money is not the major factor, offer to give items of consequence to someone (plural) in exchange for help in dealing with the problem. A business-like arrangement. You don’t have to do it or at least, much of it. Pictures, posting, tagging, hauling? No. Get help.
No friends you know who would jump at the chance to get an item for their labor? No readers here who are close enough to come and help? They are your loyal supporters who want to work in your best interests.
I think moving faster, rather than a-one-item-day would work better for you. The longer it goes on the more it will try your patience. You have bigger fish to fry.
Fussing with these details is not your thing, or you would have done it long before now. Just get it out of there. The idea is not to reform your whole mindset; it is to ditch what is filling up your spaces. Make some dough, if you can or want to. Otherwise, out it goes and fast.
Then on to the creative stuff. Diddling around is not your bag.
All this off the top of my head. But, that said, our friends here have offered great ideas I am going to read carefully. Thanks to you all. And to you, Kristi. We admire your honesty and bravery because we are or have been in the same place at one time or another.
I moved to Ecuador 4.5 years ago and so had to reduce my life to 4 suitcases and a few more that came later. I sold a lot to people in the apt complex but a heap of a lot went to a local Value Village because to my amazement it didn’t sell. I thought they were the best things I owned. I could hardly believe nobody would pay for them. Away they went for free. The sense of relief when I got on that plane was priceless. You will feel the same to see the empty space you will gain.
I would be interested in an editing-your-stuff/organizational group. The crazy thing is, instead of feeling supremely motivated to get rid of stuff (and I’m about to move into a new-to-me home), I feel validated that I’m not alone in this approach!
I have worked with a person who comes to your house to pick up stuff and takes it home or to her booth. She charges a commission, but it gets it out of your house. You realize extra space and the occasional check in the mail when something sells, without having to do any of the work. There’s probably a booth-owner at a local antique or flea market that takes consignments. That’s worked well for me.
Couldn’t you add these pieces to the shop tab you already have on this blog? Just make it clear that shipping and deliveries are not an option.
Kristi, when you made your pantry, you used those of us who follow your blog to keep you accountable to continue the process until it was done. We’d be happy to again keep you “on track” with getting rid of things and getting organized!
Wow, lots of comments here! You surely don’t need mine, but I’ll try to be brief! My daughter recently sold a dining set she had tried to sell earlier in the year. Guess people are finding they want new furniture for the holiday! Get that stuff listed ASAP, priced low, and hopefully you can soon say “see ya!” I am doubtful you can change as quickly as you hope, but try! I too have stuff I need to unload, but it isn’t in the way of anything. Anyone want a once used 7’5′ lighted Xmas tree with quick-connect system? Ornaments from the ’80’s with poinsettia design that look antique? A dozen Sailboat in ornaments from Crate and Barrel from maybe 2000? The list goes on!
The wholeness of it is daunting, so eat the elephant a bite at a time, so to speak. Deal with 3 items – take pics and measurements, list them on marketplace or craigslist, sell them and get the positive reinforcement of the $$. Then repeat. It’s totally doable, and it feels great!
Thrifty Decor Chick read The Life-Changing Joy Of Tidying Up and she swears by it! She took her time to go through her house bit by bit and really purge every last thing that she didn’t want anymore. And I think she even did it a second time? I remember she was surprised that she could happily get rid of even more, even though she’d gotten rid of so much stuff already.
Taking on the garage, inside and out, in January. I have a set of storage shelves still in the box because there is too much junk to set it up. I assume we will be going to the dump every weekend in January. After that we can start on the workshop. I haven’t told my husband yet😬, but it IS going to happen.
No sugar for a year sounds like a great challenge for a Keto group….
How funny. As I was walking my dog at 9 this morning, I was thinking about your cerise’s table and wondering what happened to it. That got me to wandering what you did with your “reject” projects. I figured you either sold them or had them in a storage locker somewhere.
I’ve been part of the Nourishing Minimalism Yearly Decluttering Challenge on Facebook for the past two years. On January 1, you download the chart for the year. The chart has a bunch of little boxes on it: one box for each year that’s gone before. So 2018 has two thousand and 18 little boxes. 2019 has two thousand and 19 little boxes. Every time you get rid of something, you color in a box. How you count “things” is up to you (do you count a file of papers as one thing or do you count each piece of paper as one thing. The goal is to fill in each of the boxes by the end of the year. I’ve been doing it two years and have not yet met the goal. However, I count the folder, not the papers, AND I add boxes at the end for every item I buy or am gifted, so in my case, the number of boxes I fill in represents a net loss of that many items from my house. Even if I haven’t met my goal, I’ve purchased almost nothing in the past two years because I know that doing so will mean that I need to get rid of even more stuff. Yesterday I took three big bags of stuff to the thrift store and pitched some other things. I’m also trying to be zero waste, so Willy billy toss-fests are a bit problematic for me. It’s even more of a challenge! I’ve gotten to the point where if somebody says they really like something I often give it to them. I hate marketing, so I can’t get enthusiastic about ebay or Craig’s list either.
I had 5 months this last year to get things organized and wouldn’t you know it…I got some things organized but then I installed flooring in a room and areas that hadn’t been done are even more cluttered! I would totally be down for a declutter challenge. Sounds like a lot of us have this stumbling block.
Hi Kristi–totally applaud your decision to go off sugar. (Or at least drastically reduce it–it’s pretty much impossible to totally eliminate it.) I think you’ll find that this one change will do more for your health, weight and general well-being that any other dietary change you could make. You might really enjoy two resources: first, the book Year of No Sugar by Eve Schaub. That woman is hilarious. She does something that I don’t agree with at all, which is to use glucose instead of regular sugar, thus taking out the fructose (the worst part) but still making things sweet. So I’d ignore that part. But she has tons of good info. And the other (much shorter) resource is an interview between Gretchen Rubin and Gary Taubes. You have to give your e-mail address to get the PDF, but it’s free. Here’s the link: https://gretchenrubin.com/2016/11/interview-with-gary-taubes-case-against-sugar.
Haven’t had time to read all the comments above, but after my MIL’s estate sale, I found a consignment store that would pick up and sell the remaining furniture/art, etc. I would bet there is something similar in Waco — especially with students always needing furniture. The big upside to a consignment store is that you do not have to deal with photos, listing, and strangers coming to your home.
Well this seems to be a common problem! I think this is something that is difficult to tackle when you are really busy with other things and maybe a little exhausted? From my own experience we only got to this part of the “clearing out” when the reno project was done (or as done as it was going to get right now). Honestly we slept a lot for 8 weeks and then attacked the stuff that had to go. It was all nice, some antiques, some antiques that needed work. Habitat got it all. Yes I felt conflicted, and was careful to say good bye to former beloved things. Getting someone to help you sell them sounds like a choice too. Letting go is a big part. I tell myself I can still love them from afar, but we can’t all live together. Good luck.
Do I think you are capable of turning yourself into an organized, sugar-free person? I have been following you as my ONLY DIY guru for a number of years now. (Don’t need the rest; I have the best.) I think you are AWESOME….and I know YOU can do anything you make up your mind to do. You have proven it in so many ways already. And I know we Kristi fans will all be on board to support you in any way you think we can help. Here is to making 2020 the best year you have ever had.
Kristi, I’m sure others have stated this in past comments but I think you should gather all of your unwanted items together and post them for sell and use all that money towards your other projects… Good luck…
As for the NO SUGAR….I wouldn’t survive….Yikes
My mother had a plaque in her house that read:
“My house is clean enough to be healthy and messy enough to be happy,”
Striving for perfection is exhausting. These are two huge, overwhelming plans. Especially having announced them to your huge followers list. One room at a time, one week at a time may be easier to handle. Lots of smaller victories is easier to handle than a project that only gets results at the end of the year. Sanity is a great goal too.
This is a great resource with lots of ideas for getting rid of clutter. https://www.becomingminimalist.com/
He has an “Uncluttered Course” starting in January.
Good luck with your goals!
When we moved out of our 3500 sq ft house and into a 40′ RV, we got rid of tons of stuff. It was so freeing! Of course, we also stored tons of stuff – and most of it is still in storage nine years later. One of these days I’m going to get our CONNEX cleaned out, I hope. But right now, it’s “out of sight, out of mind”.
A great decluttering/organizing/minimizing program is HOME STORAGE SOLUTIONS 101 https://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/declutter-calendar.html You can print out the free calendar with daily tasks or you can sign up to get daily tasks texted to you.
If you need help establishing routines to keep your house clean and tidy, FLYLADY is the best place to start. http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/
These items would truly bless someone else.. By holding on the these items you are robbing someone of the joy of owning them. Sell them! Let them be a blessing to their new owner.
I’ll join both groups with you!
I’m a professional organizer in Dallas and would be happy to help you. I’ve followed you for many years and love all the work you do. (I’m in awe of the building you can do)
I am a crafter and creative person so I understand the need for projects as well as the clutter they leave.
It sounds like having someone physically help you, keep you on task, as well as take over some of the tedious parts of getting rid of things, is what you need.
You are NOT alone!! I have so many things like this! Could you maybe do a “garage” sale and have them in the car port? Do it all at once? Maybe even post the pieces on your Etsy page? Local only type thing!
Hire an assistant for a few days a week until it is done. Plan 2 hours of those days to help her/him and then go on and let them do the research, pictures and posting. Off incentives for sorting on their own and selling for a good value.
offer not off
There’s a group in facebook I joined a couple of years ago. I had few stuff to get rid of, but I was procrastinating exactly because it was not much. Their situations were much worse, but they ended up stressing me enough (their photos mostly) to get into action! 😀 Whatever works I guess! And there were nice people in there, and it was lovely to see their progress, made me genuinely care for them! https://www.facebook.com/groups/decluttermyhome/
You regularly have lovely stuff you built but end up not using, and they could be a source of extra income, too. You should probably set up a permanent page somewhere (e-bay? etsy? whatever), to use whenever you want to get rid of stuff, so that you won’t have to think too much about it, just post the photo. You already have your blog, so you could also link your shop page here and make a brief post whenever you intend to sell something.
One last word of advice: I feel your frustration, but you have some lovely items. Please take the time to sell them for a good price, not just “get rid of them”. They are worth it, and it could help with the renovation expenses.
Okay..didn’t even finish reading the post after the 1st 2 pieces of furniture, I’ll get the truck and be right over! leaving from FL so probably need directions! Haha
I think it’s all about changing your mindset. I’m very much like that – procrastinating to find the right spot for some piece lingering about for 6 months. But, I don’t let it add up. If a new piece is coming, then I make sure I find/make space for the older piece. That way, I feel like I can stay on top of things and not under like you. Therefore, if I were you I would spent a whole day sorting everything (make the listings, posting them, re-arranging things e.t.c.) and start from scratch…Otherwise, no matter which support group you join, things will still be undone.
LMK if you start or find of group for BOTH of these things. <>
I subscribe to https://nosidebar.com/ They have a FB group too.
Have u ever looked at Trello app. Free, life-changing.