Q&A: Declutter or Organize? It's Your Choice
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- I"m answering questions today that were asked in the comment sections of recent videos. Questions like "Why don't you create an inventory list so you can keep all of your costumes?" and "Are you going to donate those to a theatre department somewhere?"
Don't forget that if you are trying to wrap your brain around getting your house under control (especially if it's super duper out of control), my books take you through the whole process and answer pretty much all the questions/resistances that pop up in your brain. Go here: www.aslobcomes...
Isn’t it great that everyone is different? We don’t all think alike or plan alike or have the same living conditions. I love your channel Dana because I need ideas and encouragement to declutter and your honesty needs no apologies.
Pro organizer here. I just want to say thank you!!! You came out and said it and It’s true. I had clients that had elaborate systems for their things but couldn’t sleep in their beds or sit on their couch. I call it the “come to Jesus talk”. You have to get rid of things to have a usable home and if you can’t do that I can’t help you. I’m not mean just blunt and honest.
Dana, I would have to ask myself "If I had made that complicated spreadsheet or other organizational system, would it ever occur to me that I had it?"😁
🤣🤣🤣
Exactly. When decluttering my computer files I found oodles of old systems that I set up which never lasted more than hours or a couple of days!!!
Good one!!! 😂 For me, the answer is a definite...No! I would not remember I had a system.
I lose lists. I forget to turn the page on calendars. I use the first page in journals and planners, and find them a few years later. I always think I'll remember what's in the bins, so nothing gets labeled 😏. And even when I do remember that I've built a system, I forget where I saved it, so I spend hours going down a rabbit hole trying to find it.
Decluttering is the answer for me, not a tracking system. I have a ways to go, but I can easily manage the areas I have already decluttered, so I know it's working.
THIS!!! I found a notebook recently where I had begun to chronicle all my Hallmark ornaments. I did have several pages (each page was the year and the ornament from that year) BUT….did I complete it? 😂😂 Negatory. And, since i just found the notebook, I clearly could not handle my inventory system!!
@@mwebb3014 😂 I just put a planner in the donate pile. It doesn't have dates in it, but I had written a list of to-do's on one page and dated it. The list was all about clearing all the junk out of the spare bedroom. Go figure. The year: 1997...
It's 2021 and guess what, I need to clear all of the junk out of the spare bedroom. 😵 But I don't need a list now that I've learned about myself from Dana. Finally, I'm just doing it. Action Over Intention!
"Maybe one of them -- not you, but the other one -- " Hahaha!! 🤣🤣 Spot on, Dana. One of the big reasons those piles were sitting all around my house and stuffed in closets etc. was that "someday" I was going to implement a beautiful system to organize it all. I planned so many systems and bought so many Things to help me Organize. Organizing Things. It actually makes my stomach hurt thinking about it. Donating all that stuff was the best way for me. Thank you so much for being you and sharing your experiences. ❤
Before someone tell you how upset they are about the phrase, "panties in a wad, " just know, I laughed out loud. :)
So did I!! 🤣🤣
First time I heard "don't get your panties in a wad" was on the movie The Blind Side, I laughed then too, LOL
After the first couple minutes all I could think of was how often we let the “best” be the barrier to letting “good enough” be completed. Less to manage is always a win, even if you can’t get rid of the excess in the most ideal way.
Better is good 🤍💜💚💙
I also love the phrase "done is better than perfect" so now I focus on done and good enough.
I completely agree with you. Her suburban video says it all!
My slogan is "Perfect is the worst enemy of good." I love it. Not only for decluttering and organizing but also for work, for hobbies, for life in general. Am I always the best that I can be? Hell no, but I strive for being good enough on most things.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
Just because people might not like what you say, doesn’t mean you are being mean.
I have been an organizer for my entire life. No one taught me, I have always liked doing it and still do.
I don’t know why.
Watching you made me realize that not everyone is an organizer or likes organizing.
And sometimes people need guidelines that are uncomplicated for them to be able to do it.
Your system cuts to the chase. It is a good system.
I love listening to you.
I've done the inventory system when I moved. I lived out of boxes waiting for a home for everything. That never happened. My tastes and needs changed during my years with the boxes.... Hit that point of too many boxes. Now if I don't have a home for an item it goes. Even a box needs a home and I have limited space. I'm now a fan of speed of life 😁
Have you ever heard of the “live your truth“ system of Carol Tuttle? I see reflections of that in here so much, it has really been helping me understand myself and my world better! And I can relate with Dana on a lot of things, I think we have a kind of similar dominant energy type! 😊
I completely agree! I'm a natural organizer, but don't do any "systems" I love watching Dana. It's nice to get different perspectives.
I talked about throwing away good donateable stuff into the dumpster once, because I had no way to get it to the donation store, and I know I triggered someone. But I'd like to say it again: You do not have a responsibility to the stuff you no longer want! Sure, it'd be nice to find the perfect recipient. But I live in an apartment and even putting it out with a "free" sign would be considered littering, and a violation. So rather than keep donatables cluttering my space, I decided to toss them. And it wasn't super easy. I felt guilty. But I realized the value of my freedom was greater than the value of what I was losing.
Now, I wouldn't have thrown away anything SO valuable that it would legitimately have been worth reselling for cash. But any item that the thrift store would have priced at less than ten dollars isn't something worthy of my guilt. In fact, flip that around! Is my peace of mind worth $5 times the fifty items I threw away? Is this gonna give me $250 worth of joy and relief to be rid of this clutter? You bet it is! I slept VERY well that night!
I'm with you. I just wanted that stuff out of my house. It went to the transfer station and they delt with it.
“Not you, but the others…” 🤣 Love how you called it out. You’re like that friend who keeps it real and tells you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear.
I have friends like that. They keep me grounded when I need to have my slice of humble pie 😁
Exactly why I’m watching this today. I’ve ducluttered and am going back through things. I need Dana to help my brain process these things
hahaha i was going to comment exactly that! "not you but the other one who commented"! hahaha
Right before she started down that, I was thinking... but if you needed XYZ, would you think to look in that spreadsheet for it...? It just moves the question rather than eliminating it :P I definitely get it. I have struggled with getting rid of my precious things and people like Dana are a Godsend!
Yep! And a spreadsheet is just one more thing to have to manage! LOL
On getting rid of clutter to the "right" place: First round of decluttering, the low-hanging fruit was easily sent to Goodwill. But the second round, the antiques, the silver, the "good stuff" I couldn't bear to let go to Goodwill went to a friend of a friend who had a flea market booth. She came to my house and shopped all my decluttering piles.. At least it was handled with care until it found a new home. And the stuff she didn't take then went to Goodwill.
Your my type of organizer. The thought of listing everything causes me to be anxious
Agreed! And even if I listed everything else out I honestly and the person that is going to either a lose the list be completely forget that I have the list or see not even want to look at the list and would rather just look for it myself. 🤣🤷♀️ I also am someone who doesn't put things away the same like say I had a bin that specifically had oh here's the holiday list of everything that's in the bin well the next time I put everything back in the bin it's going to be different stuff and then I'd have to create another list kind of a situation. I'm much better with a note card on the outside of the general thing like Christmas stockings and decor or Christmas wreaths and lights. The broad category is work way better for me or even just Christmas but usually if there's like a specific thing like ornaments I'd be like I need to look for the ornaments so if it's an ornament I would look in a bin that says Christmas ornaments I wouldn't be looking for a list.
I made a list of my cleaning supplies last month ala FlyLady. I think I’m done making lists of my stuff. Thank you Dana! When I’m in that overwhelm place, it’s always something you said that pulls me forward through it!! My daughter asked me yesterday if I needed more storage bins and I categorically answered “NOPE!”
"GREAT IDEAS" got me in this mess...
Yes!!!
Lovin’ the SASS level in today’s video!!
My, I thought you were “chipper” this morning!
Then I realized my speed is set at 125% because some people talk soooo slow 😎
😂
I almost always watch at 150% because …New Jersey. 😉
I slow down videos on tennis techniques. Then I think the next RUclipsr I watch is having a stroke. 😜
🤣🤣
In regards to the spreadsheet issue, here's a great quote from Edwin Way Teale:
"Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves."
That's a keeper! Writing it down...
That is a lovely quote worth memorizing.
Wow, I like that !!!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You have been such a blessing to me over the last few weeks. My daughter (a cricket) introduced me to you years ago telling me that you were just like me; but I wasn't ready. Then I had my hat epiphany. I had 12 hats nicely stored in my closet. BUT, I don't wear hats! The second epiphany was realizing that I had 2 huge containers in my bathroom for bath stuff and I HATE baths. The bath stuff and hats are gone and I'm well on my way to a much more peaceful home. I have been telling people that you have translated grace to me. I finally get it. Grace towards myself has freed me to declutter in ways that I never thought I could. I wish I had done this 30 years ago--but no looking back, only forward!
Action over Intention!!! That hit me in SO many places...not just decluttering! I have bought so many things in life, with big intentions, only to dabble in them & then carry the guilt for years, and have a ton of junk around! Thank you for inspiring me to move on!💗💗💗
Such a great video. I am donating stuff all the time. I tried to sell a couple of things...I had listed a piece of lead crystal for $10...a lady wanted it, said she would come get it, then you guessed it; she ghosted. The very next day I donated 4 boxes of vintage collectibles, crystal, pottery, etc. I got a l oui title shade from extended family, you know some money is better than no money. Nope, not for me, peace in my house is worth millions.
100%, Paula!!
At time of watching this video had 2 thumbs down…I bet I know which 2 people downvoted it! 😂. (Not you…the other one….)
Hahahaha!!!!
Dana, I look forward to your videos every week. And I assure you, I could NEVER add an elaborate spread sheet or index cards to my life! Like you, it would be one more thing for me to manage, and it would absolutely be overload for me.
Last week, when you went through the costumes, it reminded me that i had a bin handed down to me (with full costumes in it) in the garage. What were the chances they would be used at my end? ZERO! Luckily I knew a teacher that might be able to use it the end of this month....otherwise--it would have gone to the Thrift Store--NO GUILT!! Keep on Keepin' on!
On a computer inventory system: It would take hours to set up and maintain a photo and written inventory system of everything in one tub. It would take under a minute to dump the tub, examine each piece and stuff it back in the tub when looking for something. Could be done 4 times a year and the time savings would still be enormous. Life is short. Time is valuable. Simplify! (This is for the OCD commenters, not you Dana!)
And then if you ever did purge or took in more you’d need to update. 😩😩😩
I was always an organizer... but, since being home with my kiddos full time, I realized just how stressful that was. Organizing doesn’t solve the issues of having a messy or cluttered home. And I certainly do not have time for elaborate systems that fail... so, I made the decision after finding you (Dawn and Cas, too!) that I would much rather have less stuff to manage and be a less stressed person overall. Thank you, Dana, for your tips and tricks to make this easier for me! It’s been an ongoing process over the last few months, but it’s been SOOOO worth it!
I couldn’t agree more! Stuff isn’t a litter of kittens- it doesn’t need the perfect home. You can’t organize clutter.
I disagree, you can organize clutter, I do it all the time in my craft room and I know where things are now, it's a great feeling.
The thing I love most about you is the slight sass. I need someone to be like just friggen do it! I got an entire trunk load out of my basement today in 1 hr watching you. I used to be a messy middle declutterer and it just made me procrastinate until I knew I had time to complete a huge job. With your no mess decluttering it makes 5, 10, 20 min sprints help without making it so much worse.
Awesome!!
You look younger; decluttering must be good for you!
One thing I find refreshing about your way of decluttering is that you don’t overthink everything. It is like permission to declutter without guilt of “I might need it in 10 years” thinking.
ALWAYS look forward to your videos. So real, so friendly, so to-the-point. Ohhh, I DID start/use the index card system years ago. My index cards were well-written, finally organized after debating HOW to file them (alphabetically, # of box, etc) and the index cards were the ONLY thing well-organized. Surprisingly, organizing THEM did NOT help get the actual STUFF organized! LOL! Might work for others, but it just didn't for me,. I can plan and plan and plan, but until I actually DID something about the actual STUFF, there was no real change.
Oh, you have me laughing...it just sounds soooo familiar!!
I don’t do spreadsheets but I do like to find sneaky ways to trick myself by organizing so I can keep it all. You make a great point. Not mean. Just noth’n but the facts and that’s what people like me need.
I love you. I genuinely love you. There are sooooooo many protection mechanisms against decluttering, and you just: ....hm. NO. (Thank you!)
Years ago I read and bought every organized product out there and so I had 100’s of cute containers with my stuff in it stored in closets office and garage. I never needed anything and if I did I went out and repurchased. Thank you so much for what you do. Until I recently started decluttering did my life start feeling less overwhelmed I now feel like I can breath a little better. I still have a long way to go
I don't keep an inventory, having proved in the past that I won't keep one up. But I do have a file in Evernote called "Where/when is it?" On this list I keep the whereabouts of things I don't use often (such as extra keys, or my passport) or when I need to change or renew things (driver's license-on my birthday, but what year?-or when to replace the BluApples that keep my produce fresh). It's come in handy more than once when "Where would I look for it?" comes up blank. THIS is where I first look.
I’m all about getting rid of it. I could care less about a spreadsheet or other elaborate system. I totally agree with your idea of getting rid of it the easiest way not finding people to give this stuff to. If I needed costumes I would make a phone call to someone knowledgeable or go to the thrift store. 🤷🏻♀️I’ve been decluttering for 3 years or so, it’s not perfect but I stuck several EMPTY BINS in a place where I can use them when we redo our next floor and have to tear out our closet and put our clothes somewhere. Lol
"Would you rather have really organized crap or no crap at all?" The first part of this was years ago; the last part of this is now. Your 'first place... look for it' and the container concept makes my life easier and happier.
Your comments about NOT giving stuff to a drama group just freed me to donate a whole sack of stuff that's waiting for me to find a drama teacher to contact about accepting it. Whee! You have the most practical, down-to-earth advise that exactly works for my brain. I've tried "systems"--and I've always fizzled because they're SYSTEMS and I can't maintain them. But your advice works for me. (And you're hilarious!)
On another note: Every time I hear you say "Always look--you might think you know what's there, but ...," I'm reminded of my mom sorting through a box of items she inherited from her aunt. She came across a small flat cardboard box that was apparently Auntie's sewing kit. After she removed the usable sewing implements, the bottom was covered with bits of very old floss and rotting cotton thread. Mom almost threw out the box at that point, but for some reason she lifted out the layer of fiber bits--and found an opal ring.
You are the best - It's easier to make excuses and plans than to actually declutter. Keep telling it like it is, we dig it.
I keep hearing you say, "You can't organize clutter !" Declutter first and things will automatically be more organized
LOVE this woman! Just finished decluttering 100+ years of glorious sewing/knitting/crochet/cross stitch supplies that I inherited from mother, grandmother, great-grandmother plus what I have bought over the past 50 years. It was a lot of stuff. Wonderful stuff! Great stuff! Useful stuff! And just too much stuff for our downsizing & empty nest housing situation. Now, what has been retained fits neatly and spaciously in the designated space in our home, the rest is being donated to bless others. What a win-win situation!
Yes, yes, yes! My dear grandmother is a hoarder, but can give lots of advice on organization, planners, storage,..... meanwhile the stuff has taken over!
You weren't too mean; you were truthful, and I appreciate that! Thank you! (You are NEVER mean!) 🥰
An elaborate organizing system could also depend on what stage in life you find yourself in or what category of item is necessary for you. Maybe if the rest of the house is under control and this thing is where you decide to spend your time and energy keeping it organized, a fancy system is right for you for this. It probably comes down to "know thyself." Is this thing worth an elaborate system and all the time and space it requires for me in this stage of life?
Yes!
I completely understand what you’re saying. I’m there with you, Girl! 🧡
Dana!! I have found my earphones back in the drawer where I would go look for them first! What a great feeling when you actually find your stuff back where you would go look for it in the first place! Absolute gamechanger!! Thanks so much for all the good tips and experience advice! Greetings from Netherlands byyyyeeee
Thank you. Your observations reminded me of this quote from C. H. Spurgeon : "The way to do a great deal is to keep on doing a little. The way to do nothing at all is to be continually resolving that you will do everything."
I enjoy and appreciate your Q&A, it let's me know I'm not alone. I'm naturally organized (usually), but I'm also clutter queen, your step by step decluttering has helped me greatly! Thank you!
So the question is, “How much inventory do I want to manage?”
I appreciate this video so much. I sometimes feel guilty for not selling or finding the “perfect” way to donate the expensive clutter I’ve inherited or been given. It is so much less of a burden when it’s just gone!
I repeat to myself "The purpose of decluttering is not to make a few bucks. The purpose is to get stuff outta here."
@@bethheerten1132 👍🏼 I HAVE GOT TO remember this!
I agree
I’m not one of the commenters who said to inventory items but, I totally have an inventory for my some of my “collections.” 🤣. But…..I also still have clutter! I just had to share because I was cracking up. 🦄
I loved today’s video. It was practical and realistic. Your advice is common sense and really easy to follow. I’ll add: if your suggestions were to inventory items, I think that would go over like a fart in church. Most of us don’t want to undertake anything like that while trying to clear out and keep up our houses.
Tears of laughter over here!! My sister actually did the index card thing for her crawl space and now 30 years later her family has teased her into “dealing with it so we dont haul it to the dump when you are gone”. We both started dealing with stuff at the same time my clutter threshold got lower over time. Third sister is real quiet so ya know her basement is bad! All the sass sooo fun to watch!
Anna, back in the 80s (yep, way over 30 years ago) I did the cataloguing of storage boxes from the SHE system and loved it. It was helpful AND I really really love playing with office supplies, index cards, you name it. But we had no children and a very small duplex and a very small "inventory." Now, I could never do that and am so happy that I don't feel the need any more. 😊 Like your sister I am dealing with it so the kids don't have to, LOL
I apologize Amma I misspelled your name!
No worries! Stages of life she has 80 large totes (that she admits to) and is ready to let go. As a collector of quilt fabric at that age I wasn’t teasing her cause glass houses and all that. But her family sure are!
Reminds me of a time when someone wanted to give me kittens, I said no thanks, they said, "but you have a house..." LOL
😆INDEX CARDS & SPREADSHEETS!?! 🤣😂😅
You are not mean but honest 🥰
I love your t-shirt, Dana! Great video content today. I'd rather just declutter it. Yes!!!! Great video! Reid - funny, as always!
I am working hard to declutter, then I’ll organize what’s left. We’re having the house painted inside and out, so it’s a perfect time to declutter. I’ve hired a professional organizer to help after the painting. I’ve never hired anyone to help me before. You have inspired me.
Lol no way I'll ever be able to do an inventory database 😅 I can barely keep counters cleared.
Ironing thrift store donation clothes can be completely pointless. Yes they should always be clean, but a lot of times thrift stores will just tag them and throw them in hampers, bins, or boxes until they are put out. So they will just get wrinkled again. Thrift store shoppers don't go there to shop and find perfectly pressed clothing straight from the shipping crate. We shop there to find a good deal on stuff we need. We don't mind a few wrinkles.
As someone who used to have elaborate systems, I can attest that they don't maintain easily at all. It's so much easier to take an organizing system that requires constant attention and maintenance, and just declutter it. Friends always ask me how I organize things to keep the house tidy. I just tell them, I set a container for a certain category(ex. Craft supplies) and if that container becomes an overflowing mess, I declutter it until everything fits again. Because ain't nobody got time for that.🤣
I wonder where I could have heard that wonderful advice......Hmmmmm.......😄😉
Thanks again Dana for rationalizing my brain!!
I have been the very grateful recipient of several people's decluttering efforts, and have definitely used their gifts. So, I wanted to be able to do the same thing with what I was letting go. But when I tried, I felt like I was being a burden, and that they were taking them out of kindness instead of actually wanting them.
I know how to say "no" when people offer things I don't want, but not everyone knows how to do that. Now, I would rather donate to a thrift shop and let someone have the joy of finding the one or two things I donated that they really want, verses slamming someone with twenty plus things all at once that they then have to go through themselves.
Keep telling it like it is!! I really enjoy your down to earth, REAL personality. Your advice is easily applicable to just about anyone. Keep the awesome content coming!! Blessings 💗🌴
I leave the empty totes and boxes on the shelves so my family thinks the shelves are full😂
I absolutely laughed out loud right here by myself when you mentioned people who suggested you index those costumes. OMG. Bless their little hearts. I get caught up in that kind of thinking frequently. I have to remind myself “that is not how my brain works”. I could spend all dang day doing a spreadsheet while my clutter begat clutter and begat clutter again. 😂
I have a tiny apartment with deep dark closets, some of which I cannot even access without climbing. Long story. The few times I use a card system or (even more cool thing for me-popping a photo and location into my Evernote online) it’s because I have had to place something in a spot OTHER than “where would I look for this first?” I have found this especially helpful when I have bought a gift that I have to hide so I don’t forget where I hid it when that birthday or holiday comes around. I do not log everything. I agree with you that it is better to let it go and not have to remember where it is. Thank you!
How lucky are we to subscribe to this channel NOW?! One day she will have the million subscribers she deserves and we'll have the satisfaction of congratulating her from our de-cluttered homes! Thanks Dana K. White for all you do! This is a terrific channel and I just ordered both your books.
Spreadsheets! 🤣😆😜😂🤪
Ya gotta be kiddin’ me??
Not you! But maybe the other one?
DANA!!! You are so right! When I started to declutter, I logged EVERYTHING that was going in a massive community yard sale, I was overwhelmed by the list of STUFF, I had accumulated and was now getting rid of, such a waste of years of time and money... Then I spent tons of time researching, measuring for organizing bins, then watched countless videos on how to...
Finally, I just got moving, sorting & donating. Now our House is In Order! Beautifully organized, and sooooooo much easier to keep clean and Hospitality Ready! Thank you so very much for your time and commitment to encourage others! May God richly bless you and your dear family, puppy too🐾
So I'm just thinking, (oh yeah that's a slippery slope) just use clear bins. Clear Bins= See Everything. No labels are needed.
I like the thought that some people just have great ideas. I could write a book on organizing systems, but I couldn't do them. Lots of extreme hoarders (house filled up to the eyebrows) say they just need to get organized. Thank you for your reminder that if I get rid of it I won't have to take care of it.
Dana yourtake on elaborate organizational systems is so absolutely true !! I m sure MOST PEOPLE benefit so much more when they declutter. Who needs more organized crap !Keep it real for those of us who love your videos !
I think your right Dana ! I have to do what works for me ! I come from a family (mother and sister) who thrive on making notes and being super organised their houses are immaculate but my brain doesn't work like that and I was the "untidy" person in the family . I'm now in my late 50s and have discovered your no nonsense posts and Dawn and Cassies posts too and it makes sense to me!!! I'm gradually declutering my house and am facing the final frontier The garage! and a second passover on the study Boy it's freeing to know I can declutter my way and it works ! Thank you !!!!
You said several times your goal was to declutter, not organize/keep as much as you can. I feel like people are responding to the question “would it ever occur to me...” and thinking 🤔 “see! If you made a list of all your stuff, then it doesn’t matter if it didn’t occur to you! “. So they’re ignoring that the reason you ask that question is to help you decide what to let go of to reach the goal of having less stuff.
With your system -- my sweet house is finally finally finally getting easier to live in. I am not afraid to give stuff away or throw stuff away or simply say no to new (to me) stuff and I have actually said 'no thank you' to someone who wanted to give me a wonderful piece of furniture that I didn't have room for!!! I am so proud of my accomplishments because of your help. Thank you.
Much easier if you declutter, and then instead of a spreadsheet, you can actually look around the house, or open a cupboard, and actually see what is there! That is my issue, I can't see stuff as I know if I pull something out things will fall everywhere in some places. No spreadsheet going to help that problem!
Ok, I am going to go grab some stuff for a 'someday' (read 'never') project and stick it in the donate box right now. Thank you so much Dana for all the work you do. Your books, podcast, youtube, it's all been so very helpful to me.
So I see pictures out in the world of people who have great shelves with labeled tubs set up in the basement or garage or amazing two story storage building, and I love the idea of being a person who's good at packing away out of season stuff and then actually getting it out again when we need it, BUT the reality is I'm doing good to pack away the Christmas ornaments and don't actually have a garage or storage building, etc, etc. So... I've decided that for *this* stage of my life, I'm going to focus on decluttering. And then, maybe one day things will be under control enough that I can organize. And perhaps I can eventually become someone with a super organized storage system that pulls things out and packs them up seasonally and in a way that serves my family well. Or, I'd like to be a person that fixes things, but having tons of stuff in need of fixing isn't getting me there. I should probably get rid of a lot of it, and then when I just have a couple of things that need fixing, and am not overwhelmed with clutter, I can fix them. Goals. Goals for *after* decluttering.
I do keep a spreadsheet of things I have given away or donated, just so I don't go crazy looking for them in the future. I don't put every little thing on it, but things like a juicer or big art book, something I might go looking for.
My own personal experience taught me that I cannot organize my house without decluttering first! I learned the hard way that my clutter threshold is very low. So we made an intentional decision not to bring anything unnecessary into our home.. also came to realize that the more elaborate organization styles are the less likely I'll be able to use it. Thanks for the video, Dana!
Life is meant to be enjoyed. If you’re gonna spend your life making lists of all the stuff you have, you probably don’t have enough time to enjoy life.
Maybe the people wanting you to have an inventory and spreadsheets misunderstood and thought you were organizing the MGM costume department. ;) Better to share with the world than to have you and your family live in an overcrowded warehouse of a home with all of the unused items hindering your lives. I always keep a box ready for donations and when it is full, I drop it off at Goodwill when I go grocery shopping. That way, I cannot change my mind because I need the room in the car for our food for the week. :) As a total Cricket, I will often make a list of what is in a box, but then I just tape it to the lid. I'm not going to go looking in two places for every item I have stored. Life has enough work, not going to make extra for myself, that's what kids are for. :)
Ugh! Shopkins are the worst. My daughters got a few for birthday presents and they like them enough they don’t want to get rid of them but there’s not enough to warrant having a dedicated container for. Just a large handful of awkward crap. I look forward to a few years from now when they outgrow wanting to keep them.
I love the credits Reid!
You’re awesome! Thanks for being real. I don’t want to keep up with note cards either, lol
The thrift stores in my area launder the clothes before they put them out. NOT saying you should donate dirty clothes! Just saying if they have been washed and stored no need to worry about rewashing! LOL
I always launder anything I get at a thrift store.
Not in our area.
I tried digital inventory maintenance systems in the past, have to say they are not for me, because you have to maintain it with constant updating, who has time for that when there is a constant influx of stuff not to mention stuff being shuffled from place to place, very exhaustive work I couldn't keep up with
I was near a Goodwill drop off location yesterday and I had donations in my car and I actually dropped them off. No muss, no fuss! It was so simple but it felt so amazing!
People: Be yourself! Also People "No not like that!" lol You do you Dana, most of us are here to see that and not to tell you how to be you differently. :)
I was one of those who always thought it was just a matter of getting better organized. I have and continue to declutter and life is so much better!!
Have watched you over the years and am so impressed with the progress you’ve made since you made the discovery that you had to get things down to what you can control. Eureka! After trying every organization system out there over several decades my house, too, is now finally under control
Our brains must be twins. Whenever you speak about how you think I go “ that’s exactly how I think”. I didn’t think anyone else’s brain functioned like that. Your 2 books have changed my life. I now understand why I was “messy”. 💖💕💖💕
I thought that too, when i first read her books. Turns out there's lots of us.
@@thatswhatisaid8908
There must be lots of us. That’s encouraging that I’m not alone. 😊😊
If you declutter first, organising is much quicker and easier.
You’re not mean, you’re amazing and you have helped me so much by…”just doing the dishes” 😘 Thank you Dana!
You are not mean! Honest… not mean. Thank you! Always helpful. Always feel positive after listening to you!
"shoved in a tub" that's my organizing style 😄
I have a friend who raved about a searchable inventory ap for craft supplies. She spent hours inputting pictures, and descriptions where she chose search terms. I congratulated her. I knew it wasn't me. Unfortunately, the ap stopped being supported and her info dissapeared. I felt so bad for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
14:45 I'm dead!!😂😂😂 you are my sister from another mother. And my mother had the SAME struggles we do...go figure, lol! Your videos are a highlight and inspiration in my week bc you don't make me feel like a weirdo for struggling to keep our stuff at a manageable level. And as a bonus, you say all the crazy things I'm thinking OUT LOUD, and on the internet😂 it's sooo much more fun to plot and plan to declutter in a grandiose way than to actually roll our sleeves up and get after it😂
For me you're right. I was excellent at organizing. I could get a lot of stuff packed into a lot of cubby holes and random places. It wasn't until I realized my newly downsized house could not hold it all (the container method) that I had to start decluttering for real. EVERY SINGLE CUPBOARD AND DRAWER! That was what surprised me, because I was good at packing it away. But it just didn't fit and it had spilled out into the living area of my house and it just wasn't working anymore. I was bankrupt in my ability to keep it all tidy. But when I had to make decisions about things I've owned for 40-50 years, for no real purpose except that I liked it at some point and still owned it, I began to realize the value of space. I could remember my stuff that I owned was, but I could not for the life of me find a use for that thing any longer. So decluttering is what there was and is to do. Even if a person has the space in their home and closets. Space is valuable and worth creating around you. It's lovely to look into a closet and know what's in there. It's lovely to have space around the cherished items. It's worth your time and energy to declutter. It's a huge energy surge. It's noticeable to others and they like it too. I recently read this paragraph in a book I've owned for years and recently gave to a friend: "Clearing clutter actually releases huge amounts of energy in the body. People unconsciously keep clutter to suppress their own aliveness." I've been suppressing my aliveness for years. This became reality for me as I kept decluttering and I'm so grateful for that. Thanks for all the videos and tips you offer. They're really great. Some people may be at that place in their life and some not, but all is good!
Less mess = Less stress. Awesome video!
My mom is the elaborate organizing spreadsheet person! Nail on the head 😂 love her to death but… it’s been a challenge to get her to the point we are now. We are finally decluttering! I’m so proud of her even though it is hard on her to let go. Everything is sentimental or “in case” and some items takes her days to think on but we are getting there room by room. It is possible!
I think those that really don't like what you say, are probably the ones that need to hear it the most. Your tips and rules are simple yet brilliant. I have decluttered quite a few small areas since watching you and it's made it so simple. Even when I'm just tidying up, the questions go through my head, and I get rid of things that wasn't even my intention in the first place 😄 we are packing to move soon, and I will definitely be implementing your rules for decluttering both sides of the move! Thanks a ton 🙂💕🦋
LOL she is so Sassy today, I love it!!!
Girl you’re hilarious and a little passive aggressive ha ha. In all seriousness elaborate plans do not work for most of us, which is why I’m in the predicament I am having too much stuff. My clutter clutter threshold is what I’m working to achieve. As I Declutter it gets easier but I still get hung up. Thanks for keeping it real. 🌸🌸
In case you haven’t heard this enough, you’re kinda awesome, Dana.
Yea no way could I ever do an elaborate system either.