One of the surprises of my sister and I buying a house together was learning my sister was a pack rat … a hoarder of sorts if that clarifies what I mean.   She holds onto paper.  She may very well have had her first bank statement in all that paper.   That paper not only follows her but grows wherever she lands.  It is a wonder and an amusement … but only to me.  The frustration and angst all that paper can cause is huge and destructive to one’s piece of mind.  Her bedroom is her respite from the world and with all that paper, all the boxes of paper against the wall … it was anything but relaxing.

She recently decided to take all that paper on … it was consuming quite a bit of her bedroom.  So several months ago, she began decluttering.  Truthfully, it was a big task and needed to be broken down in sections so it wasn’t overwhelming to the point of giving up.  That is suggestion #1 … if you decide to start decluttering, whether for your own sanity or because you might be preparing to sell your home,  make your first couple of projects small, manageable, so you can complete it in a reasonable time (a few hours or a day)  and see the results and experience the difference it can make in how the space now impacts you.    It will serve to spur you on the next time.

Minor Changes … Major Results

books-on-bed
… down to 31 binders

Stay tuned … tips about starting the task of decluttering coming next.