You might see more posts from me than you had been previously as moving raises some issues for me. :)
Yesterday, I began the task of packing up my office. My office has two huge bookshelves which quickly turned into 4 large boxes of books. I then packed up all my art stuff.
For some reason – even though I know I have to downsize because the new place is a little smaller and does not have storage space.. I am finding it difficult to let things go. I thought I was more than ready to de-clutter.
Earlier this year I chose to swap some of my books for new books. I used to be into true crime stories but these days seem to be switching to other kinds of books.
I had several Ann Rule books which are worth quite a bit when you take them in to swap as there is a big demand for them and I decided to let them go and swap them. I read them one final time, and then took them to the book swap. I still have a couple of her books which I wanted to keep, but some of them just no longer seemed relevant to me.
As I was packing my books I began to see a few others which I will want to read one last time and then let them go. And yet..
.. as I was packing up my art things, I found myself holding onto a small plastic container which arrived in this house packed full of cobalt blue beads which I have since transferred into a storage container. Thus the container was empty.
I found myself thinking.. I should keep this.
…
And I actually put it into my art box.
…
An empty plastic container.
…
It is at this point that I began to recognise, maybe I have a problem here. Maybe I am going to find this process of letting go of things – de-cluttering – saying goodbye to things I own – a lot more difficult than I expected.
So I took the empty plastic container out of the art box and put it into the recycling. Then I decided to get rid of some more plastic from that box – a couple of my art sets came encased in plastic – I de-encased, and recycled.
On the inside I want to let things go, but there is some part of me that wants to hang onto things.
I totally SUCK at decluttering. Even when I AM in a decluttering mood!!!! Good luck with the move.
I’ve been putting off decluttering for years. I tell myself I’m going to and do actually empty out cupboards, but instead of tossing, I find myself just rearranging the stuff so that it fits in better and looks different. I think the crunch will come when/if I move again. Odds are in favour of an even smaller place next time so I’ll have to be ruthless. Hopefully it won’t be for a good few years, but of course by then I’ll have so much more stuff…..
I’m noticing what you initially wanted to keep and then actually decluttered “an empty plastic container & “encasements”. Yeah no clue where that’s going, just noticing and thought it might be something.
Good luck on the move and the decluttering.
I’m moving too – and having the same problem you are.
Except I’m moving out of home, and I’ve been in this bedroom for over 15 years, so it’s acceptable to have stuff/junk everywhere… right?!