Decluttering - Where To Start?

Getting started with decluttering can be totally overwhelming. The decluttering experts will tell you again and again to "Start with the easy stuff".

But what is the easy stuff?

The easy stuff is the stuff that you don't have to stop and ponder if you should keep it or not. There's always a surprisingly large amount of easy stuff in my home.

Mis-Placed Stuff

Stuff that is in the wrong place, it has a place it belongs, it's just not in that place. Put away anything that already has a home.
Easy.

Rejected Stuff

Stuff that's not wanted or needed and the decision to ditch it has already been made. But why is it still in the house? Do whatever is necessary to get it out, toss, sell or donate.
Easy.

Stuff in Waiting 

It's not even your stuff it just needs to be returned.
Stuff that's been borrowed from a friend, the library, work or wherever. Give it back.
Easy.

Rubbish

Well of course rubbish, right?

The problem is identifying rubbish when it's pretending to be Stuff. It's not always as easy as it seems. Sure that empty chip packet is a no brainer but then there's those pesky imposters. 

Stuff Imposters

This is stuff that's pretending to be useful but isn't. There are several types of stuff imposters.

Stuff Imposter 1 - Orphans

Lids without containers, containers without lids, a dice game without dice, a refillable pen without a refill.

That left sock. The lone earring.

If it doesn't have all it's parts it's not useful.

Stuff Imposter 2 - Maimed goods

The maimed stuff that could be fixed or might be useful if something were done to it, but really, if you're not going to fix it, it's just clutter pretending to be worthwhile stuff.

Like that jacket that's been missing a button since last year. The broken jewellery that if you could ever find a matching bead for it you could totally fix it, but the chances of that happening are 90 bazillion to one. Might be time to let that one go huh?

Stuff Imposter 3 - Time takes it's toll

Tired, dusty and old. Remember, all that glitters....

Stuff Imposter 4 - Informative Stuff

Bit's of paper or packaging with useful information, information you can access, and probably will access from other sources, like the internet.

For a lot of people that's stuff like recipes or instructions, for me that's things like crochet patterns on the back of yarn packets. It's pretending to be useful but's its just clutter.

Stuff Imposter 5 - Packaging

Empty packaging that could be re-used, but probably never will be because it looks used or it's got logos all over it or whatever reason.

Stuff Imposter 6 - Unwanted stuff

This is the stuff we hold onto for 'just in case' or because we feel it would be 'wasteful' to throw out.

That partly used make-up that is only partly used because it's not as nice as the one that is being used. But you never know when it might be needed right? Wrong, you won't use, just say farewell now.

That half used cereal packet that nobody eats because it tastes like cardboard. Give it to the dogs they'll  think you're the best ever! Or just ditch it.

That horrid hulk-green paint that was going to be 'just the right shade' for some forgotten reason but turned out to be 'too green'. You really aren't going to need it, maybe your local theatre group would welcome it? No? Just ditch it.

Stuff that 'could be useful' but you wouldn't even give away is an imposter pretending it could be useful. Worse then that's it's really rubbish pretending to be useful.

Okay so imposters are a little harder then the other easy stuff but if you don't want it and you wouldn't or couldn't give it away just throw it out.

Identifying imposters might not be obvious right at the start but it gets easier and easier with practice and that's why it's worth re-decluttering. The next time through there's more imposters to be discovered.

I'm going to be hunting down all those imposters in amongst my sewing room this week (and probably next week and next year and the year after that, sewing and craft imposters are the best at hiding).

What imposters are hiding in your home?

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