Decluttering Goals - NYNH Challenge

**AmyBoz** · 01-01-2006, 07:49 AM

Before we begin on our journey into a decluttered and organized home, I would really like for us to all identify why we are joining this challenge. I think itâ€™s important that we actually think about the purpose of all of the work we are doing. Is it something we are doing because we have nothing better to do with our time? Does it sound like a good idea now, but maybe down the road weâ€™ll fall off the wagon? Or, is there a deeper reason for why youâ€™ve joined the New Year, New Home challenge?

So, Iâ€™d like us to post our goal for the challenge and also to post a few reasons why we think we have all this clutter to begin with. Iâ€™ll go firstâ€¦

Goal: I would really like to have a home that is easy to stay on top of with regards to straightening up and cleaning. With the three children that Iâ€™ll have by February 2006, itâ€™s important that my family not be bogged down by clutter. Itâ€™s also important to me that my children not learn bad habits about keeping things that arenâ€™t necessary and I donâ€™t want them to remember growing up in a house full of stuff. I also need to figure out ways to creatively store things. Itâ€™s funnyâ€¦some people feel better, the more stuff they have. It makes them feelâ€¦I donâ€™t knowâ€¦successful? Wealthy? Stuff really slows me down and makes me depressed, and I want to let go of everything that isnâ€™t absolutely necessary in my home.

Whatâ€™s Holding Me Back: I think itâ€™s my schedule. By the time I get the kids and get home after work, we start dinner, play while itâ€™s cooking, eat, bathe, read books, sing songs, the kids get put to bed and I go to bed. I need to seriously get rid of everything that isnâ€™t practical and usable so that itâ€™s easier to stay on top of things.

So, what are your goals for the challenge, and whatâ€™s holding you back?

**rebecca** · 01-01-2006, 08:15 AM

I am decluttering because I am tired of feeling like I am being overwhelmed by clutter. I have been decluttering for the last 4 to 6 months and it feels great. Only thing I have a hard time decluttering is clothes. Been doing better on this.

**Darlene** · 01-01-2006, 08:21 AM

I'm joining because I'm becoming a paper packrat. Since the kids both flew the coop and went off to college I found myself saving every paper that came from their colleges before they left. I know I don't need all these form letters so why am I saving them? I have to get out of the mentality that I might someday need some of these papers, magazines and what not & just purge.

Once it's gone I do think I'll be able to keep up with it.
Thanks for heading this up Amy.

**dwallyfam** · 01-01-2006, 09:48 AM

I am wanting a house that is easy to maintain and can be ready at a moments notice to have company.

Kellie

**Jeanna** · 01-01-2006, 09:52 AM

My goal this year is to cut my possesions by 1/3 to 1/2. We live in an old farm house and I have it packed to the gills and we also have the barn loft, can house, and shed. If everything moves as we are hoping by about May we will be moving into a new modular home and will not have near the storage space we have now. I also have health problems and it seems I spend all of my time moving things from one place to another and never seem to even come close to being on top of the housework.

I think what has held me back until now is that we went thru some really tough times in our life and had to let the first house we build go back and so it was like, well no one can take my stuff from me. I am now past that and would like to get my life back into some kind of order.

**baxjul** · 01-01-2006, 10:23 AM

My goal is to be able to find anything at anytime. I am gone from 7Am in the morning until 6:30 every week day, and I hate trying to play "Catch up" on the weekends! I think that if the house was more organized, I wouldn't have to!

My obstacles to organization are DH and FIL!!!

But I am trying to deal with that. Also, this house is sooo much smaller than our one in PA, so if one thing is out of place, the whole house looks a mess!

**cmu** · 01-01-2006, 11:55 AM

I really need to do this...the house is always a mess and the kids are learning this...

I want my house to be ready for company at a moments notice. (My Step Mom is a real neat freak!)

I want to be able to spend the weekends enjoying my kids outside...not inside cleaning.

Why is this a problem....I am lazy...got used to this sort of behavier as a teen... and I spend a lot of time on the computer.

**Mom23boys** · 01-01-2006, 12:24 PM

Goal: Organization!! I need to declutter my paper trails so that I am able to find what I am looking for, to keep bills current, to keep my house presentable. I don't like "stuff" out of place. During the week, everything gets out of place and I have to play catch up on the weekends. I want to be able to enjoy the weekends with my family.

Whatâ€™s Holding Me Back: My work schedule and the boy's extra-curricular events as we are always on the go. There is no time for everything that needs to be done around here. I come home to cook, do a load of laundry, wash dishes, put away dishes, help with homework. Seems like by the time I am done with all that, the day has ended. I get to sit and enjoy time with my family about 1 hour each night. I don't want to lose that hour to clean. I figure that my boy's will be moving on with their own lives before long as one is graduating in May.

AMY, PLEASE HELP ME GET MY HOUSE UNDER CONTROL!!

**crdurham** · 01-01-2006, 01:02 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AmyBoz
[B]
Goal: I would really like to have a home that is easy to stay on top of with regards to straightening up and cleaning. Itâ€™s also important to me that my children not learn bad habits about keeping things that arenâ€™t necessary and I donâ€™t want them to remember growing up in a house full of stuff. I also need to figure out ways to creatively store things. Stuff really slows me down and makes me depressed, and I want to let go of everything that isnâ€™t absolutely necessary in my home.

I feel all of those things to Amy.... I also want to get finally get a handle on the clutter for myself, my son and my dh. Over the past year, I have really made a dent in the clutter and have done especially well in the past few months with the living area of our house.

Whats standing in my way? : Oh, where do I begin. I have always had a problem with clutter and keeping things. I would just move it to one place or another. Dh has really helped me in this department, since we have been married, I have made a large improvement in my problem. My dh says I have a sickness and he is probably right, my mom says I keep everything disorganized in my life because I am scared of having everything in order. They are both probably right.... since having ds, though my thinking has really changed. I want to keep a clean house and not have so much junk. We could use the extra money and there is no reason to keep all this stuff.

**jzkitten** · 01-01-2006, 06:09 PM

My goal for the challenge is to get rid of clutter. We moved from a 4 bedroom house in TN to a 1 bedroom cabin with sleeping loft. I have a shed 1/2 full of stuff that I want to do something with and a school bus 3/4 full of stuff that still needs unloaded. I want to get down to what will fit in the house and very little else. I'm being held back only by myself cause I hate to throw anything away. (I moved over 20+ years worth of magazines cause they just had to go!!) I have since started going thru and throwing them away but I still need a push and be held accountable.

**SHOPGIRL** · 01-01-2006, 10:43 PM

My goal is to have a clean, organized house. I want a place for everything. Conquering the paper piles continues to be a problem. When I get the mail, I immediately toss out as much as I can. I also have a good filing system for bills. What I need to work on is either tossing out the stuff that I think is useful, but I don't need right away or finding a place to organize it.

Another big goal is decluttering all my stuff; my clothes are my second problem. I must force myself to just get rid of clothes I don't wear even if I can fit into them.

Overall, if I could have less stuff, then my life would be much simplier. "Less is more" is my motto for the year.

I tend to spend too much time on the computer...the minutes really add up. So, I'm going to set my kitchen timer for 10 minutes at a time and work up to 30 minutes at a time to just focus on picking up stuff.

Conquering the clutter has to be a daily habit, the weekend warrior, just isn't working.

**tervsforme** · 01-01-2006, 11:04 PM

Goal: To get rid of all the stuff I don't need to have a clutter free and more organized house. I'll be buying a new home within the next year and I don't want to move all of the clothes and other items with me.

What's holding me back: TIME! I'm single and I have 3 very active dogs who need lots of exercise. I am currently working 60 hours a week and when I get home I just want to go to bed. My overtime will end the next couple of weeks, so I'll have more time to organize and declutter.

**graci42** · 01-01-2006, 11:46 PM

Goal: I want to simplify my life. I don't want to be controlled by clutter or things with a "history". I want a harmonious environment that brings me peace. This is my sanctuary from the craziness of the outside world and I deserve a restful home.

What is holding me back? ME I am a procrastinator, perfectionist--she. It's all or nothing baby!
Graci

**Blessed** · 01-01-2006, 11:59 PM

Goal: to be able to find stuff! I have so much stuff I don't use that it's taking up the space I need for the things I would use if I could find them! Well, maybe.

Obstacle: I get distracted very easily and find it hard to stay on task. I usually have 3 - 5 projects going on at any one time. It's very difficult to finish anything.

I have gotten much of the downstairs de-cluttered and organized. I just have the hall closet and sewing room to go. I've been doing really good at maintaining the "clean" rooms. I need dh to hang up my mirror and coat hooks on the back porch and to finish hanging the kitchen cabinets so I can rearrange a little in there. I also need to replace the little shelf I was using for a shoe rack since I sat on it and broke it!

**Scattymum** · 01-02-2006, 02:50 PM

I would love to be not surrounded by as much *stuff*, I am dreadful for hoarding useless things I dont need or think I may use * one day* . I am aiming to have a clutter free house that will keep itself in some kind of order so I can spend less time doing housework and more time for just living life!
My downfall is my concentration - I get easily distracted and find it hard to focus on one task before skipping on to the next