The best advice on de-cluttering and organizing one’s home can be found in Confessions of an Organized Homemaker: The Secrets of Uncluttering Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life
Organize with the zeal of a gladiator. Initially you may experience feelings like: “As soon as I get rid of this battery-operated self-stirring saucepan, I’ll break my arm or something. Then I’ll wish I had it back.” Its okay to feel that way. I’m sure gladiators were scared, too. But that didn’t stop them. Discarding and sorting has a cathartic effect. Pretty soon your cold feet will warm up as you discover how fast you can find things and put them away. Trust me on this one. Get rid of your lemon reamer, your English muffin breaker, and your baked potato stuffer, and see if I’m not a woman of my word!”
Schofield then goes on to list different strategies for sorting, organizing, and discarding, but the principle here is priceless: don’t be afraid! You know those freaky homes you see on talk shows where the owners have developed a mental illness that causes them to hoard until their house is a literal dump? It all started with FEAR–fear of parting with possessions because they might need them later. Don’t let that fear trash on YOUR home and YOUR life! Live simply, toss the stuff, and enjoy the free time that results! 
5 Comments
December 24, 2007 at 8:48 am
I loved your last few posts. I like to compare ourselves to Laura Ingalls, what they ate, the few things they got for Christmas, and how they treasured them! I’m always trying to declutter and make my life more simple. It seems like then I’ll get something new to make my life easier, then have to start to declutter all over again! It’s a never-ending battle!
December 24, 2007 at 10:42 pm
I second Maria there—your last few posts have been great!
You are so right that it’s fear that keeps us hanging on to our stuff. We always think, “But what if I need that later?”
My mom has a $20 rule. Basically, she says, anything you’ve got lying around can be replaced easily for $20 or less if it turns out you’ve gotten rid of it and then discovered you really did need it. So this would include things like kitchen gadgets, junky paperback novels, plastic toys, and the like.
Usually, though, I’ve found that once something is gone, it is out of my mind completely; I never miss it.
That doesn’t make it easy to toss stuff, though. It is a lot of WORK to sort.
December 26, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Ohhhh…the pain of dejunking after the holidays. Does it count if you just stuff it all out in your garage? Out of sight…out of mind.
December 26, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I am an organize freak but I have to admit to hoarding too. My hoarded stuff is just really organized. I think there will come a point though that I have to make that big step and let some go….I do fear it : )
December 27, 2007 at 10:02 am
Hope you had a good Holiday. I tagged you on a Christmas Meme. Find it on my blog at http://www.mommiedaze.wordpress.com if you want to join in.