Seeking Motivation in dreary times and dreary days...

[LaydeeBug]

I need some cosmic motivation or something. I've accumulated all of this clutter, and I REALLY need to purge it out of my life. But somehow, I still hold on to it. I know it's wrong, but I just can't seem to motivate myself into doing much about it. I get discouraged, and occupy my time doing other stuff.

I'm hoping that admitting this at least SOMEWHERE will shame me into accomplishing something. Any advice is appreciated. :hi:

[Sanity Claws]

1. I'm in the same place

Maybe the two of us crying for help will get more notice.

:hug:

[LaurenG]

3. I'll keep you both in my thoughts - my best clearing/cleaning vibes to you.

You can do whatever you set your mind to, you just have to be willing to start. Little by little you'll get through it. :hug:

[OneGrassRoot]

5. I join LaurenG in keeping you in my thoughts....

and sending supportive hugs....:grouphug:

I'm in the same boat, though in the last week am FINALLY gaining some semblance of control. But it gets OVERWHELMING, doesn't it? So much so that it's easy to feel defeated before we even begin.

Honestly, I just think you should be easier on yourselves. Beating yourself up accomplishes nothing. I don't beat myself up any longer...I go with the flow, or lack of flow if that's the case. At least that's ONE burden lifted. ;)

[LaurenG]

2. Start with just one room and then just one drawer or corner. Don't get overwhelmed

and don't start another room until you're done with the one you're in. Try to keep it manageable and make it a goal to just work for an hour or two.

Get three big boxes or bags and separate them according to "keep, Give away and throw away."

We all have too much "stuff" and the older we get the more stuff we accumulate.
Don't be mean to yourself though because it doesn't work, it just makes everything even more overwhelming. Best wishes to you, you can do this, I promise it will be worth all the effort it takes to get all that extra stuff out.


Good vibes to you and Sanity Claws.

[Why Syzygy]

4. The Fly Lady

recommends to work no longer than 15 minutes per stretch at a task. That is how I packed my old two-bedroom duplex. Anything else was overwhelming. I sorted through EVERYTHING. You can get a lot done in just fifteen minutes.

[MagickMuffin]

6. I have the same problem

I start out trying to declutter one of my rooms and make progress, then I get lazy again and it never gets finished. A lot of the stuff is in boxes but no where to put the stuff. This one room in particular is the one I was wanting to get cleaned out so it could become my meditation room.

I just need to dedicate some time and get it finished.

I have lived in this house for over 20 years and it isn't that large of a house so it makes it worse. Also kept stuff from my in-laws when FIL died and MIL moved in with SIL. We don't even have a lot of real furniture which adds to the problem. If I at least had some real bookcases that would help a lot.


I hope that we can utilize the ideas shared here and I wish you luck.

:hi:

[NJCher]

7. I thought it was just me

Guess not!

Good suggestions on this thread. The 15 minute idea will work for me.



Cher

[Shallah Kali]

8. For me clutter is comforting like a warm fuzzy blanket

I am starting to suspect it is the accumulated personal energy it has picked up over the years. Also finding hard to let go of things, at least for me, is the primal fear of scarcity. Will I have enough of the stuff I need to survive - even if in this life that translates to non-edible items like old boardgames, cheap jewelry from my early teens and the like.

Please don't be hard on yourself! This is an issue many people have which is why there are books, websites, and several tv shows about decluttering!!! You are human and in a consumerist culture which glorifies owning stuff. The important thing is you are working to find a way to correct the issue.

What do you feel besides frusteration when facing your clutter? Does the thought of getting rid of it make your gut clench, your heart tighten or other sensation? Breath Light into those areas of your body. If a certain color feels appropriate breath that color energy into that region of your body until the sensation at least reduces. I would also suggest breathing Light into your brain to assist it in releasing this habit of clutter. I come from a family of full blown hoarders and while I never progressed to the amount of materials they accumulated I know I was starting down that path. I am still working to change so I can clean out some more nooks and crannies after giving nearly ten trashbags of clothing to goodwill last year. BTW don't give to Planet Aid. It is part of a cult and little of the actual proceeds actually go to charity works. Check the BBB before giving to an unknown charity that you don't know the actual % that goes to the good works.

One thing that might help you as it helps me is when I go though things and give them away I affirm that I am making room for more useful good stuff in my life. This is to be whatever i need whether it is more good friends, more love, more joy or when I do *really* need something tangible it will be a nice whatever it is I need at a good price or even free. I got a nice armchair last year someone had left for anyone to take at the end of their driveway last year soon after trying to manifest finding a gently used one in the want ads or something.