My 6 Year Decluttering Journey

This past January marks 6 years of my project of purging unneeded possessions from my home in a larger volume. We’ve lived in our home 15 yrs. and raised/homeschooled 4 children. Our home was very organized and didn’t look cluttered. We still had way too much stuff. I’ve completely redecorated over these years, painted, and redid wood flooring too. I’ve completed many projects around the house. The stuff that left wasn’t from rebuying and reaccumulating stuff. I personally went on a spending/buying freeze for those years and bought less than 10 things each year over the 6 yrs. Once you decide to embark on the task to declutter it becomes a change of mindset and you use whatever program helps you to move along in your journey.

I don’t like the idea of cutting down any program/book that helps people get uncluttered or get their lives together. Every program may not be for you, but that doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t benefit or that people can’t take a few ideas or things of value to use for themselves. I started with purging 7 things per day for multiple months, moved onto multiple rounds of 40 bags in 40 days for a couple years, played the minimalist game for 2 years, and purged 2015 items in 2015 and 2016 items in 2016. My goal this year is to purge 365 things by the end of the year. I don't have as much stuff anymore, 365 items feels like it will be a challenge for me at this point in my rational minimalist journey.

I’m on my second round of KonMari which I started last July. I wasn’t sure if KonMari could help this far into my journey but I decided to give it a try anyway. I’m using the program to refine/advance my categories. I’ve discarded about 900 things since I started KonMari and the majorities of items were not while doing a specific category. I got uncluttered with my own persistence and by motivating myself over the 6 yrs. I used bits and pieces of organizing advice and any program that I thought would move me onto my next step of decluttering. The different programs and challenges have helped kept me motivated. I don’t think one program would have worked for me. The Life Changing Magic has happened for me, but it wasn’t KonMari that got me there. I’m thankful for all the organizing/purging/uncluttering authors/programs that have benefited my journey. I’m thankful to God for laying this project on my heart. And most of all I'm proud of myself because I did the work.