I mention 2009 because in August of that year, I set out on what I now call my deslobification journey. After ridiculous amounts of trial and error, I have figured out what was always a mystery to me. I have figured out how to manage my home without losing my mind. Ask, "If you needed this _____ (hairbrush, spatula, bottle of paint), where would you look for it first?" pg.176 In that 960 square feet we had three dining tables. One formal dining table was in the dining area. Another formal dining table was awkwardly shoved in the teeny-tiny breakfast nook. And the small table (the one that actually made sense for a newlywed couple to have) was in the room we used for storage. The room that had boxes piled to the ceiling.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life: How to Declutter Your Home

Incidentally, I thought a tip that was helpful about decluttering a space is to first determine it's function like in those guest/office/hobby rooms that end up catch-alls because the space hasn't been defined (and this makes it hard to oust the clutter because it has no set primary purpose). One of the best parts of How To Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind is the section on decluttering. So I am excited that Dana decided to expand on this topic with her new book. How To Get Started With Decluttering When You Feel Overwhelmed Not only does Dana provide strategies, but she dives deep into how to implement them, no matter the reader's clutter level or emotional resistance to decluttering. She helps identify procrasticlutter—the stuff that will get done eventually so it doesn't seem urgent—as well as how to make progress when there's no time to declutter. And I’m realizing I have lots and lots of things to pass on to my children. However, they’re all boys, not sentimental in the least, and they don’t care about any of it… absolutely none of it! None of my mother's keepsakes, none of their baby books, none of the scrapbooks, none of the pictures of people they never saw before, nor ever will meet because they’re all passed from this world.If office suits were mixed in with yoga pants and college sweat-shirts, I would have no idea how much space is being given to office suits pg.212 And all that time, all that thinking, all that analysis would let me get rid of eight to ten scarves—not even enough to make a visible dent in the piles. While the world seems to be in love with the idea of tiny houses and minimalism, many of us simply can't purge it all and start from nothing. Yet a home with too much stuff is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? Add in paralyzing emotional attachments and constant life challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to make real decluttering progress.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White - Scribd Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White - Scribd

Decluttering isn't Stuff Shifting. It it's rearranging or buying a new shelving unit or sorting into slots or drawers or baskets. Decluttering isn't organizing. The “container concept” in decluttering refers to assigning a specific space or ‘container’ for each item and ensuring that once the container is full, no other item is added unless something is removed first. Most of the book is the same content repeated again and again. It IS good advice, but it's advice that could easily be shared in a short blog post or two. The vast majority of this book seems like padding to make a book out of it. For instance, she takes her 5 steps and tells you how to do them in each room of the house. There are just different examples and different chatty stories.By following a set of simple, practical steps, you can transform your cluttered space into a tidy, functional living area.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life - Google Books Decluttering at the Speed of Life - Google Books

Once I defined clutter this way, I finally understood why my friend and I can buy the same décor, and her house looks like a magazine but mine looks like a thrift store. I have a Clutter Threshold, and it’s unique to me. My Clutter Threshold is the point at which stuff becomes clutter in my home. When I’m living above my Clutter Threshold, there’s more stuff in my home than I can handle, and my house is consistently out of control. Living under my Clutter Threshold helps my home stay more naturally under control. I found mine (and you’ll find yours) through decluttering. Excellent book!! I could relate very closely to the author. She made me feel sane when I feel crazy for having so much stuff and has helped make Decluttr ring easier. Thank you!!!! Read more The whole book, every chapter and every strategy, helps you make real progress in whatever amount of time you have available. Yay for that!

The writing is lively and humorous, the pictures tell a story, and the topic held my interest, but what really made this book a masterpiece is that the strategies work."

Book - Dana K. White: A Slob Comes Clean

What I've learned (actually these things I've already been doing because they seem like common sense): You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff—you can get rid of clutter for good! Decluttering expert Dana White identifies the emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter and provides workable solutions to break through and make progress. I define clutter as anything I can't keep under control. If a space in my home consistently gets out of control, I have too much stuff in that space. I have clutter. pg.4 I had to dig my way out, and it was the most unnatural thing I’d ever done. If I’m left to my natural tendencies, clutter builds, and clutter stays. One of the key ideas for Dana’s approach to decluttering your home is called the Container Concept. Accept the limitations of the space you have and declutter to the point that your stuff fits comfortably in that space.And that was when I made a conscious choice to live in the phase of life I was in. Right then. I decided to stop assuming I knew what I’d love to already have in the future. Eighteen years later I see the ridiculousness of our table situation, but at the time it didn’t seem even a little bit strange. The apartment wasn’t our real house. It was temporary. Who knew what kind of home or dining-area situation our future would bring? Why in the world wouldn’t I keep all three tables until we knew what we needed in our real house? We were ready for the future and all the possibilities it could possibly bring. She suggests starting with the 'visible' and 'living areas' of the home first. This means where guests will see and where people do most of their living and are hampered by clutter. Her approach is simple- deal with the least agonizing (like trash or daily drop pile stuff) and working up to the big decision stuff. It's easiest in the living space rooms that guests see. Then progress to bedrooms, closets, and storage. Hobby or Craft or game rooms that are the most likely to be turned into dumping areas.