So I decided to jump up and start something.
Started with the entry cloat closet. So far I have 1 bag of trash and 1 bag of donatable shoes and jackets.
I kind of wish I had a before photo. I’ll definitely get an after.
I’m kinda proud, that closet has been a blackhole for too long!!
That’s great! Closets are definitely a good starting point that can be motivating to move on and do the next project.
I usually would agree with you but without a dedicated space for them it gets a bit overwhelming. I end up forgetting what I have and it isn’t functional at all. I’d like to at least get things organized so I can find things when I am looking for them and possibly donate things I’ll probably never get to using.
@Phoebe Thank you for the recommendation. 
I’m not too worried about the religious stuff. I’m pretty good at good at setting aside information I’m not interested in and taking away what is useful. 
@HoofHearted Good for you! Looking forward to seeing the after image!
Thank you all so much for this thread I just discovered 
May I introduce my declutter history: I cleared up behind my family and my own hoarded stuff from 1994 to 2012.
Last year my husband and I moved to our new house. He brought his personal stuff from his childhood home plus some heirloom furniture from his grandpartents (both houses were sold). Plus … about 100 boxes of non-outsorted stuff from his grandparents and himself. Good: The pile has been halved in the meantime. Not so good: Most of MY personal stuff and furniture is still at my house where we lived together for the last 12 years …
That happens whith a partner who refuses to plan an organized move 
I’ve been working with the question matrixes mentioned before since the early 90s and love them. Also the room by room concept is very effective.
To be honest I casted aside all restraints about throwing away things over this long period of time and after tons and tons of stuff dumped and dozens of nervous breakdowns over the bullshit I found 
When I deal with huuuuge amounts of stuff, I even don’t think about donate/put it in a re-use center or sell it. We have a very good recycling system in Austria, where all sorts of electrical stuff, white goods, paper, plastic, textiles, hazardous waste (e.g. batteries, varnish, motoroil etc.) can be dumped free of charge.
Allthough I practice the 2-year-not-used-leaves-the-house rule I realized I’ve been lazy on clothes, books and the office archive is a mess in laundry baskets (weird system but cat-proof).
So a lot to do and I figured out a nice procedure: Each time I’m at my house I take a car full of things with me, sort out and put the rest into place where it belongs in the new house. So nothing I don’t really need moves in and at the end of the day everything will have moved out of my house (I keep it so there is no hurry, wanna be done by november).
It don’t look like much, but keep in mind that 2 large bags of crap has been removed! In fact, we couldn’t even close the door it was so full.
Also moved a bunch of seasonal coats into the respective owner’s closet,.
Still too many shoes, they also need to go into personal closets as they are too, seasonal.
This closet just needs an inspirational poster and voila! Inner peace!
Nice DIY shoe rack! I need to make one.
Looks great! I can imagine how much stuff you took out.
Been going through some stuff in the office closet and I found some stuff I collected when I was younger. Things that I was really into in my late teens and all through my 20s. I have fond memories of that time, but it’s not really what I’m interested anymore.
So rises the “to keep or not to keep” question.
It’s harder than just random crap I picked up over the years or things that were given to me. These are items I put effort into collecting over the years. I have a lot of this stuff in different places–some is still displayed, but much is out of sight.
Anyone run into this issue of previously prized posessions, but now of a time gone by, now trying to decide to keep or let go of?
For some reason, I don’t have anything from my youth, but my wife does, a lot of stuff.
She had brought 4 or 5 large boxes from her room when she was a teenager and she gave me the authority to filter it. I kept irreparable items, pictures, hand written letters etc. The rest, I took pictures so if she wanted to look at it she could.
I own a large collection of various comics from my youth. I love it so much that I never gave away one piece, still re-read some every now and then. Other stuff I sorted: photos, postcards/letters and some schoolbocks with hillarious nonsens we wrote in them back then stayed. I made a box called textile museum for a few outstanding 80s and 90s clothes and the beautiful robe I wore for the graduation school ball, that’s a big thing in Austria. I have a spot where I keep my personal museum of technology 
there you find my first mobile phone and our last dial plate phone for example. I only kept things that bring me joy and that I have a look at from time to time.
I took photos of some of the rest. That’s nice, I sometimes create photo collages, get it a ikea frame and put it on the wall for a while 
Try different ways till something sticks. Hoarding clutter, disorganization all parts of addictive behaviors. Treat it like your addiction. You are powerless over your desires but can manage the actual things. If it’s in a pile it’s not important no matter how much sentiment there is attached. I feel for you. I struggle always but it gets better and you end up feeling good with more peace visually.
I’ve been tackling my youngest son’s bedroom.
He acquired the toys of his older siblings over the years and so his room was full of 20 years of toys, many broken and missing pieces.
Mom has a hard time of letting go, but with finite living space, we can’t hold on to everything. In the past, doing these types of projects was near impossible because it became such a battle with her that I’d end up giving up. This time, she is staying away and letting me do my thing. I am taking advantage and working through the junk as fast as possible.
I’ve already had 2 goodwill runs and one dump run and barely made a dent… but I feel good, it’s a long time coming.
My only regret is not taking a before picture. 
man im a tad lucky about this i spent quite a bit of time in my 20s essentially a nomad with maybe 4 years of “stable” living and lots and lots of stuff got left behind the various places i’ve stayed at… these days, as soon as i see something as junk it gets thrown out, so easily. not trying to brag but in ways i do find it nice BUT on the other hand since moving in september ive essentially been trying to “up” my collection of stuff. you got any paintings or stuff lol
Me myself personally as a guy I have a bunch of favorite t-shirts and those are my hardest to let go but if its sitting at the bottom of a stack and I know its not going to see the light of day anymore I let it go!!
I always forget to take before pics!!! Nicely done on tackling that project and glad she’s stepped away from it. Both are hard to do, depending.
I may forget the before, but I’ll definitely show the after!
I loaded my car to take donations to goodwill, and they were closed! Son of a gun! Put a halt on my progress for the day.
Tomorrow is a new day!
Clothes has been hard for me to let go, I’m getting better tho. I’ll be filtering my closet again soon, I’ll try to reduce by 25%.
I still have a big table full of crafts in my basement I need to go through and organize…I might have mentioned it on this thread 
Just reorganized my den for company coming to visit but now I need to find places for things or put them in storage or gasp get rid of things!
