Do you ever feel "done" decluttering and/or simplifying?

[laurabfig]

I would say just over the past year I have started to really be mindful of what we bring into our house, trying to simplify life a bit.  But it feels like a neverending battle, with 3 kids and a husband who is not into decluttering/simplifying.  do any of you feel you have reached a happy place in your decluttering or simplifying your family's space?  and how long did it take you?

It always feels like I just don't have enough time to get as organized as I want....and I wonder if I'll always feel that way no matter how long I'm at it!!!

[Smidge]

I actually feel done right now.  I say that half joking b/c in 2 days it's going to start all over again with the butt-load of presents we're going to get :D

It's taken me about 2 years to get here, but the first year I didn't realize what I was doing, I was just wanting more room in our home, not necessarily de-cluttering, kwim?

I gotta say, have it "done" has been one of the best things of 2010 for our house

[Alyantavid]

Yep.  But like the pp, it doesn't last.  There's always more stuff coming in or stuff I decide I don't want/need.

[coyotemist]

Well, I'm really coming to terms with the fact that when we were poor I was a hoarder.  Yesterday we cleaned up quite a bit in the garage and I discovered another box of toys that's been there for 6 years.  It's taking me years to clean out this house.  The whole idea of moving while things are like this freaks me out, we don't plan on moving but someday we will. 

However, I also need to celebrate how much I've done, especially this last year.  Car loads have left, and much less has come back in.  I keep giving things away and taking things to thrift.  I'm just about ready for another load to go (maybe at the end of this week).  We do have spaces to put things now, and every room can be walked through.  It's not always tidy, but we have 5, including a toddler so it won't be.  But it can be presentable within a couple hours, now.  It's the best it's ever been.

My plan for 2011 is to continue to attack messy corners.  There are many that I haven't yet gotten to.

[goinggreengirl]

I was wondering this same thing recently! I suppose you always have to keep on top of it, even if you are finished at one time since new things are always arriving and other things are getting outgrown, worn out, etc.

[clutterwarrior]

I wouldn't know yet whether I will be able to say it, but just typing out those words sent a spark of resolve through me, that I really don't want to be still considering my home cluttered in twenty years time!

Our house is far from done....I am also realising that I was a hoarder, not of the extreme type, but definitely had hoarding tendencies due to problems in my life which made me want to hang on to stuff as displacement for other things we didn't have.

I am only just reaching the stage when I am able to not cringe too much about people coming through my home...but certainly nowhere near 'show home' status!  Not that I really aspire to have a home that could feature in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, but I would like to be able to have a home that people admired or might say "Oh what a lovely room this is...", but more importantly a room that WE feel comfortable and relaxed in, one which I can sit down in and not constantly be reminded of what I haven't done yet!

[Tumble Bumbles]

I really don't think you're ever really 'done'. I think it gets easier over time, the process becomes more like second nature, but there's always going to be 'stuff' moving in and out of your life that can accumulate and become stagnant or bothersome if one is not careful. For us, I feel pretty good at where we're at (it's taken about 3 years) but there always seems to be more I'd like to accomplish in our quest for a simplified, uncluttered, fairly 'minimalist' life. It's an ongoing process.

Be proud of your accomplishments, set reasonable goals, and take periodic rests. For example, I didn't do any decluttering for about a month but next week when New Year's comes, I'll start a new cycle.

[Sol_y_Paz]

no

[OkiMom]

I don't think so.. More stuff gets piled in, more children are born or they grow to the next stage, you change and then realize that what was perfect a few years ago (or even months ago) isn't perfect anymore. Its seems to me to be a constant cycle.

[BCFD]

I think it's just a revolving door.  Luckily, I have learned to manage and "let go" of things!  When I was a new Mom, I thought I had to have every toy for my child and have them all out so she could play with them all.  I remember having wooden puzzles and I would flip me out if a piece was missing!  I would go on a rampage looking for it!  DW used to make fun of me because I would "re-landscape" the Little People at the end of the day (secretly, I think I was making sure there were no missing pieces!  I mean, you can't have a farm without a minimum of 3 cows! ;) ).  

Now, with 3 kids - ages 6, 5, and 4, I have learned that it is really ok to buy a puzzle from the $1 store, do it once and then donate it to the Goodwill.  Or if there is a missing piece, recycling it IMMEDIATELY!!  I used to hold on to everything thinking the piece would show up.  For whatever reason, I bought a *HUGE* bag of Polly Pockets from Once Upon A Child for $15 (probably $300 retail price!) and they would be strewn about the floor daily.  About 6 months it dawned on me....WHY DO I HAVE EVERY SINGLE PIECE OUT FOR THEM TO PLAY WITH??  I put about 7/8 of them in a bag in the garage (my rotating stash) and they haven't missed one single piece.  I will keep them around for about another 6 months before donating them.

I have two large Rubbermaid bins in the garage that I fill up and take to the Goodwill on a pretty regular basis.  We're down to the bare minimum now, but I know that it's ok to just let go......

[tanyalynn]

I'm finding this thread very reassuring.  A couple people have mentioned (my interpretation) that it's taken 2 or 3 years to do a lot of catch-up work, but after that, it seems to move more into maintenance mode.  So given that we've got a lot of catch-up to do around here, we're doing okay, making progress in fits and starts, but it's still progress.  And someday it can be basically maintenance, watch what comes in, every so often go through closets for things that have outlived their usefulness to us--but that's okay, that sounds reasonable to me. 

[laurabfig]

Originally Posted by tanyalynn 

I'm finding this thread very reassuring.  A couple people have mentioned (my interpretation) that it's taken 2 or 3 years to do a lot of catch-up work, but after that, it seems to move more into maintenance mode.  So given that we've got a lot of catch-up to do around here, we're doing okay, making progress in fits and starts, but it's still progress.  And someday it can be basically maintenance, watch what comes in, every so often go through closets for things that have outlived their usefulness to us--but that's okay, that sounds reasonable to me. 

I agree that it has been reassuring to read this thread.  I'm now looking forward to when we will be in maintenance phase!  :)

[MsBirdie]

I am in maitenance phaseand have been for 2 years.  Now about every 3 months I go thru and toss things out/donate etc from throughout the house.  I still seem to get quite a bit.  about 1 big bag of trash and 2-3 big bags to goodwill.  It comes mostly from my closet and bath and kids rooms.  I also reevaluate my holiday decor each year.  I have come to say," if I do not love it, then why am I still hanging on to it?" 

I remember when I first began I would have several car loads full and that was after a big garage sale