Sue's Decluttering Journey
Until a few years ago, Sue hadn't heard of “decluttering”, particularly as a task to be undertaken regularly. As a single Mum of twins, Sue's life had been hectic for years with work, appointments, family and friends. She had lost her Mum when her children were babies and not dealt with inherited and sentimental items. Dealing with all the stuff seemed like just too much to expect of herself.
To quiet the nagging voice in her head and make some progress, Sue decided to start small. She did some decluttering research and tackled one drawer/cupboard at a time, whenever she had a spare moment.
Over time, decluttering made a difference to how Sue's home felt and freed up space in her mind too, which she hadn’t expected. It was wonderful to be able to find things easily and not have items come crashing down on her head or foot when she recklessly opened a cupboard door!
After decluttering several boxes of quality items, Sue donated them to a local charity, knowing they would bring value to others while supporting people in her own community.
Since starting her decluttering journey, Sue has made dozens of trips to charity shops to drop off hundreds of items. She has also filled to the brim her recycling and waste bins repeatedly and booked hard rubbish collections for larger items not in good shape. Sue strongly relates to the phrases "progress over perfection" and "1% better every day".
Lessons Learned
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After so much decluttering, Sue's more mindful about what she brings into her home. She is now, more than ever, committed to being able to shut a cabinet door!
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Sue's stopped over consuming and impulse buying. She understands that 10 soup ladles may be a little too many...
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Sue's committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. She believes everyone can do their part, however small, to help our beautiful planet.
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Sue continues to focus on what is "enough" and let go of a "scarcity mindset". She remembers that the more you own, the more it owns you!
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Sue is not a Minimalist but tries everyday to be more minimal and intentional with how she lives her life. She knows that very few people need a dozen wooden spoons...
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Sue believes in finding an individual organising style that works for you, whether that is using:
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visual or hidden systems
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macro or micro-organisation
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Sue's methods include:
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re-using items and furniture in new ways - it's amazing what a change of scene can do
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after decluttering, consider the use of turntables, clear and opaque containers and labels to assist with organisation - also using vertical space can really help!
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Sue says that the most important thing is "just to start"!
ABN 89604167852