Most Sincerely,

Its times like these I really feel the urge to watch the film What About Bob? again. "Baby step to four o'clock. Baby step to four o'clock." Yesterday I posted a plea, for advice. And today I have been so blessed to hear from various wonderful people who have been and done before me. I say, with all my heart, Thank YOU! Thank you so much for offering your beautiful support. Your wise words of wisdom. They have meant the world to me. As I have went about my day today those words of kind, gentle guidance have been echoing in my head. And surely they are drowning out my own self doubt and depreciation.
Here is what you've said:

Becca
8:21 AM

 

My advice although basically just one step at a time, is to just pick something. Start with a drawer. Just one drawer, or shelf, or whatever is relevant. It doesn't have to be the fullest shelf, in fact it may help if it's the emptiest shelf. Then give yourself a gift, or something for completing just that one thing.

Say something to yourself like I will work on this one drawer, and when I have completed it, I will go get an Iced Coffee from Starbucks.

Good Luck!

Midgetqueen
1:56 PM

I am a huge, HUGE fan of unclutter.com and zenhabits.net. Especially Zenhabits. He's all about simplifying your life while maintaining sanity. I really can't say enough how much these two sites have helped me improve and simplify. Still have a LONG way to go, but it's getting less daunting. Try 18 Five-Minute Decluttering Tips to Start Conquering Your Mess first.

In a nutshell, the advice is to pick one surface. Like the top of your desk, or one desk-drawer, or the trunk of your car, or just the workbench in your garage. Whatever. Just whatever it takes to finish in five minutes. "Then take another five minutes tomorrow. And another the next day. Before you know it, you’ll have cleared a whole closet or a room and then half your house and then … who knows?"

There's also the ubiquitous Flylady.net.

I'm in a fairly similar boat myself, just a little further downstream. There *is* light at the end! As the late great Douglas Adams said, Don't Panic and always know where your towel is!

XUP
3:59 PM

I wouldn't start in the garage. Garages are scary cluttered. Start somewhere fun like your closet. And then maybe move to the kitchen cupboards or another closet. Dump everything you don't want into the garage. Leave the garage until the very end and then have a de-clutter party and let all your friends root through everything and take stuff home and then when they're done, then you can have a go!

Just Jinny
5:22 PM

Listen to the advice already given. You must divide and conquer.

Try not to look at it as a whole, but instead as ONE box or ONE drawer or ONE shelf.

Also, give yourself a set space for things that are being kept, things that are being thrown away, and things that are being donated/sold. Maybe big plastic tubs (that you can use to store things with afterwards).

Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.

I have taken this advice and used it wholeheartedly. And have also begun to uncover a myriad of wisdom concerning the conviction of simplification. I hope to post more throughly later, but as of right now, my husband has just completed his shower and I feel it is of the utmost importance to go and snuggle with him in our bed. Whilst basking in those things, few but meaningful, we've been able to accomplish today--

1. Re-potted all but three (we ran out of top soil); of the veggies we bought for our container garden.
2. Gone through our closets and drawers piling up unnecessary clothing.
3. Sifted through our bookcase and movie shelves pulling out that which is not pertinent.
4. Ate a home-cooked dinner of felafel, on flat bread with veggies. And did the dinner dishes!

Thank you, thank you again. Blessings and love, love, love to you all.