New Decluttering Plans for 2021

After reading an article online about someone in the US who attempted to declutter 2020 items in 2020, I decided that I might try to do the same in 2021 by trying to declutter 2021 items. 

The house is starting to feel a bit cluttered again. I know it's mostly because I'm keeping extra food during lockdown, the Christmas decorations haven't yet gone back into the loft and we're moving stuff around due to decorating, but even so, my wardrobe is bursting at the seams, I have way too much stuff in the sewing room still, as well as under beds and in drawers and cupboards all over the house. It's time.

Having said this, 2021 is a lot of items. I don't think I've ever tried to declutter quite so many in a year, in all my attempts over the years, but desperate times means desperate measures. Being in our house day after day for months on end during the various lockdowns, has made me realise how claustrophobic if feels having so much stuff.

In my list of items leaving, I'm going to include much of what I put aside last year for donation, because it hasn't left the house yet, which is another part of the problem. It is sat in the sewing room awaiting the re-opening of charity shops and Give and Take events. I know this probably sounds a bit of a cheat, but as it is still in the house, I don't consider it decluttered yet.

I got started this weekend, by taking some stuff to the tip. Included in this were an ironing board that is too low to be comfortable to use, a rusty old baking tin, a bag of garden garbage containing broken pots, etc., a couple of empty paint pots from the decorating and a front door mat that foxes had kindly done their business on. A modest start, but getting rid of anything is better than nothing in my current situation.

I also cut up half a dozen of LB's old t-shirts last week that she no longer wanted and made dish cloths with them, so they can be added to the total and we broke a couple of glasses in the last week, so they were disposed of too. In addition, a couple of house plants were composted, that I had managed to kill after only a very short period of time. Sadly, I think there will be more in the coming months.

I sorted through some clothes that I had put aside to donate the other day, counted them and then this morning, I finally took them to the clothing donation bank down the road. The local charity shop will unfortunately not get them this time around, but they will find their way to a charity to be sold or otherwise repurposed. That will at least provide a little more breathing space in the house. 

Household items and books, will need to stay for now, but I may take books to a Little Free Library near us, if there is room to donate them there. As I have no non-fiction books in the house left to read, I have decided that I will now make myself read through the 50 or so fiction titles I have on the bookshelf in our bedroom. As soon as these have been read, most of them can be donated, so that will be more items decluttered eventually. I never tend to re-read fiction, so always pass it on once it's been read. I've finished reading one over the course of the last few days. One down.

For the purpose of this challenge, I am only going to count things that have actually left the house, which should motivate me to actually take them somewhere or put them outside for people to take for free. I'll do  a monthly update to let you know how I get on. I have calculated that I need to declutter approximately 169 items per month to meet the target. I'd better get to work. Wish me luck.