When I started this journey I had only one thing on my mind – to get rid of all the stuff that was irritating the hell out of me. Perhaps I thought that once I had done that my life would be sorted. Much like the “if I lose 20lb/get a new job/earn another £10,000/get married/have a baby [delete as appropriate] everything will be perfect”. But life isn’t like that, you can’t measure contentment, despite the Government’s determination to measure of happiness it cannot be done, it is not a determinable constant measurable on an analogue scale. On the other hand if you are prepared to measure logarithmically perhaps it can be done; the happier you feel you are the happier you become.
I have achieved a huge amount in only a month or so. We have a huge house and it has happily held a lot of stuff for a very long time. I have cleared books, clothes, kitchen equipment, linen, jewellery, paperwork, It is true that stuff will expand to fill the space available. We have a lot of space and I am a very organised person. I knew where everything was, everything was in its place and apart from a few hot spots the house didn’t look cluttered (except perhaps to a serious minimalist). But I knew it was and boy have I been proven right.
Despite everything I have managed to do thus far there is still a long way to go. Am I downhearted? Absolutely not. I am thrilled. The more I achieve the more I want to achieve. As I move around the house putting away washing, cleaning the sink or picking up the detritus generated by three teenage girls I see more opportunities to declutter. I worked through my jewellery yesterday afternoon in just under an hour, while I was at it I reorganised where it went and gave my dressing table a once over. Result – clear space, jewellery I will wear and three daughters delighted with the rejects.
The less I have the more I want – more of less.
one pair of shoes at a time 
Great post!t
Thank you.
It’s so satisfying to complete tasks you never thought you’d get around to. When my husband cleans the mirror, he keeps gazing at it, delighted with the result. Small things give such huge pleasure.
Oh I’m a mirror gazer too. So satisfying!
I too have often fallen prey to thinking “if only” some external area of my life got better, I would feel better. I think decluttering can be an almost spiritual process because, as you declutter your external environment, you simplify your life and declutter your internal environment. Great post!
I love the line: “The more I achieve the more I want to achieve.”
Decluttering is so self-motivating.