S to M declutter will be coming soon. I can’t believe I just typed that 🙂
In the meantime a quick wardrobe update. The wardrobe has been my main focus of attention since the big stuff went off to auction/charity/skip earlier this month. The Gin Gan is wonderfully empty and I am really beginning to feel the day to day difference. I think psychologically even though I had removed so so so much from our house the fact that it was still on site was a big issue for me and I am glad it’s gone.
Living out of one medium sized suitcase for a month focuses the mind and on my return from Australia I was able to take a look at my much depleted wardrobe and cull another 30%. This afternoon I had an urge to do a bit more. It is interesting that once you really get going it is much, much easier to keep going and become more purposeful.
This is what was left after the Singers and Dancer had picked out the few items that they wanted.
![IMG_1317[1]](https://onepairofshoesatatime.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/img_13171.jpg)
I now have three full bags of clothes in the back of my car ready to be taken to The British Heart Foundation shop in town. I was talking to a friend today who is at the beginning of her declutttering process. She is at the overwhelmed stage. Remember the Gaussian normal distribution bell curve? It looks like this.
Ignoring the statistical use of the bell curve and just looking at the shape for a moment and I think it represents our approach to decluttering. We start with high hopes and approach the issue head on. Then we realise just how big the job is, how overwhelming it can feel and we are tempted to give up. Assuming we keeping going then we plough through the really hard times. The times when we have got rid of the things that were easy to get rid of because we didn’t really want them. Now we are faced with the things that we don’t need but somehow we still want. Finally we get to the top and like the helter skelter rider we come racing down because now it is easy, we “get it”, we want to be unburdened.
So wherever you are on the curve, remember there is a helter skelter ride at the end and it is worth it.
one pair of shoes at a time 
Great analogy. And I find that I often want to give up just before I hit the top, feeling overwhelmed and like it will never be done. Must remember that it gets easier after it gets harder 🙂
Very encouraging, thank you! I am feeling more inspired each time I read one of your posts.
Very funny use of the bell curve…but also very traumatic…reminding me of my biostastistical past lol! There’s nothing more therapeutic than a clean out. I’m a believer in clearing out the old energy to bring in the new energy 🙂
Statistics was a compulsory subject in my first year at university. I hated it. I had a book called “Statistics without tears” by Derek Rowntree. I remember throwing it across the room and yelling “Liar!” at the top of my voice 🙂
I’m at the wondering what will happen WHEN/IF we finally get the house sold and I am no longer worried about people peeking into closets. Have already de-cluttered but sensing I might get more “hoardy” later…