the newness of the new year

I just adore January. The biggest reason is that we are past the winter solstice which means the days are slowly getting longer and the nights are getting shorter. Spring is my favorite season of the year. While many bloggers rave about the Fall, I rave about the Spring. I don't do winter so well although I will admit that this is my best winter so far living in this dreary and dark climate. I discovered that dressing myself from ankles to neck in woollies (as we call them or long underwear which might be their official unattractive name) every day and night, warms me to the core. Last year I froze, this year I am comfortable and content. If I put on a pair of Smart Wool socks then I am over the moon with warmth.

With my warm core, my fantastic cold brew coffee and finally having a strong friendship after many empty years, my outlook on winter has shifted. I used to literally get to February and nearly check out for the month. I couldn't work, I would sink into a depression and usually spend my free days looking at real estate in warmer parts of the world. It wasn't until spring really appeared and the world became a visually prettier place with flowers blooming and trees exploding in leaves that I would slowly come out of my dark mood. This year I don't feel any of this darkness.

Which means I can focus purely on the reasons that I really love January. It's a time to really start with de-cluttering and getting rid of everything we don't need. I was listening to some self-help tapes by Barbara Sher that I just picked up at an estate sale. She was telling me to get rid of clutter because it talks to me. She implied that we all have conversations with our stuff. Sometimes stuff screams at me. She used the example of the half knitted scarf that I might feel guilty about for not finishing, the home course for being a travel agent that I feel guilty for spending the money on and not completing (this was back in the 90's when they were in every town still), or the box of unsent Christmas cards that remind me of my poor habit of procrastination. Barbara said to get rid of it and don't think twice about it. 

Yesterday I spent the entire day cleaning my office. And It's day three of cleaning my office and I am still not finished. I'm much closer though and by the end of the evening I felt so good and free of the junk that I sent out of the house. Or the items that were put away in their home. I was in such a good mood I even did some laundry which I'll admit quietly that I just loathe doing. I'm definitely one of those people that choose to do the fun stuff over the things I should be doing in the home. The more organized I get, the more energy I have to tackle the not-so-exciting jobs around the house. The more organized the house is, the more smoothly everything falls into place. Sort of like a puzzle. Before if I did do the laundry, the children's rooms were so messy that I had no place to put the clean clothes. Now all of Cerys's clothing are hanging in the closet. She loves this new system compared to using a dresser. Now I take her clothing to her and she puts them away with a smile. Now that is a rare thing indeed.

Do you have de-cluttering or organizational goals for the new year?

Comments

[Rachel Reeves]

I have resolved to go through all my photos! I just bought photo boxes and I am going to DO IT!!!

[Alicia]

I liked hearing how you overcame the winter blues. I'm struggling with them right now & so that was inspiring!

My organization goals for this year are to let go of emotional attachments to items I don't really want. Things I don't love, but am keeping because of guilt. "OMG, my mom gave me this & would freak out if I gave it away." or "But this awful, ugly serving set has been in my family for years....I have to keep it." No, I don't. I will learn to be okay with that. :)

[Sarah]

Yes yes yes! I hear you!
I'm constantly at odds with my need to collect and thrift, and my stress with the state of the house. This week I took a last-minute holiday from work, toddler in the nursery, and did some clearing. Took 3 boxes to the charity shop. Yesterday I got home from work to a clean and clear hall, and kitchen. I took off my shoes and coat AND PUT THEM AWAY. I made the kiddo a snack, then WASHED AND PUT AWAY THE PLATE (before it got super-crusty) and then... I sat down and enjoyed the space. Such a difference.
I still have a lot more to do though

My office/craft room is taking a loooong time. I've spent two days on it and I still can't see the floor!

[Sarah]

I have on my woolies, smart wools, a heavy wool sweater and am FROZEN. It hasn't gotten above -5 today and my house doesn't seem to want to get above 60. I know I shouldn't complain....but I am! At least the sun is shining and the birds are hanging out in front of my window!

[Alexis]

I'm going to get rid of one-eighth of all the stuff in my house!!! OK, maybe one-tenth...

[LeeAnn]

I'm so gla is better than before. I know how hard winter can be in this "place" - especially without a good friend. It makes me smile to know that someone out there is growing into it and past it - it means I will too soon!~lee

[Betts]

I've been trying to get the house organized and tidy this month, so I can spend most of February cf crafting with only a quick vacuum, dust and scrub to keep the house in order. It's a pretty tall order.

I love getting rid of stuff; it's so liberating.

I'm glad you can look at January with a happier heart this year.

[Elizabeth]

I feel much like you do. You know what has made last winter and this winter better? Crafting! To get back into crafting and have two months to really indulge in it because there's not a lot to do is great. And it's a great time for organizing photos and scrapbooking - remembering all the loveliness of the past year while in the quiet of the new year.

Goalwise, I want to clean out all my closets and basement. We've been in our house for three years and I don't like how cluttery it is beginning to feel already.

Best wishes on a continued good mood!

[Charity]

I am *always* decluttering! It seems like it comes in as quickly as it goes out around here! I've been working on our basement storage stuff of late - sorting, parting with, and re-organizing. :o)

[Apryl]

strangely enough I do like a good declutter...the decluttering starts on January first when the christmas decs come down... to be honest I couldn't stand the mess of the cards anymore.. at heart I'm a tidy person.. I'm just not very faithful to my heart because I am also a pack rat by birth... I have just had a sort out abandoning my plans for the box room being a craft room... M thought we could share the desk but no that isn't going to happen so I took the little beauro desk in the bedroom for my crafty space.. M dosne't get why I need my own space, and wonders why we can't share both.

Today I sorted out the garage, for about 3 hours by myself.. I haven't gone through the 3 boxes of assorted kitchen things that dont fit in the kitchen, I'll do that another day. sorting through things is the only thing that makes me ok at this time of year.. to sit there amid opened boxes of books, flipping through them and finding old bookmarks and re-reading paragraphs here and there is the closest thing to bliss there is in winter..

I love spring, I have a spring birthday.. obviously *scrunches nose up at my name* .. though I do love autumn leaves, halloween and harvest time... winter well aside from a little bit watching the snow fall .. Id rather hibernate..

[rhonda jean]

I came across your blog a couple of weeks ago and have been enjoying it ever since. I loved your post yesterday and thought the photos were wonderful.

I'm pleased to read you've enjoyed your winter more this year. Making little adjustments often work well in our lives, don't they.

My decluttering has been done and generally I stay on top of it all now, but good luck with what you're doing. It's amazing the feeling you get when you've freed up space.

[The Magic Onions]

This is SO true! My stuff SCREAMS at me too. I feel much, much better when my house is organised - like I have cleared room in my self for the new. Thanks for you lovely blog.

[Sonya]

I am decluttering right along side you, it is such a good feeling to clear out! And I have been SO wanting to try the cold brewed coffee, it was on my wish list for Christmas but will have to work on it for my Birthday now:)
Sonya

[Jenny]

Yes, I do! For a lot of reasons...I love to declutter, and I can agree with *stuff* talks to us. ;-) My goal this year is to turn it around and give it a job - to help us reduce our debt. I just set up another blog to stay focused on this 2009 goal and to be accountable.
Good on you for those 3 days of hard decluttering. :-)

[Arwen]

I have to use strategies to get rid of stuff anymore, as I live in a small place and have already purged large amounts. A dear friend told me once of someone else's strategy - that if an item makes them feel guilty in any way, to get rid of it. I think that totally goes along with what you're saying. I now have a pretty sane conversation with my stuff, because I've gotten rid of so much of it that what remains is truly beloved.

But I do hope with my next apartment - have to move again in May - to find a way to re-organize my many, many books in a way that's not only aesthetically pleasing but also useful to me; I have to reference them a lot! It's sort of a big problem.

[Micaela]

Great post. We're working on "minimizing our stuff" as one of our family's 2009 goals. I like your perspective of how January is a month that you can now look forward to!

[GuruSimple]

Thank you for this personal, insightful blog. You capture the way lots of us are feeling. And like you, I've been helped tremendously by Barbara Sher's words. Her philosophy (that structure and accountability are the keys to success, not your "positive attitude") means there's hope for all of us who can't always convince ourselves that we deserve to be happy. Check out her success teams and week-long retreats (the next one takes place in April, in France) at www.geniuspress.com

[Antonella]

decluttering is an on-going goal for me, it's just soo difficult
my main problem is paper. I tend to collect mementoes of anything remotely happened to me (ticket stubs, diaries, photos) and informations I like or I might need someday (great hotels in any part of the planet, infos on natural health, craft ideas, homeschooling - I don't even have children..)
I feel that if I let something go I loose something useful or part of myself (my memories are in an identification card for a gym I went to in 1988??!!)
when I finally get to declutter something it feels great, but it's just a drop in the sea, not remotely enough!
I just guess I'll have to commit harder!!
maybe listening to motivational tapes is a trick I can use
hugs
Antonella

[Christine]

Glad you found a groove and feel good about it! After your tip about Barbara Sher I read her book and it has helped me so much. Thanks again for that.
Decluttering is an ongoing project here, we do big rounds every couple of months. With such a small apartment we have to. I have this weird goal of wanting all the closets half empty, which is not smart because the clutter is really about what you can SEE in our place, and not what's put away. :-)

Christine

[cathy c]

I call it purge-fest '09 or '08 etc. Being indoors in the winter makes me need to purge as I am looking and living with the junk! Summer seems to be easier as one is outside more and not choking on clutter :) It is a delicate balance when one is a thrift store junky! Best of luck to you! Purge away my friend!

[Julie]

What a great way to handle the cold - putting clothes on under, rather than over! I've been wearing more sweaters, but they are bulky and get into the dishwater and are hard to keep clean. I should be starting with more layers closer to the skin!

[robin-Thirfty Miss Priss]

I've been reading through all your posts tonight (this morning!) because I'm so far behind on everything in life! I'm a huge procrastinator too and often only do the fun things, when the necessary things are screaming my name! I've been to FIVE thrift stores in 24 hours, and now I feel GUILTY for bringing more stuff in. I grabbed some trash bags and started de-stashing and after about 4 hours I feel ENERGIZED. Not guilty! There were a "few" unfinished projects in that bag that I'm going to let go of rather than continue to let them clutter my brain. I feel so much better now that I've cleaned out and feel like I have the energy to do the "necessary" things (tomorrow/today!)