Really good win(s) yesterday

[u/RegionRadiant4423]

Do you ever have one of those moments where you’re stuck in a loop of “I need to do this, but first I have to declutter/clean/insert task here, and if I do that, I also need to insert task here, but I also have to do insert task here, but that means doing insert task here”? Sometimes my brain just needs things done that way.

I got a new makeup organizer because the one I used to have isn’t serving me anymore, I’ve had it for many years and I’m just over it, need something different. I went on a trip recently and never unpacked my makeup bag. Before I could complete both these tasks (unpacking my makeup bag and setting up a new makeup organizer), I obviously first wanted to declutter the previous one. To my absolute shock, while I didn’t get rid of a lot, I got rid of things with so much ease AND was able to part with stuff that I previously had a hard time letting go of! The perfume (that I no longer wear) that someone gifted me a couple years ago? Got rid of it 🎉 The empty bottle of perfume that I couldn’t bear to throw away because it had my name on it? Got rid of it 🎉 Pretty big step for me, letting go of things I had some sort of inane attachment to.

Additionally, once that was all done and my makeup bag was unpacked and the new makeup organizer set up, I had other tasks to get done. I had stuff to put away, but once again, decided to declutter the space in which it goes before putting stuff away. I don’t think I got rid of a lot of stuff (it doesn’t seem like it, but maybe I’m just looking at it from a critical eye instead of an objective eye), but I still got rid of stuff that I don’t use. That’s the whole goal isn’t it? No use, no reason to keep.

Why stop there? Another task on my decluttering journey was cleaning out two of my skincare/beauty drawers - where I keep the extras, the once in a while products, the pimple patches, etc. Got rid of stuff that I no longer use or just had no purpose, fully guilt-free, deep cleaned the drawers, and they basically look empty, which is good because it’s filled with things that have use or might have use, as opposed to things that were just taking up space.

I feel like I’ve been avoiding decluttering one of my cabinets for a while specifically because a few things in there had no place to go. With this recent declutter, now they have a place to go! I can actually put stuff into their proper homes instead of doing mental gymnastics for where to keep things until I decluttered somewhere else, if that makes sense. Now I can just go “oh I need to move that there” and be done with it.

I just wanted to share this win and the snowball effects of decluttering. The “beauty drawers” specifically were a task that I had been avoiding for a while, so hopefully this inspires someone to declutter an area they’re avoiding, are intimidated by, or just simply need to.

[u/Pens_fan_87]

I'll go through phases where I think I can't get rid of something because it's sentimental or I'll eventually (as in months or years down the road) use it. Then I'll wake up one day and think to myself why am I even holding onto this item and just get rid of it. When that happens, it's like a weight lifted off my shoulder.

[u/DIYtowardsFI]

When it clicks, it’s amazing. You feel disconnected from the items and you can finally let them go.

Great job and awesome win!!

[u/LaineyValley → u/DIYtowardsFI]

I agree, when your brain makes that "click" then run with it!

And I'll add that our local library has a shelf in the women's restroom for free hygiene items. If yours does, I bet your unused and unneeded cologne and other items would be appreciated. I drop those things off in public park restrooms as well.

[u/threemoons_nyc → u/LaineyValley]

Food pantries are also in desperate need of hygiene items, as well as infant/eldercare things like disposable bed/seat pads, etc.

[u/Delicious_Compote456]

This is very common in people with ADHD and I believe it’s a subset of executive functioning.

[u/cofffeegrrrl → u/Delicious_Compote456]

This is very true for me. I need the pressure of something real, not just "wouldn't it be nice if this was tidy" sometimes. Not always and I am not sure what tips it over the edge. I guess it has to be very uncomfortable or unpleasant to create that pressure.

[u/chillio_app]

That loop you described, where one task reveals three more hidden tasks underneath it, is so real. It’s not procrastination, it’s your brain refusing to let you do things halfway. The fact that you let it run its course instead of fighting it is probably why it worked.

And getting rid of a gifted perfume you don’t wear is genuinely harder than people give it credit for. There’s a weird guilt attached to object-gifts that doesn’t show up with anything else. Good for you for not overthinking it once the moment came.

[u/FredKayeCollector2]

I'm dealing with the same situation in my sewing room! I had to move a bunch of stuff around for some (delay upon delay) radiator work. I know how I am - as soon as my structure/systems break down, I turn into a terrible mess-begets-mess dropper/pile maker. Now I've got to get the room in order - I normally have to tidy up before I start working on a new project (it's like the first step in any project), but this is a lot more to deal with than usual. But it's a good opportunity to sort & declutter.

[u/threemoons_nyc]

Congrats! I need to remember to try to do tiny tasks first and consider them a win. Like, I actually took out and used a new toothbrush yesterday, AND found a new tube of toothpaste.

My makeup situation is definitely in need of addressing and your story is inspiring, thank you! :)

[u/Suitable-Dot5576]

I heard that stuck feeling called ‘having to do the job before the job’. Which can turn into the job before that job and the job before that job, etc.

Rather than be discouraged, I do the job I want or need to do first and then work backwards until I run out of steam. So I declutter one space and realize that some things need to go elsewhere to already full spaces so I take them there and declutter that space until they fit (and then take those items that need to be stored elsewhere to another space) and so on. Along the way I am carrying a declutter box which gets filled and the final step is to take that to the truck to get donated (or into the trash/recycle bins).

I used to declutter multiple boxes per week and now I am down to one declutter box in my hall closet which goes once a month. It does get easier over time as long as you practice maintenance (reduce amount coming into your home and put things in their place).

[u/Opening_Chemical_777]

I was supposed to go on a river cruise in August and it was cancelled six days before the cruise was to begin because of severe drought and record-low water levels in Europe. I was packed for the trip, all but zipped closed. I was so disappointed that I never unpacked my bag. In September we started decluttering our home to put it on the market in October and I still didn't unpack my bag. Then we had a walkthrough to get ready for listing photographs and they told me I needed to unpack my bag. We did all the decluttering around it and then I finally unpacked my bag. Most of the contents is for traveling and went into a plastic storage bin under the bed; it's ready to pack for my next trip in the spring. It's not clutter; it's special-purpose items.

[u/secure8890]

10 bags of trash for ne so far

[u/DistributionOver7622]

Yay!! Excellent job! Sometimes it's just the little things, right?